'The Last Great Plant Hunt': The Story of the Millennium Seed Bank

The Last Great Plant Hunt: The Story of the Millennium Seed Bank Project offers an unprecedented look at one of the most important and ambitious international conservation efforts of our time. From how seeds are collected and cared for to what role they play in conservation research, the book blends equal parts practicality and perspective to reinstill in you a profound appreciation for our planet's remarkable biosphere.
If you still doubt the vital significance of plants, this short but compelling 2009 TED talk by Kew's Jonathan Drori will convince you otherwise:
For an even more breathtaking, visceral reminder of the magnificence of plants -- one unaffiliated with the Millennium Seed Bank Project but in a way a manifesto for it -- get lost in this stunning vintage cover artwork from the Smithsonian's collection of Seed Nursery Catalogs.
Images: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
This post also appears on Brain Pickings.