Gardens (descriptions, history etc) Books

266 products


  • Grounded in the Garden

    Pimpernel Press Ltd Grounded in the Garden

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisBeautifully illustrated, personal story of an artist's garden in Ireland

    4 in stock

    £21.25

  • Secret Gardens of the Cotswolds

    Quarto Publishing PLC Secret Gardens of the Cotswolds

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisA captivating portrait of the greatest British gardens and the lords, ladies and gardeners who own and manage them.Trade Review‘an alluring reminder of some of the country’s most charming gardens with a helpful gazeteer listing those open to the public’'Victoria and Hugo use their local knowledge and passion to spectacular effect, getting right under the skin of each garden and family who owns it...this enchanting book depicts paradise found’'This is a great coffee table book that you can dip into to get some inspiration for your own garden.' ‘A beautifully illustrated book that offers an insider’s view of some of the Cotswolds’ most beautiful private gardens…This is not just another picture book, but a useful guide and aide-mémoire for the seasoned garden visitor’'Victoria and Hugo use their local knowledge and passion to spectacular effect, getting right under the skin of each garden and family who owns it...this enchanting book depicts paradise found’‘an alluring reminder of some of the country’s most charming gardens with a helpful gazeteer listing those open to the public’'This delightful combination of informative text with beautiful images which conjure up each garden to perfection, is the ideal companion for a chilly February afternoon, or indeed a lazy summer afternoon spent planning the next inspiring garden visit.''This is a great coffee table book that you can dip into to get some inspiration for your own garden.'

    15 in stock

    £20.00

  • The Cottage Garden

    Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc The Cottage Garden

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisThrough over 700 exquisite photographs and evocative text written by Danish gardening celebrity Claus Dalby, explore the history and development of the beloved cottage garden design style. In the pages of The Cottage Garden, you’ll first draw inspiration from the stories and landscapes of generations of famous cottage gardeners, including Gertrude Jekyll, Vita Sackville-West, William Robinson, Margery Fish, and Tasha Tudor. Then, meet modern cottage gardeners from around the globe who combine billowing masses of flowers such as poppies, delphinium, lupines, foxgloves, peonies, roses, lilies, and many more to create dreamy landscapes infused with the romance and wildness of cottage-style gardening. You’ll find no formal lines, rigid rules, or perfect spacing in the cottage garden. Instead, the form is organic and purposefully unstructured. Plants self-sow here and there, bulbs pop up and spread unrestricted, aTrade Review“This is a book to treasure! An in-depth look into the history of the Cottage Garden and those who played important roles in the development of this romantic idyl beloved by so many. Claus tells us of his visits to gardens all over the world – some favorites and others unknown – richly illustrated with his own beautiful photographs. Packed with ideas for all gardening enthusiasts, The Cottage Garden is an essential addition to our libraries.” * Jenny Rose-Innes, interior and garden designer, author of Australian Designers at Home *"With its pastoral inspiration, excellent plant selections, and sage advice, The Cottage Garden beautifully captures the pleasures of imperfect gardening. Both armchair gardeners and hands-on cultivators will find inspiration in Dalby’s relaxed approach and sumptuous photographs. This book encourages gardeners to embrace nature’s beauty and create their own unique cottage garden oasis." * Splash Magazines *"This sumptuous coffee-table book by gardener Dalby (Containers in the Garden) showcases some of the choicest cottage gardens in the U.S. and Europe. Garden lovers will be enchanted." * Publishers Weekly *"Reading this book makes it seem like you are sitting with Dalby in those gardens, listening to him describe what makes each one a cottage garden. We soon understand why he says that we love cottage gardens “because they have a soul.” Dalby helps us visualize the souls of these gardens." -- Carol Michel * The American Gardener *"Sumptuously illustrated, this book is a real treat." * Gardens Illustrated *"Each garden has a short description, plus extended captions of the images - more than 700 beautiful images taken by Darby himself." * Daily Mail *Table of ContentsPreface Foreword Danish Garden History The English Cottage Garden Helen Allingham William Robinson Gertrude Jekyll Vita Sackville-West Margery Fish Tasha Tudor Cottage Garden Inspiration The People’s Gardener The Real Thing Really Wild A Clear Favorite Just Like in England A New England Garden Anita’s Country Cottage Childhood Memories The Mother-Daughter Garden Chocolate Box Cottage More German Idyll The Quintessential Cottage A Beautiful Garden in Southern Sweden A Special Harmony Pure Cottage Style Index

    3 in stock

    £23.80

  • Secret Gardens: of the National Trust

    HarperCollins Publishers Secret Gardens: of the National Trust

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisA whimsical and beautiful book celebrating these hidden gems of the National Trust – from specially made secret gardens to overlooked corners of famous gardens and re-discovered lost gardens. Stunning photography is accompanied by a wealth of fascinating historical and botanical details. A whimsical and beautiful book celebrating these hidden gems of the National Trust – from specially made secret gardens to overlooked corners of famous gardens and re-discovered lost gardens. Stunning photographs of the Trust’s idiosyncratic gardens are accompanied by a light text meditating on the magic of the secret garden, and bringing in fascinating historical and botanical details. The book will include secret mazes, hidden corners, walled gardens, lost gardens, gardens that are only open one day a year, follies, orchards, dens, memorials, strange statues, stumperies, huts, ice houses, wendy houses, fairy gates and pixie houses. The gardens featured include the palm-filled Overbeck’s in Devon, Peckover House in Cambridgeshire, which bursts with exotic specimens found on Victorian plant-hunting expeditions, and Monk’s House in East Sussex, where the garden proved a refuge for Virginia Woolf.

    3 in stock

    £13.49

  • Beyond the Meadows

    Prestel Beyond the Meadows

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis beautiful and inspirational portrait of a country garden shows how its owners created deep connections to the natural world with techniques and advice any gardener can use.In 2018, photographers Susann Probst and Yannic Schon left Berlin for the Germancountryside with the aim of growing wholesome produce whilst maintaining a healthy ecosystem through sustainable farming. They bought an old farmhouse on a plot of land with room for a vegetable garden, an orchard, a wildflower meadow, and a greenhouse. Filled with useful and hard-won information that is the result of both ingenuity and trial-and-error, this book takes readers on a detailed and exquisitely illustrated tour of the property and its development over its first five years. Susann and Yannic share what they&rsqu

    4 in stock

    £26.00

  • Spanish Gardens

    Ebury Publishing Spanish Gardens

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisMonty Don (Author) Monty Don O.B.E. is the UK's leading garden writer and broadcaster. He has been lead presenter of Gardeners' World since 2003 and since 2011 the programme has come from his own garden, Longmeadow, in Herefordshire. He has written a weekly gardening column for the Daily Mail since 2004, and published over 20 books, including the bestsellers The Gardening Book, Gardening at Longmeadow, and Venetian Gardens. Japanese Gardens, his book with Derry Moore, was shortlisted for the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Award.Derry Moore (Author, Photographer (ONIX)) DERRY MOORE is an acclaimed photographer known for his images of gardens, houses, and architectural interiors and also for his portraits. His photographs have been reproduced in numerous magazines including Architectural Digest, Vogue, Town and Country and he has published several books including Horses, The English Room, and several books with Monty Don, including Great Gardens of Italy, Paradise Gardens, Japanese Gardens, American Gardens and Venetian Gardens.

