Angus Webster begins by saying, "This book has been written and is published with the distinct object in view of bringing home to the minds of planters of Hardy Trees and Shrubs, the fact that the monotonous repetition, in at least nine-tenths of our Parks and Gardens, of such Trees as the Elm, the Lime, and the Oak, and such Shrubs as the Cherry Laurel and the Privet, is neither necessary nor desirable." He goes on to say that there are many flowering shrubs that are ornamental and also sturdy. There are over thirteen hundred species and varieties of trees and shrubs that can grow in most climates. Plants are listed in alphabetical order.