Last week we had a reading room full of people, including one researcher who unpacked a bag full of branches to use in consultation with this Royal Horticultural Society Colour chart. We had fun watching him classify the colors for the long, drooping catkins.

Protected in this solid green box and stored in the shelves of the McDonald Collection, there are four volumes of colored charts that were originally published in 1938 by the British Colour Council.

What is it? From the RHS site:

The RHS Colour Chart is the standard reference for plant colour identification. Used by the RHS, the chart is indispensable to gardeners who value accuracy in the identification of plant colours. But it is not just gardeners that value the chart – it hasbeen used by food manufacturers to standardise food colourings, chemical engineering companies and fabric designers.

Every day is an adventure on the reference desk!