This volume investigates the historical and biological relationship between native wild flora and the cultivated plants introduced into British gardens. S. M. Walters, a distinguished botanist and former director of the Cambridge University Botanic Garden, utilizes his extensive academic background to trace how human intervention has shaped the landscape. The text provides a rigorous examination of the intersection between horticulture and wild plant populations, arguing that the distinction between 'wild' and 'garden' is often a fluid, human-constructed boundary.

The work is regarded as a scholarly and thorough contribution to the New Naturalist series, providing a specialized look at the intersection of human culture and botanical evolution. The text serves as a dense, informative resource for readers interested in the history of British horticulture and the scientific study of plant distribution.