    4 in stock

    £31.99

  • Visionary

    Hardie Grant Books Visionary

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn Visionary: Gardens and Landscapes for our Future photographer Claire Takacs and landscape architect Giacomo Guzzon introduce stunning private and public gardens from around the world that have addressed both sustainability and climate change with outstanding results. Be inspired by the new ways garden and landscape designers are thinking about planting and garden design in the face of climate change. Featuring more than 80 gardens from across the globe including the USA, UK, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, this beautiful book is guaranteed to inspire you with exciting gardens and innovative design solutions that look to the future.

    15 in stock

    £27.00

  • Lost Gardens of the World

    Frances Lincoln Lost Gardens of the World

    15 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    15 in stock

    £15.99

  • Dreamscapes: Inspiration and beauty in gardens

    Hardie Grant Books Dreamscapes: Inspiration and beauty in gardens

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisDreamscapes is a stunning collection of over fifty of the world's most beautiful gardens from across the globe, photographed by internationally renowned and awarded photographer Claire Takacs. Dreamscapes includes many gardens designed by famous designers such as Piet Oudolf, Paul Bangay, and Spanish designer Fernando Martos among others, with photographed locations including Australia, New Zealand, UK, USA, Europe and Asia. This book will astound and delight you with the diversity and creativity of the gardens featured, all portrayed at that rare moment when they are at their most stunning. Iconic gardens included are the stunning Welsh garden Dyffyryn Fernant, Australia's Cloudehill, Martha Stewart's private garden, the beautiful Edwardian idyll of Bryan's Ground in Herefordshire, the former home of Vita Sackville-West, Long Barn in Kent, the naturalistic French garden of Le Jardin Plume in Normandy, Hermannshof in Germany at the forefront of planting design, and Kenfokuen one of Japan's most beautiful public gardens.

    15 in stock

    £27.00

  • Gardens of the National Trust (National Trust)

    HarperCollins Publishers Gardens of the National Trust (National Trust)

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe definitive guide to hundreds of Britain’s most outstanding gardens, in the care of the National Trust The National Trust has the finest collection of gardens in the United Kingdom. In this book, Stephen Lacey paints a vivid picture of the individual gardens, and places each one in its context within British horticultural history. All the major periods and styles of garden design are represented, from the formality of early gardens such as Hanbury Hall and Ham House, magnificent 18th-century landscapes like Stowe and Croome Park and the heady Victorian creations of Biddulph Grange and Waddesdon Manor to the famous plantsmen’s gardens of the last century, such as Nymans, Hidcote Manor and Sissinghurst Castle. The text and pictures have been fully updated, with new entries including Allan Bank, High Close Arboretum and Wentworth Castle. Several gardens have undergone major redevelopment since the previous edition, while others have colourfully expanded the acreage open to visitors. Extensive tree planting, including reinstating a lost eighteenth-century avenue at Dyrham Park and recreating the pear tree arch at Rudyard Kipling’s home, Bateman’s, are just a few of the new and exciting additions to this classic guide to Britain’s most outstanding gardens.

    3 in stock

    £21.25

  • The Writers Garden

    Quarto Publishing PLC The Writers Garden

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisSee inside the gardens where literary giants from Tolstoy to Agatha Christie created some of their finest works in this visually stunning and fascinating book. Discover the flower gardens, vegetable plots, landscapes and writing hideaways of 30 great authors – from Louisa May Alcott’s ‘Orchard House’ where she wrote Little Women and Agatha Christie at Greenway, to Virginia Woolf at Monk’s House and the Massachusetts home of Edith Wharton.Fully illustrated with specially commissioned photography plus archive images, and spanning centuries and continents, this book visits the homes and gardens that inspired novelists, poets and playwrights. It shows how outdoor spaces were important to writers in many different ways and offers insight into the lives and creative processes of beloved authors. Writers featured include: Jane

    15 in stock

    £24.00

  • English Garden

    Quarto Publishing PLC English Garden

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisVisit some of the best English gardens without moving from your armchair with this best-selling classic which features over 350 colour photographs. Gardening writer Ursula Buchan has combined forces with garden photographer Andrew Lawson to explore the English garden and capture its richness and diversity, explaining the historical trends and the work of garden makers of the past that have shaped the English gardens we see today. Exploring many garden styles including formality, the landscape tradition, the Arts and Crafts style, the cottage garden and recent phenomena such as New Naturalism, the book discusses themes such as colour, water, ornament and foreign influences, as well as such defining characteristics as the very English urge to grow flowers and the nation's love of roses. An invaluable, comprehensive and beautifully illustrated guide to one of the most established gardening traditions

    Out of stock

    £26.25

  • Dear Friend and Gardener

    Quarto Publishing PLC Dear Friend and Gardener

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisDear Friend and Gardener is a lively exchange of letters between Christopher Lloyd and Beth Chatto, two long-established friends and distinguished gardeners.Trade Review‘The letters…crackle with ideas, tips, stories bartered back and forth. These are both writers who get their hands dirty. Trust them.’ * Times Literary Supplement *‘This is a wonderful book, a celebration of friendship, optimism, hard work, gaiety, doggedness, and the possibilities of sudden and unexpected revelation.’ * Country Life *

    15 in stock

    £8.99

  • Outdoor Interiors: Bringing Style to Your Garden

    Lannoo Publishers Outdoor Interiors: Bringing Style to Your Garden

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisOutdoor Interiors showcases the most beautiful garden designs in the world. Author Juliet Roberts highlights five styles – 'traditional', 'contemporary', 'playful', 'everyday' and 'minimal' – and gives plenty of tips for achieving the same style in your garden across different categories (dining, sitting, lounge, cooking and swimming). The result is a stylish coffee table book full of inspiration.Trade Review"From al fresco cooking ideas to zoning tips, a little design know-how will transform your garden into a smart home extension." - You Magazine"DREAM AWAY: The English book 'Outdoor Interiors' is the perfect thing coffee table book for rainy days dreaming for days." - Elle Décor Belgie

    15 in stock

    £52.50

  • A Cotswold Garden Companion: An Illustrated Map

    Finch Publishing A Cotswold Garden Companion: An Illustrated Map

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisAn illustrated map and guide to the Cotswolds’ most beautiful spots, A Cotswold Garden Companion covers everything from Jacobean gems and classics of the English landscape movement to some of the finest contemporary gardens around today. Readers will meet royal gardeners, car-park gardeners, plant hunters and inveterate collectors, as well as discovering all manner of horticultural highlights, from national collections of walnuts, foxgloves and flowering cherries, to the strawberry beds that inspired William Morris’s fabric designs – not to mention a sprinkling of garden shops and plant nurseries just too good to miss. Presented in an attractive slip case, A Cotswold Garden Companion is clear and easy to use and appealing to art lovers and garden lovers alike.Trade Review'The map and guide take the hard work out of planning a Cotswolds garden break. Folding down to a handy pocket size, it's an essential to pack in your overnight bag or stash in the car door.' * The English Garden *'An ideal Mother's Day gift for a garden-loving mum.' * Gardens Illustrated *

    10 in stock

    £8.07

  • Where the Old Roses Grow

    Gemini Books Group Ltd Where the Old Roses Grow

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisDuring the Second World War and in the decades after it, a group of rose lovers, including the writer and gardener Vita Sackville-West, the florist Constance Spry, and the horticulturist Graham Stuart Thomas, realised that heritage roses were becoming endangered.Fearing for their future, these rosarians began collecting rare, old roses to save them from dying out while England?s gardeners were away fighting on the front. Where the Old Roses Grow tells the extraordinary story of how they did this, while the German bombers were scorching the skies, Hitler was advancing on their lives, and hope was being extinguished, month by month.This is a tale of gardens and roses in wartime, and of fortitude and tenacity in the face of great loss and pain, but it is also a story of hope. It celebrates the achievements of an inspired group of rose lovers, who saved Britain?s favourite flower, so it could survive and bloom for future generations.

