The Huntington's camellia garden is one of the most diverse public collections anywhere and one of only five gardens worldwide to earn the International Camellia Garden of Excellence Award from the International Camellia Society. The collection includes some of the world's oldest camellia cultivars as well as new 21st-century introductions, both well documented in this lavishly illustrated, compact book. Reproductions of nineteenth-century botanical illustrations from the Huntington Library's rare book collections are also included. Those who grow camellias or want to, and those who appreciate their beauty, will find both pleasure and valuable information in this handsome book.

Ann Richardson earned her horticulture degree from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. At the Huntington, she served as curator of the camellia gardens and the Japanese garden for 13 years. Her articles have appeared in Fine Gardening Magazine, The Camellia Review, Public Gardens, and the International Camellia Society Review.