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First published in 1992, Nick Robinson's Planting Design Handbook has since become widely used as a definitive text on landscape architecture courses throughout the world. It examines the horticultural, ecological and aesthetic characteristics of plants, discusses the structural and decorative roles of planting, spatial composition, species selection, planting plans and spacing, and the vital role of management. With its fresh look at aesthetic principles and its analysis of the design process, it reveals how a systematic approach can allow the greatest freedom for the creative imagination.

This second edition still provides a complete examination of both the principles and the practice of design with plants, for public, institutional and private landscapes, but is fully revised and updated, taking account of developments in professional practice and reflecting a variety of media and approaches currently used. It incorporates conceptual design approaches to planting, a range of design methods as well as tried and tested analytical and objective procedures, and a wide range of new international examples of planting design. The ecological basis for planting design has been broadened to include examples from warm temperate and subtropical vegetation types as well as those of the cool temperate and Mediterranean climate area.

The layout of the book is clearer and more spacious, with colour illustrations. While retaining the beautiful and detailed line drawings of the Chinese architect and painter Jia-Hua Wu, it includes an international range of new photographs and professional drawings. These illustrate a range of media now effective and useful in professional practices of various sizes.