    10 in stock

    £21.25

  • The Road to Le Tholonet

    Simon & Schuster Ltd The Road to Le Tholonet

    5 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis is not a book about French Gardens. It is the story of a man travelling round France visiting a few selected French gardens on the way. Owners, intrigues, affairs, marriages, feuds, thwarted ambitions and desires, the largely unnamed ordinary gardeners, wars, plots and natural disasters run through every garden older than a generation or two and fill every corner of the grander historical ones. Families marry. Gardeners are poached. Political allegiances forged and shattered. The human trail crosses from garden to garden. They sit in their surrounding landscape, not as isolated islands but attached umbilically to it, sharing the geology, the weather, food, climate, local folklore, accent and cultural identity. Wines must be drunk and food tasted. Recipes found and compared. The perfect tarte-tartin pursued. None of these things can be ignored or separated from the shape and size of parterre, fountain, herbaceous border or pottager. So this is a book filled

    5 in stock

    £9.49

  • The Gardener's Garden: Inspiration Across

    Phaidon Press Ltd The Gardener's Garden: Inspiration Across

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisWith more than 1,000 images and descriptive texts, this is the ultimate celebration of the world's most gorgeous gardens This internationally bestselling inspirational resource for garden-lovers and designers is now reissued with a gorgeous new cover - bringing the book's winning blend of authority and visual appeal to a new audience. The Gardener's Garden spans seven centuries to spotlight more than 250 of the globe's finest permanent gardens by leading garden designers, horticulturalists, and landscape architects, as chosen by an international team of experts. Gardens of all types and style from across the globe, from the grandeur of Versailles to a private sanctuary in Marrakech, have been brought to life through more than 1,000 sumptuous photographs and detailed descriptive texts by leading garden writers. This is both a valuable resource for those seeking inspiration on garden design and planting and the ideal gift for garden-lovers everywhere.Trade Review'A sensational collection of the world's greatest gardens. Mouthwatering!' - Alan Titchmarsh MBE, British TV presenter, broadcaster, and gardener 'A source of inspiration for some and a practical guide for many, The Gardener's Garden is also a testament to centuries of human passion for the garden.' - Madison Cox, garden designer 'A smorgasbord of a book, a platter offering delights to tease the palate.' - New York Times Book Review 'The 2022 edition dons a new magenta-pink cover but its informative entries remain, each detailing the planting design and features such as garden type, style, size, climate, and more.' - AD Pro 'Comprehensive and informative - not to mention gorgeous!' - Martha Stewart Living 'Features the most eye-catching and inspiring gardens from around the world.' - ELLE Decor 'Many publications have claimed to be the ultimate garden book. This new global survey of gardens may have actually achieved that distinction.' - Garden Design 'Weighty and wonderful, this lavishly illustrated new book will make a handsome gift for the dedicated gardener in your life (or for yourself).' - The American Gardener, The American Horticultural Society 'Horticultural eye candy.' - Globe 'The Gardener's Garden is the ultimate escape for landscape lovers-thumb through the pages and dream.' - Coastal Home 'If you need a bit of persuading to get out into the garden in this crisp spring weather, a new tome from Phaidon won't fail to inspire... A collection of the most outstanding gardens from across the world, lavishly displayed with 1,200 stunning images... Each entry is accompanied by an informative explanation of both design and planting features should you wish to instate at home.' - TheWeek.co.uk 'It's rare to come across a book of such stupendous beauty... A sumptuous treat for anybody with even a passing interest in gardens and gardening; page after page dripping with beautiful photography of breath-taking outdoor spaces from across the world... There is a mix of the famous and obscure, the ancient and the modern, the formal and wild, and even the public and the private... More than just a coffee table tome. The text running down the side of each double-page spread gives all sorts of information about the gardens, how they came to be, and the details of the plants in them.' - CountryLife.co.uk 'If you're longing for life and colour to return to your garden after the long winter months, this will tide you over brilliantly... A beautiful showcase of glorious gardens... The Gardener's Garden will make you long to visit each one and you could well find yourself planning your next holiday around it.' - WI Life (Women's Institute magazine) 'Essential... Full of colour [and] inspiration... Visually splendid.' - Town&Country.co.uk 'There are infinite pleasures that one can take from a garden... 250 permanent gardens from around the world, providing ideas and inspiration for every garden lover.' - Singapore Tatler Homes 'Perhaps the most comprehensive compendium of gardens old, new, near and far' - Elle Decoration 'The finest, most individual gardens around the world... All inspire awe... The far-reaching nature of this book is what sets it apart.' - Homes & Interiors Scotland 'Covers every possible gardening genre... Unlike many coffee table books, it is actively useful, as well as aesthetically pleasing.' - LibertyLondonGirl.com 'An excellent basis for green-fingered tours. Concise texts plus good pictures.' - Financial Times

    15 in stock

    £29.75

  • Derek Jarmans Garden

    Thames & Hudson Ltd Derek Jarmans Garden

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisDerek Jarman's garden is in the flat expanse of shingle that faces the nuclear power station in Dungeness, Kent. He mixed the flint, shells and driftwood of Dungeness with indigenous and introduced plants. This book is his own record of how this garden evolved, from its beginnings in 1985.Trade Review'Simply beautiful. Howard Sooley’s photographs of the garden are stunning and the book will immediately make you want to create a garden full of driftwood sculptures' - Active Life'A moving reminder about the power of the humble domestic garden' - Waterstones Books Quarterly

