Plants and gardens play a central role in life on Earth. They have provided food, clothing, shelter, medicines, employment, leisure and enjoyment throughout history. Both also have many symbolic uses in art, mythology and literature, making plants and gardens the perfect theme for the Designer Bookbinders fourth International Competition held at the Bodleian Library in 2022. The chosen theme also celebrates 400 years since the founding of Oxford Botanic Garden.

This beautiful catalogue features richly illustrated texts and finely printed volumes which are bound with skill and creativity using varied materials by binders from all over the world. The fourth in a series following on from ‘Bound for Success’ in 2009, ‘Prize Volumes’ in 2013 and ‘Heroic Works’ in 2017, ‘A Gathering of Leaves’ is a celebration of the stunningly inventive winning bindings featured alongside all the competition entries.