Gardeners have a special affection for those plants generally classified as 'alpines'. They are, for the most part, easy to grow, once the particular conditions of their natural habitat are understood. They offer a wide range of forms, provide year-round colour, and a large number can be grown even in a small garden.

Clive Innes describes that diversity in his new book, and illustrates almost 1,000 alpine plants, including with those most frequently found and grown, a number of rarer species. Each photograph is accompanied by notes on habitat, distribution, growing habit, flowering season and any individual characteristics of special interest. Specific tips on successful cultivation build on the author's introductory advice on soils, watering, feeding and propagation.

The entries are presented alphabetically, using the currently accepted nomenclature, but the more commonly encountered synonyms are included in the descriptions and listed in a separate Index of Synonyms.