The genus Pulmonaria includes perhaps the best known members of the vast Boraginaceae family, which contains 155 genera and about 2,500 species. The variety of shapes and habits, colours and features that this group of plants offers to the gardener is tremendous, enough to satisfy the needs of the most discerning plantsperson. Historically, the members of the borage family have been more than just decorative. They have been valued for their medicinal properties as well as for use as dye plants, for their oils, for supplying honeybees and even, in the case of the genus Cordia, for timber.

Masha Bennet's enthusiasm for the borage family is infectious as she details the range of plants in the family, in both wild and cultivated forms. As well as the familiar garden plants, there is a plethora of different borage relatives that are both attractive and useful in the garden. These include many annuals and perennials that deserve wider cultivation, plus a number of woody plants.

Masha also gives plenty of advice for the gardener on the practicalities of growing the various species as well as detailed information on the biology and ecology of these plants in the wild, of special interest to the botanical traveller.