    15 in stock

    £17.09

  • New York Green: Discovering the City’s Most

    Workman Publishing New York Green: Discovering the City’s Most

    5 in stock

    Book SynopsisNew York City is filled to the brim with beautiful, unique green spaces-if you know where to look. From the Church of St. Luke in the Fields in the West Village to the Brooklyn Grange rooftop farm in the Navy Yard, the Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum in Queens to New York's Chinese Scholar's Garden in Staten Island, celebrated photographer Ngoc Minh Ngo takes readers on a tour of the most exceptional gardens and parks across the five boroughs in this lushly illustrated guidebook. Through Ngoc's beautifully photographed and well-researched profiles, readers will not only discover parks and gardens they never knew existed, but they will also learn the fascinating history of green spaces in New York and about the innovative new projects being undertaken to ensure we all can enjoy them for years to come. Head up to the nearly century-old Met Cloisters to discover a garden filled with plants depicted in the museum's medieval art collection, and an herb garden planted exclusively with species known in the Middle Ages. Then travel to Brooklyn to visit the Gil Hodges Community Garden, a tiny oasis along the Gowanus Canal and a critical piece of the city's green infrastructure: storm water is absorbed, filtered, and diverted to the garden, relieving pressure on the sewer system and thereby protecting the local waterways from contamination. The book features wildlife preserves and community vegetable patches, sprawling old-growth forests and vest-pocket parks of less than five thousand square feet. Each one tells a story, and offers a wonderful refuge from the hustle and bustle of the concrete jungle.Trade Review“A true homage to New York, and an invitation to form an intimate relationship with its parks, brilliantly captured here from the Breugelesque winter scene in Prospect Park, to the jewel-like planting in the gardens of the Cloisters. There were so many places I didn’t know about, and cannot wait to explore.” —Miranda Brooks, landscape architect and contributing editor at Vogue“A true homage to New York, and an invitation to form an intimate relationship with its parks, which are brilliantly captured here, from the Breugelesque winter scene in Prospect Park to the jewel-like plantings in the gardens of the Cloisters. There were so many places I didn’t know about and cannot wait to explore.”—Miranda Brooks, landscape architect and contributing editor at Vogue“Visitors to New York City might see mainly concrete, glass, and asphalt, but ask any longtime resident and they’ll enthusiastically share their favorite (and absolutely necessary) green escapes, from pocket parks tucked between pencil towers to outlying spaces that verge on the nearly wild. Ngoc brings a New Yorker’s insider knowledge and an artist’s eye to the many slices of nature this great city has to offer.”—Stephen Orr, editor in chief, Better Homes Gardens“Visitors to New York City might see mainly concrete, glass, and asphalt, but ask any longtime resident and they’ll enthusiastically share their favorite (and absolutely necessary) green escapes, from pocket parks tucked between pencil towers to outlying spaces that verge on the nearly wild. Ngoc brings a New Yorker’s insider knowledge and an artist’s eye to reveal the many slices of nature this great city has to offer.”—Stephen Orr, editor in chief, Better Homes Gardens“In this gorgeous book, Ngoc Minh Ngo celebrates public gardens in New York City, in all five boroughs and all four seasons. Poring over the photographs and reading the history of each garden, I wanted to drop everything and race to see them up close—the familiar spaces I’ve loved for decades and especially the hidden gems. This is an essential guide for lifelong New Yorkers and visitors alike.” —Frances Palmer, potter, gardener, and author of Life in the Studio“In this gorgeous book, Ngoc Minh Ngo celebrates public gardens in New York City, in all five boroughs and all four seasons. Poring over the photographs and reading the history of each garden, I wanted to drop everything and race to see them up close—the familiar spaces I’ve loved for decades and especially the hidden gems. This is an essential guide for lifelong New Yorkers and visitors alike.”—Frances Palmer, potter, gardener, and author of Life in the Studio“For almost four centuries, the once vast unspoiled natural paradise of New York City was subjected to the uprooting and paving over of forests, meadows, and shorelines. The last four decades, however, provided an antidote, with ruined parks restored and thousands of acres of new parks created. New York Green documents in glorious, vivid images the near-miraculous transformation of NYC back to a city of startling natural beauty, from tiny churchyards to vast natural areas and glorious parks built atop post-industrial ruins.”—Adrian Benepe, president of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and former New York City parks commissioner“Once a vast, unspoiled natural paradise, New York City’s last four centuries were marked by uprooting and paving over of forests, meadows, and shorelines. The last four decades, however, provided an antidote, with ruined parks restored and thousands of acres of new parks created. New York Green documents in glorious, vivid images the near-miraculous transformation of NYC back to a city of startling natural beauty, from tiny churchyards to vast natural areas and glorious parks built atop post-industrial ruins.” —Adrian Benepe, president of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and former NYC Parks Commissioner

    5 in stock

    £22.50

  • The Pottery Gardener

    The History Press Ltd The Pottery Gardener

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisA stunning gardening book full of inspiration, tips and adviceTrade ReviewI cannot describe how much I love this charming book: its ravishing photographs of flowers and chickens and bees transport you straight into the heart of Arthur’s garden … Arthur’s love of living things is completely infectious and makes you want to go outside now to see what you can do in your own garden to make the world a lovelier place … -- JOANNA LUMLEYI love this book – its confidence with colour, its passion, its knowledge of the very best plants, and the fanciest breeds of poultry all married together with sumptuous photographs. That Arthur has managed to do this in an inner city, turning a bleak factory yard into a most exotic, duchess-worthy garden makes it the most inspiring garden book I have seen in years. -- SARAH RAVEN

    1 in stock

    £16.19

  • RHS Gardens of Great Britain and Ireland

    Dorling Kindersley Ltd RHS Gardens of Great Britain and Ireland

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisMultiple authors: (including some who contributed to Gardens of the World), such as:James Alexander SinclairTamsin WesthorpeDavid HurrionClaire MassetAgnes SevensonHannah Gardner

    15 in stock

    £20.00

  • The Artist's Garden: The secret spaces that

    Quarto Publishing PLC The Artist's Garden: The secret spaces that

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisThe Artist’s Garden offers an intriguing study into 20 gardens that have inspired and been home to some of the greatest painters of history. The most alluring image of an artist at work is surely one where he or she has come out of their studio, set up their easel on the garden path, pulled on a hat to shade their eyes from the sun and taken their brush and palette in hand. This sumptuously illustrated and fascinating book delves into the stories behind the gardens which inspired some of the most beautiful and important works of art. These gardens not only supplied the inspiration for creative works but also illuminate the professional motivation and private life of the artists themselves – from Cezanne’s house in the south of France to Childe Hassam at Celia Thaxter’s garden off the coast off Maine. Flowers and gardens have often been the first choice for artists looking for a subject. A garden close to the artist’s studio is not only convenient for daily material and ideas, but also has the advantage of changing through the seasons and over time. Claude Monet’s Giverny was the catalyst for hundreds of great paintings (by Monet and other artists), each one different from the one before. Sometimes a whole village becomes the focus for a colony of artists as at Gerberoy in Picardy and Skagen on the northernmost tip of Denmark. This book is about the real homes and gardens that inspired these great artists – gardens that can still be visited today. The relationship between artist and garden is a complex one. A few artists, including Pierre Bonnard and his neighbour Monet were keen gardeners, as much in love with their plants as their work, while for others like Sorolla in Madrid, his courtyard home was both a sanctuary and a source of ideas. This book is as unmissable for art lovers as it is for anyone who knows the joy of time spent in gardens, offering an intriguing insight into the lives of these great painters and the gardens which inspired them to their creative heights.Table of ContentsTHE ARTIST AT HOME AND AT WORK Leonardo da Vinci Amboise, France Peter Paul Rubens Antwerp, Belgium Paul Cezanne Aix-en Provence, France Pierre August Renoir Champagne and Le Côte d'Azur, France Max Liebermann Lake Wannsee, Germany Joaquin Sorolla Madrid, Spain Henri Le Sidaner Gerberoy, Picardie, France Emil Nolde Seebull, Nordfriesland, Germany Frida Kahlo The Blue House, Coyoacán, Mexico Salvador Dali Portlligat and Púbol, Spain THE ARTISTS' COMMUNITY Monet and friends Argenteuil, Vétheuil and Giverny, France The Skagen Painters North Jutland, Denmark The Kirkcudbright artists 156 Broughton House, Kirkcudbright, Scotland, UK William Morris and his circle 168 Kelmscott Manor, Oxfordshire, England, UK New England Impressionists 182 Connecticut, Maine, and New Hampshire, USA German Expressionists 194 Murnau, Bavaria, Germany The Charleston artists 206 Charleston, Sussex, England, UK Selected reading 218 Visiting details 218 Index 220 Acknowledgments and picture credits 224

