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''The Plantsman'', Publish ed Quarterly by the Royal Horticultural Society since 1979 , is a 68-page Journal ''"dedicated to a deeper understanding and appreciation of Garden Plants ."'' Its authoritative articles are written by acknowledged experts on plant-related subjects, including plant profiles, Horticulture , Botany and the development of Garden Plant s, focusing on ornamental plants grown in Temperate gardens. It also reflects the Scientific work of the RHS, as well as Research conducted by other horticultural and botanical institutions and individuals.

The RHS website describes ''The Plantsman'' as ''"in-depth yet accessible"'' and its target readership as ''"keen gardeners, botanists and horticulturists"'' - in other words, Plantsmen And Plantswomen .


SUBJECT MATTER

Under its current Editor , Mike Grant, the journal, now printed in Full Colour on every page, continues to broaden its scope. Its subject-matter includes:

  • Profiles and evaluations of plant Genera , Species and Cultivar s of horticultural merit

  • Recent plant introductions and descriptions of new plants

  • New or advanced Cultivation and Propagation techniques

  • Detailed accounts and findings from RHS Trials

  • Developments in plant Taxonomy and changes to Names Of Garden Plants

  • Plant exploration and travel

  • Opinions and viewpoints of prominent horticultural figures

  • Conservation of garden plants and wild plants of horticultural interest

  • Advances in Plant Breeding and development of new garden plants

  • Profiles of plant experts, breeders and horticultural personalities

  • Botanical illustration and its development



HISTORY OF ''THE PLANTSMAN''

''The Plantsman'' magazine was first published in June 1979 . The quarterly began as a Scholar ly spin-off from '' The Garden '', the monthly journal of the RHS, which was then widening its editorial scope and popularizing its approach, in response to the wider audience provided by the society's rapidly increasing membership.

In his introduction to the first edition of ''The Plantsman'', its Editorial Director, Hugh Johnson, noted that the changing editorial policy of ''The Garden'' had meant:
"…leaving out, or at any rate abbreviating, the sort of scholarly, unhurried, lovingly minute studies of plants which are the true meat of specialist horticultural literature."

He described ''The Plantsman'' as the solution to this editorial quandary, and continued:
"Its intention is to supplement the monthly


The first editor of ''The Plantsman'' was Elspeth Napier. Among the contributors to the first issue were Christopher Brickell (then Director of the RHS Garden, Wisley , later Director General of the RHS), Roy Elliott (then Editor of the Quarterly ''Bulletin'' of the Alpine Garden Society ) and Lawrence D. Hills, the Founder (and the then Director) of The Henry Doubleday Research Association .

The magazine was printed in black and white, with one colour plate as a frontispiece (as well as many finely-detailed line illustrations) until the end of 1993 .


''The New Plantsman''

In March 1994 ''The Plantsman'' was relaunched as ''The New Plantsman'' with a new Editor, Victoria Matthews, previously Editor of '' The Kew Magazine '' (journal of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew ). She was followed in the post, from March 1995 , by Sabina Knees. From now onward the journal featured full-colour photographs and illustrations on alternate spreads.


''The Plantsman'' relaunched

In March 2002 the publication reverted to its original title during the editorship of botanist and author Christopher Grey-Wilson. Full colour became available on every page for the first time.