One of the aims of the Growing Heritage action plan was to create a list of holdings of nursery catalogues. Now the last sentence needs to be read carefully; a list of holdings, not a list of catalogues. The list of catalogues is a bit further down the line; but a list of where catalogues are kept is the starting point.
What was the reasoning behind this?

Well, in many situations, a catalogue will have the first if not the only description of a cultivated plant. Therefore to find out whether a plant really is what it purports to be, having the original description or photograph or drawing in the catalogue is very useful. Of course, quite often the description will be alone the lines of ‘large, red flowers, fabulous scent’; which is of limited use. There is often other information in the catalogue however: who grew it, where it was grown, when it was grown; just for starters. This all helps if you are trying to track down a missing plant, or identify an unknown one.

But to be able to use information, it is important to know that it exists, and where it is. To that end the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and Plant Heritage are compiling a database. An appeal has been made in the Plant Heritage Journal in the past for old catalogues which are still more than welcome at the RHS library. However we also need to know where collections of catalogues are. This is where we need your help. It is a research project that can be taken on by many who have a little spare time; and may be of interest to those of you who already spend time in County Record Offices researching their family history.

We don’t need copies of catalogues, just a note of which organisations are holding them. While places like the Lindley Library, RBG Kew and RBG Edinburgh are well known, it is the local repositories rather than the botanical or horticultural ones that are largely unknown. This sort of research is best done by locals familiar with the horticultural history of the area (ie which nurseries have been in the area that no longer exist).
It is well worth having a look at the miscellaneous holdings at your local record office to see what they have. It is also fascinating having a look at the range of research material offered via the following gateways:

Archon directory at the National Archives Website :
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archon/?source=ddmenu_search2

Guidelines for research into garden history
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=364

University library catalogues:
http://copac.ac.uk/

A world-wide catalogue of over 18,000 library listings:
http://www.libdex.com/

Link for the Museum of English Rural Life at Reading University:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/archon/searches/locresult_details.asp?LR=7

If you find anything, let us know!