    Out of stock

    £27.00

  • Brilliant English Gardens

    Clearview Brilliant English Gardens

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisThe enduring appeal of English gardens is beautifully realised by Clive Nichols, one of Europe's leading garden photographers. From the green hills of the north to the bleached landscapes of the south, twenty-eight gardens transport the reader into a timeless, golden age. Each page is filled with herbaceous borders overflowing with vibrant flower combinations, kitchen gardens that burgeon with rows of apple blossom, vegetables and sweet peas, water that cascades forever into pools and fountains and emerald-green topiary which frames a vista to a sunlit upland. Many of the finest landscape architects in England whose work is featured include Emma Keswick at Rockcliffe Hall, Julianne Fernandez at Tyger Barn, Angel Collins at Bruern Abbey, Piet Oudolf at Hauser and Wirth and many more, with text that explains and clarifies their design sensibilities. This book offers total immersion and sheer delight for any garden design and photography enthusiast.

    Out of stock

    £57.00

  • Virginia Woolf's Garden: The Story of the Garden

    Quarto Publishing PLC Virginia Woolf's Garden: The Story of the Garden

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisMonk's House in Sussex is the former home of Leonard and Virginia Woolf. It was bought by them in 1919 as a country retreat, somewhere they came to read, write and work in the garden. From the overgrown land behind the house they created a brilliant patchwork of garden rooms, linked by brick paths, secluded behind flint walls and yew hedges. The story of this magical garden is the subject of this book and the author has selected quotations from the writings of the Woolfs which reveal how important a role the garden played in their lives, as a source of both pleasure and inspiration. Virginia wrote most of her major novels at Monk's House, at first in a converted tool shed, and later in her purpose-built wooden writing lodge tucked into a corner of the orchard. Caroline Zoob lived with her husband, Jonathan, at Monk's House for over a decade as tenants of the National Trust, and has an intimate knowledge of the garden they tended and planted. The photographer, Caroline Arber, was a frequent visitor to the house during their tenancy and her spectacular photographs, published here for the first time, often reveal the garden as it is never seen by the public: at dawn, in the depths of winter, at dusk. The photographs and text, enriched with rare archive images and embroidered garden plans, take the reader on a journey through the various garden 'rooms', (including the Italian Garden, the Fishpond Garden, the Millstone Terrace and the Walled Garden). Each garden room is presented in the context of the lives of the Woolfs, with fascinating glimpses into their daily routines at Rodmell. This beautiful book is an absorbing account of the creation of a garden which will appeal equally to gardeners and those with an interest in Virginia and Leonard Woolf.Trade Review"a thoughtful, intelligent account of restoring the garden at Rodmell as the tenant of the National Trust." Literary Review 'this book about a gifted amateur's garden has immense charm' Country Life 'Lovely book celebrates the Woolfs' garden - the first (large picture book) about Monk's House' Virginia Woolf's Bulletin 'A portrait of their life ... a delightfully layered garden history.' Garden Design Journal "Rich with Caroline Arber's photography (and atmospheric sepia snaps of the Woolfs) the book documents the garden's developments from the Woolfs' time, through the Second World War, Virginia's death and Caroline's own decade-long tenancy. It remains a place of beauty and solace." The Simple Things "The book has great charm and terrific photographs, is packed with horticultural information, and gives a delightful account of the domestic life of the Woolfs." -- Annabel Freyberg The World of Interiors 'touching account' The Sunday Times 'Zoob's admirably passionate approach to the house and garden as an artistic whole has produced an extraordinary book, full of quiet images that exactly capture the beauty of the place...Buy it!' The Independent on Sunday 'Zoob's book is enchanting and full of excellent excerpts from the Woolfs' letters and diaries' -- Anna Pavord The Independent "a beautifully presented book ... visual pleasure ... uses [language] engagingly. Gardeners and Woolf readers will much enjoy her book" -- Robin Lane Fox Financial Times 'a glorious amalgam of biography and gardening' The Independent 'an unusual and affecting book' The Lady "an indispensable treasure for any Woolf fan, Anglophile, or gardener" Blogging Woolf 'takes the reader on a visually sumptuous tour of the property's famous grounds, uncovering its enchanting patchwork of 'rooms' and offering a fascinating glimpse into the Woolfs' daily lives.' Landscape 'her embroidered plans of the gardens add a delightful extra dimension to the book.' House & Garden

    15 in stock

    £24.00

  • Scent Magic: Notes from a Gardener

    Pimpernel Press Ltd Scent Magic: Notes from a Gardener

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe Sunday Times Gardening Book of the Year 2019 In Scent Magic, a book which is at once romantic and extremely practical, plantswoman, designer and garden-maker extraordinaire Isabel Bannerman immerses the reader in the luscious smells of the fragrant garden through a warmly written account of her year’s gardening; and combines this with an encyclopaedic reference work of the best aromatic plants to grow throughout the seasons. Whether evoking the freshly baked sponge smell emanating from wisteria, describing ‘Stanwell Perpetual’ as "the kind of rose that would taste of apricot and raspberries swirled together", or championing the magic of the Himalayan cowslip, "scented profoundly and deliciously like the dark vault of a Damascus spice merchant’" the glorious poetry of her descriptions is here joined with personal memories and a lifetime’s experience of gardening and plant cultivation.Trade Review"Essentially Scent Magic is a series of musings: lyrical, intimate, unique, often random, always interesting...part private reflection, part plant history. In her preface Bannerman warns: 'information is everywhere, information is cheap, so this book is not really about information...the intention is simply to encourage curiosity.' In that she succeeds brilliantly." -- Katie Campbell * Hortus *"A gloriously sensual diary of her garden’s smells, magically charting the turning of a growing year from the intense frankincense-like perfume of the winter-flowering witchhazel, Hamamelis ‘Advent’, to the sweet summer fruitiness of honeysuckle. A book to treasure." * Irish Times Gardening Books of the Year *"There's a runaway winner among the gardening books this year: Scent Magic: Notes from a Gardener. It's intoxicating; there's never been a book quite like it...Any gardener will come away from this book full of excited plans for planting but it is no less enthralling for those who merely enjoy gardens, those who have sensuality in life, which is to say, this book would make a genuinely life-enhancing present for almost anybody." -- David Sexton * Evening Standard Best Gardening Books for 2019 *"Highly poetic...Isabel Bannerman has written a book that almost incidentally describes plants' perfumes while giving a massively informative tour of her garden and of garden plants in general. She is the perfect hostess - intelligent, travelled, well-connected, charming, intimate, wry, a hard-drinking and altogether delightful character." * The Times *"In this lyrical book, [Bannerman] leads us by the nose...writing the way she plants, to lush effect. The photographs...and plant portraits are wondrous." * Saga magazine *"The author explores the smells of the plant kingdom in her own inimitable style, combining poetic descriptions with hands-on, practical knowledge." * Irish News Best Gardening Books of the Year *"Sumptuous." * The Herald (Scotland) *"I was thoroughly transported...it’s as much a memoir through a lifetime of appreciating the fragrance of the seasons as it is a plant guide. This is a beautiful and moving book, something to linger over, to cherish — and to remind us, as Bannerman writes, 'this is a great day to inhale'." * The New York Times Book Review *"Part diary and part practical guide to perfumed plants, illustrated with [the author's] own photographs, it is a dream of a book, wandering off down scented pathways of memories, moods and moments past." * Sunday Times - Gardening Book of the Year *"Follows its nose to some intriguing places." * Evening Standard *"Evocative descriptions of favourite scented plants are interspersed through the diary-like text, with the author's own photographs lighting up the pages. A book to lose yourself in." * House & Garden *"There hasn't been a decent book on the notoriously elusive and subjective topic of garden scents for more than 20 years, so it is pleasant to be able wholeheartedly to recommend Scent Magic...a stylish, highly personal, scientifically illuminating account - part diary, part plant description - of her encounters with scented plants, both actual and in memory, through the course of one year." -- Ursula Buchan * Spectator *"Part-practical handbook, part-autobiography, part-philosophical reflection on art and Nature...this book is an absolute feast, not only for gardeners, but for anyone interested in art and Nature and in living well." -- John Hoyland * Country Life *"A collection of notes, memories and beautifully detailed observations of fragrance throughout the year....This has to be one of the most beautifully written pieces I have read in a long time...it brings to mind the writing of Vita Sackville West. The book is illustrated with gorgeous garden photography by the author and many of Isabel's striking botanical portraits. Scent Magic is a wonderfully romantic book and should sit on the book shelf of anyone who likes to sit and bask in the seasons as they pass. It is a love letter to the easily missed details in the gardening year and shows how plants can seep into every corner of life." * Gardens Illustrated *

