Our Collections
The Lindley Library holds the world’s finest literature on gardening, horticulture and cultivated plants; and a unique collection of botanical art. All libraries have the latest books and journals. London has the Society’s historical collections and the majority of the Society’s art collections. Wisley has Garden Library collections geared towards amateur and professional gardeners and a separate library of the Society’s Science Collections. Harlow Carr, Hyde Hall and Rosemoor Garden Libraries have smaller, mostly modern book and periodical collections.
Use the Library catalogue to search for books and pamphlets. The cataloguing project is almost complete but some older material in London, Wisley and Harlow Carr is not yet listed online.
Virtual Bookcase
Our publication the Virtual Bookcase is an occasional series featuring some of the Library's collections.
Issue 1 features some of the Library's wonderful collection of works on fruit.
Virtual Bookcase - issue 1 (487KB)
London’s collection range from early printed books right up to the present day. This extensive library includes the Society’s historical collections - a fine collection of early printed books from 1514 including: herbals, early gardening books, and illustrated works including fruits, trees and flowers. As well as general gardening books, it also has an excellent collection of plant monographs, books on fruit, flower arranging, botanical art, garden design and garden history. Its collections are aimed at everyone, particularly researchers of garden history and botanical art.
London's printed book collections
Wisley has collections in two locations: the Garden Library collections designed for amateur and professional gardeners and students with books on all practical gardening, design and history; and the science collections - a vital resource for staff with books on horticultural science and the taxonomy of cultivated plants..
Wisley printed book collections
London and Wisley libraries lend books to RHS members. Loan copies are available of most recent publications including most RHS publications and books reviewed in The Garden.
What’s new?
For new books, videos and DVDs added to the collections this month at London and Wisley, click here.
All RHS Libraries hold collection of current gardening and horticultural journals. Holdings of important historical works are available at London and Wisley.
To view the above Adobe Acrobat .pdf documents you will need a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader. We strongly recommend that you download the latest version to prevent problems viewing the documents. This is available free from the Adobe website. Click on the logo to go to the website.
RHS Journals - complete sets are available at London and Wisley. These are a valuable source of information on the history of the RHS, gardening and horticulture. View the contents of The Garden , The Plantsman , and Orchid Review.
London and Wisley hold an extensive range of nursery, seed and other trade catalogues from all periods. Horticultural trade catalogues offer a unique insight into plant history. As trade ephemera these collections are important historical records, of use to historians, researchers and vital to the Society’s botanists.
The Picture Library based in London holds some 22,000 original botanical illustrations. The earliest date from the early 17th century with an album of plant portraits by Dutch artist Pieter van Kouwenhoorn.
The archives, based in London, contain a valuable collection of the Society’s archives of books, journals, letters, diaries, minutes, photographs, plans and manuscripts, plus archives of important horticultural luminaries. An appointment needs to be made to view the archives.