    1 in stock

    £24.00

  • The Gardens of the Hamptons

    Images Publishing Group Pty Ltd The Gardens of the Hamptons

    15 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    15 in stock

    £41.25

  • Press Works Bangalores Lalbagh

    Out of stock

    Book Synopsis

    Out of stock

    £22.80

  • Taylor & Francis Landscape as Dialogue

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisLandscape as Dialogue redefines the process of understanding landscapes for students and practi tioners so they can create more integrated, healthy places. Traditional site analysis sees the landscape as a series of components, evaluated individually, before being put back together. This perpetuates existing social hierarchies, maintains the need for high energy inputs and trumpets iconic designs that contribute to gentrification. This book examines the process of landscape dialogue as a natural give and take with the environment, drawing on diverse and challenging writings from design, geography, philosophy and ecological sciences to probe the relationship between humans and landscape. Each chapter begins with a discussion of a theoretical approach to landscape dialogue, such as perception, information or critique, before offering a series of practical steps and representation techniques that designers can use in understanding the landscape. Detailed illustrated case studies

    15 in stock

    £37.99

  • The Morville Year

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Morville Year

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisOne of the most admired gardening writers of her generation, Katherine Swift returns to describe a year in the life of her garden she created over twenty years in the grounds of the Dower House at Morville, Shropshire, meditating on everything from the terrain and its history, to the plants and trees, and the odd habits of the animals and humans who inhabit the garden.Following the turning wheel of the Morville seasons, from the green shoots of spring, through summer and autumn, to the stark beauty of winter, and back to spring again, The Morville Year is a journal full of surprises and enchantments that will appeal not only to gardeners, but to all who enjoy the natural world.Trade Review‘You don't need more than a nodding acquaintance with a trowel or a packet of seeds to enjoy this delightful book. With her keen eye, her humour and great breadth of knowledge, Swift's enthusiasm is altogether pleasing' * Daily Telegraph *‘Once again, the charm of Swift's writing is that it combines acute observation of nature, creative day-dreaming and scholarly musing. She addresses us as frankly and as unselfconsciously as a friend. There is something either interesting or useful to know on every page' * Amanda Craig, New Statesman *‘The wonderful thing about these pieces is that they not only describe what is going on in Swift's own garden but range across history, painting, landscape, language, geology, herbalism, cosmology, phenology and literature' * Spectator *

    Out of stock

    £11.69

  • Japanese Gardens: Tranquility, Simplicity,

    Tuttle Publishing Japanese Gardens: Tranquility, Simplicity,

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisFeaturing beautiful photographs and insightful commentary this Japanese gardening book is a must-have for any gardening or zen enthusiast.At the heart of a Japanese garden is harmony with nature. More than simply a landscape of trees and flowering shrubs, a Japanese garden provides a place of serenity and rest, filled with peaceful spots that lend themselves to meditation and contemplation. Japanese Gardens celebrates and illustrates this ideal, showcasing the exquisite natural beauty of more than 20 quintessentially Japanese gardens—big and small, urban and rural, traditional and contemporary.The expert author-and-photographer team behind this book excels at capturing and explaining the essential elements and techniques that distinguish Japanese garden design from that of other countries. The featured sites reflect a cross-section of Japanese culture and history including large feudal period gardens, temple and Zen gardens and private countryside gardens. The mountain flower garden, tea garden, rock garden and bonsai garden alike are all celebrated and appreciated in this beautiful book.Trade Review"Capturing the essence of nature in twenty-three gardens in Japan, authors Geeta Mehta and Kimie Tada classify and tell the history of garden making in that country, as well as explain the elements and techniques in their design. The selection of landscapes is well chosen, ranging from classic temple gardens to public and private gardens in great variety and size. Noboru Murata's glorious photographs celebrate their beauty." --The National Gardener

    Out of stock

    £41.89

  • Walled Kitchen Gardens Shire Album 339 Shire

    Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Walled Kitchen Gardens Shire Album 339 Shire

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisWalled kitchen gardens were found in the grounds of most large country houses in Britain and Ireland. They were designed to provide a continual supply of fruit, flowers and vegetables. The remains of these gardens can still be seen, some converted to other uses, some simply abandoned. This book examines the history of these old kitchen gardens.

    15 in stock

    £7.59

  • War Gardens: A Journey Through Conflict in Search

    Quercus Publishing War Gardens: A Journey Through Conflict in Search

    3 in stock

    Book SynopsisA journey through the most unlikely of gardens: the oases of peace people create in the midst of warIn this millennium, we have become war weary. From Afghanistan to Iraq, from Ukraine to South Sudan and Syria, from Kashmir to the West Bank, conflict is as contagious and poisonous as Japanese knotweed. Living through it are people just like us with ordinary jobs, ordinary pressures and ordinary lives. Against a new landscape of horror and violence it is up to them to maintain a modicum of normality and colour. For some, gardening is the way to achieve this.Working in the world's most dangerous war zones, freelance war correspondent and photographer Lally Snow has often chanced across a very moving sight, a testimony to the triumph of the human spirit in adversity, a celebration of hope and beauty: a war garden. In Kabul, the royal gardens are tended by a centenarian gardener, though the king is long gone; in Camp Bastion, bored soldiers improvise tiny gardens to give themselves a moment's peace; on both sides of the dividing line in Jerusalem families tend groves of olives and raise beautiful plants from the unforgiving, disputed landscape; in Ukraine, families tend their gardens in the middle of a surreal, frozen war.War Gardens is a surprising, tragic and beautiful journey through the darkest places of the modern world, revealing the ways people make time and space for themselves and for nature even in the middle of destruction. Illustrated with Lally Snow's own award-winning photography, this is a book to treasure.

    3 in stock

    £11.69

  • Landscape of Dreams: The Gardens of Isabel and

    Pimpernel Press Ltd Landscape of Dreams: The Gardens of Isabel and

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisIsabel and Julian Bannerman have been described as ‘mavericks in the grand manner, touched by genius’ (Min Hogg, World of Interiors) and ‘the Bonnie and Clyde of garden design’ (Ruth Guilding, The Bible of British Taste). Their approach to design, while rooted in history and the classical tradition, is fresh, eclectic and surprising. Designers to the highest in the land, they have made gardens for the Prince of Wales at Highgrove, Lord Rothschild at Waddesdon Manor, the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk at Arundel Castle in Sussex, John Paul Getty II at Wormsley in Buckinghamshire, the great walled garden at Houghton, home of the Marquess of Cholmondeley, and they designed the British 9/11 Memorial Garden in New York. ‘Their work of grand architectural gestures, of mock ruins and oaken temples has made them famous. But it is the houses and gardens they have made for themselves that … eclipse any of these aristocratic delights’ (Mary Keen, Daily Telegraph). Their garden at Hanham Court near Bath was acclaimed by Gardens Illustrated as the top garden of 2009, ahead of Sissinghurst. When they moved from Hanham it was to the fairytale castle of Trematon overlooking Plymouth Sound, where they have created yet another magical garden. Landscape of Dreams celebrates, in the Bannerman’s inimitable, evocative, humorous and highly personal style, the imaginative and practical process of designing, making and planting all of these gardens, and many more.Trade Review“Successes and failures are happily mulled over, giving real insight into the process that is large scale garden design.” * Topiarius *“The Bannermans’ designs combine monumentality with carefully balanced humour and it’s a pleasure to learn how they come to fruition.” * The Garden *"This lavish book is a portal into a delightful escapist dreamworld. * Telegraph *"We may live in a digital age but still there’s nothing quite like the enduring pleasures of a real gardening book. Among the best of this year’s crop is Landscape of Dreams, a lushly illustrated, beautifully-penned and instructive account of the work of this well-known UK garden design duo." -- Fionnuala Fallon * Irish Times *"Prince Charles has contributed a glowing introduction to their lavishly illustrated book, Landscape of Dreams...fascinating." -- Jane Powers * Sunday Times Ireland *"Nobody makes magic like designer duo Julian and Isabel Bannerman, who have created fabulous, fanciful gardens at Highgrove, Waddesdon Manor and Arundel Castle. The couple’s weighty book, Landscape of Dreams, chronicles these gardens and more, and makes inspiring reading." -- Pattie Barron * Evening Standard 10 of the Best Christmas Gifts for Gardeners *"I just gorged myself on this magnificent book. Utterly transporting. It’s the first gardening book I couldn’t put down." -- Dominic West"An amazing book from cover to beautiful cover...The descriptive writing is very compelling and fuels the imagination...It's a triumph and a revelation to the reader." -- Sue Dickinson"Isabel and Julian Bannerman have turned dreams to ethereal reality time and again. This is a glorious scrapbook-style story of some of their most notable works." * The English Garden *"An absolutely magical book. Such brilliant writing, vivid, engaged . . . this is a most potent record of true brilliance." -- Anna Pavord"Their style is very striking and fantastical...eye-opening browsing." -- David Sexton * Evening Standard Best Gardening Books of 2016 *"The Bannermans are artists but they can also write." -- Ursula Buchan * Spectator *"Weavers of garden fairy tales..." * Homes and Gardens *"This book, a personal account of the couple's key design projects, builds up a picture, both in words and images, of what this special touch involves." * Gardens Illustrated *"A beautifully illustrated and endearing part-biography, part-overview of the thinking behind their work..." -- Caroline Donald * Sunday Times Garden Book of the Year *"A sense of fairy tale defines all [the Bannermans’] projects . . . Included in this book are their projects large and small, from their 1994 Gold Medal winning Chelsea garden to the Highgrove stumpery . . . culminating in their own much loved gardens at Hanham Court and, most recently, Trematon Castle in Cornwall. Beautifully written by Isabel, the book reads like a diary, beginning in their childhoods...Designed by their friend Dunstan Baker, the book is illustrated with their own photographs and drawings, giving it a personal, intimate appeal." -- Clare Foster * House and Garden *"Character oozes through every pore of the book." -- Tim Richardson * Country Life *"Full of wonderful photographs - but do read the writing from the beginning: it's romantic, thoughtful and inspiring." * The Lady *"This glorious book is not only beautiful to look at, it is written in wonderfully descriptive language. I found my head filled with ideas as well as thoughts about what gardening is all about." * Reckless Gardener *"Gloriously illustrated...displays their touches of genius everywhere. The book is ostensibly about gardens, or garden designs, but it is so much more than that. It's about passion, vision, commitment and entertainment, and it's also a glorious celebration of England." -- Sebastian Shakespeare * Tatler *“A record of the grand scale gardens made by these two offbeat visionaries . . . a compelling read." -- Mary Keen * Telegraph *"Packed with sumptuous images of their quirky, stately and inventive British gardens which although largely grand are nonetheless really inspiring." * A Little Bird *'With Julian and Isabel there is a descent from the work of William Kent, the most brilliant and eccentric English designer of the late Baroque. 'Inside' and 'outside' are imagined as one continuous landscape of event and surprise: as theatre, in fact.' -- Jasper Conran

    1 in stock

    £21.25

  • Palace of Palms: Tropical Dreams and the Making

    Pan Macmillan Palace of Palms: Tropical Dreams and the Making

    Out of stock

    Book Synopsis'A glorious green adventure story.' Ann Treneman, The Times 'Books of the Year''The most enthralling historical book I’ve read this year.' Claire Tomalin, New Statesman 'Books of the year' Daringly innovative when it opened in 1848, the Palm House in Kew Gardens remains one of the most beautiful glass buildings in the world today. Seemingly weightless, vast and yet light, the Palm House floats free from architectural convention, at once monumental and ethereal. From a distance, the crowns of the palms within are silhouetted in the central dome; close to, banana leaves thrust themselves against the glass. To enter it is to enter a tropical fantasy. The body is assaulted by heat, light and the smell of damp vegetation. In Palace of Palms, Kate Teltscher tells the extraordinary story of its creation and of the Victorians’ obsession with the palms that filled it. It is a story of breathtaking ambition, of scientific discovery and, crucially, of the remarkable men whose vision it was. The Palm House was commissioned by the charismatic first Director of Kew, Sir William Hooker, designed by the audacious Irish engineer, Richard Turner, and managed by Kew’s forthright curator, John Smith, who battled with boilers and floods to ensure the survival of the rare and wondrous plants it housed.Trade ReviewThe most enthralling historical book I’ve read this year. -- Claire Tomalin * New Statesman 'Books of the year' *Teltscher skilfully brings to life the human story behind the growth of Kew and the creation of its extraordinary centrepiece. What's more remarkable, however, is her command of the details of the new technology that went into the construction of the Palm House . . . she makes such matters unexpectedly fascinating. * Literary Review *A fascinating and rip-roaring account of the building of one of the great – and experimental – glass buildings of the Victorian age. * Daily Telegraph *A glorious green adventure story. -- Ann Treneman * The Times 'Books of the Year' *Stories of botanical exploration are combined with biographies of the characters behind the famous building, transporting the reader to 19th-century London and the countries that supplied the palms for the glasshouse. One can only marvel at the scale of the achievement and feel humbled by how much we owe to the enslaved peoples who enabled countless plants to be brought to our shores from the colonies. -- Rachel de Thame * Sunday Times *The fascinating story of one of the greatest showpieces of Victorian Britain: the Palm House in Kew Gardens. -- Sam Leith * Spectator *The story of the creation of the Palm House and the men whose vision it was, are engrossingly told. * Choice Magazine 'Hardback Book of Month' *I stand corrected by this exhilarating book - but also delighted, astounded and vastly entertained . . . This is gardening history at its best - a sparkling window on the colourful and contradictory Victorian era. -- Ambra Edwards * The Garden *This beautifully crafted book invokes a world of breathtaking Victorian engineering, glass houses and lush tropical vegetation to tell a tale of exploration, botanical science and the making of new imaginaries. -- Vinita Damodaran, Professor of South Asian History and Director, Centre for World Environmental History, University of SussexLively . . . vividly drawn . . . Wearing her research lightly, Teltscher tells her tale of politicking and financial wrangles, domestic tragedies and epic plant hunting expeditions with a pace and vibrancy more commonly found in novels than in academic study. * Gardens Illustrated *Kate Teltscher skilfully distils the historical facts of the creation of the Palm House into a piece of storytelling that is difficult to put down. * English Garden *Truly, this is a work of which all interested in the history of natural history and the history of botany should immediately take note. -- Johannes E. Riutta * The Well-read Naturalist *The story of its [the Palm House's] creation and the plant collections in it encompass all the qualities that make a great story: personal ambition, disagreements, eccentricity, struggles, fashions, fights and ultimately a building that triumphs. * This England *Not since Anna Pavord's The Tulip has a book so brilliantly captured the spirit of its subject. Kate Teltscher's Palace of Palms is a glorious headrush into Victorian history via one of the most iconic and beautiful glasshouses in the world. This is a bright, shining jewel of a book, a hedonists' delight and an escapists' antidote to the humdrum. -- Amanda ForemanIn this fascinating book, Kate Teltscher introduces us not just to the Palm House at Kew, but to the world of the palm. In so doing, she roams from botany and horticulture, through plant hunting expeditions and literary traditions, to engineering and architecture. Some of the people met on this journey are the privileged members of society, some technical geniuses, others working men who toiled in gruelling conditions to transport a tropical world to Victorian London. -- Margaret Willes, author of The Gardens of the British Working ClassTeltscher is a remarkable new historian . . . wholly original -- William DalrympleThis book gives a marvelous glimpse into a lost and luscious Victorian world, peopled not only with plants but with energetic, ambitious - and sometimes frankly bonkers - characters. -- Lucy WorsleyKate Teltscher’s highly readable account breathes life into the key characters and events that shaped the remarkable evolution of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew during the 19th century, and its most iconic building, the Palm House. -- Toby MusgraveThe Palm House is unarguably the iconic building at Kew Gardens, and in my opinion, the most beautiful glasshouse in the world. The Victorians created this glorious temple to house their precious palms and today, 170 years later, it continues to delight and awe millions of visitors every year. This book tells its story. -- Richard Deverell, Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, KewThe Palm House at Kew has been a world attraction since it was opened in 1848 - and Kate Teltscher's brilliantly researched account of the botanists and architects responsible is as thrilling as a novel. -- Claire TomalinThe establishment of Kew Gardens and the building of the great Palm House is a most remarkable story, that touches on every aspect of 19th century life. Kate Teltscher knows it all – the politics, the science, the engineering – and writes about it with effortless elegance to weave the most wonderfully compelling narrative. -- Michael Frayn

    Out of stock

    £9.49

  • The Most Beautiful Gardens Ever Written: A Guide

    Oro Editions The Most Beautiful Gardens Ever Written: A Guide

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisAre gardens anything more than collections of plants? Spaces for leisure activities? Extensions that protect the private house from the public road? Art objects appreciated by a relatively small group of connoisseurs? To consider such questions this guidebook invites readers on a tour of ten beautiful gardens as depicted in thousands of pages of fiction written by the most skillful of novelists over almost a millennium. From Murasaki Shikibu's Tale of Genji and the ever-mysterious Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, to such Chinese masterpieces as the Chin Ping Mei and Cao Xuequin Story of the Stone, and on through the works of famous American, Australian, English, and European writers, these novels compound gardens as they exist within the culture of the time with the specific needs of fiction, tackling everything from planting plans to the activities that take place within the garden confines. When novelists write the garden it is revealed, again and again, as the site of peccadilloes that define the state of being human, and while these written gardens may not be places we would ever wish to visit, should they actually exist, a consideration of their role in defining humanity provides yet another way to experience and appreciate any real gardens we happen to encounter.

    1 in stock

    £12.59

  • The Gardens at Brantwood: Evolution of John

    Pallas Athene Publishers The Gardens at Brantwood: Evolution of John

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn 1872 the most famous cultural critic in Britain moved into a dilapidated cottage in the heart of England's Lake District and swapped his pen for a billhook. John Ruskin's arrival in a landscape already steeped in agricultural history began an evolution that led to the extraordinary gardens at Brantwood today. Ruskin’s own gardens reflected his empathy with plants and the natural world, as well as his interests in Dante’s poetry and Renaissance painting. His Moorland Garden is one of the very first wilderness gardens, and his Zig-zaggy a surprising allegory of redemption. Ruskin’s cousin and carer, Joan Severn, created some of the earliest gardens in the naturalistic style of William Robinson. These fascinating and beautiful gardens were neglected for decades after Severn’s death but have been brought back to life by Sally Beamish. In this beautifully illustrated and comprehensive guide, eminent plant scientist, botanist and horticulturist David Ingram traces the history of the gardens. Table of ContentsForeword by Howard Hull, Director of Brantwood, p. 7 Preface, p. 11 Overview, p. 17 The Setting, p. 21 John Ruskin, p. 39 John Ruskin's Gardens, p. 47 Joan Severn, p. 73 Joan Severn's Gardens, p. 79 Sally Beamish and Her Gardens, p. 85 Envoi, p. 107 Principal Written Sources and Further Reading, p. 113 Plants to Look Out For at Brantwood, p. 115 Map, 119

    15 in stock

    £15.26

  • Secret Gardens of Cornwall

    Quarto Publishing PLC Secret Gardens of Cornwall

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisA glorious celebration of some of the finest gardens in a county whose climate makes them especially breathtaking.  Alan Titchmarsh Step inside the Secret Gardens of Cornwallfor a private tour of the best horticultural destinations in the county. Discover what grows well, when and where to visit, understand the challenges that the owners have faced, and have a taste of the world-class gardens to be found in this corner of England. The 20 beautiful gardens included here celebrate the diversity of gardening in Cornwall – secret coastal woodlands, lush subtropical valleys, traditional country estates and wave-lashed clifftops – through sumptuous photography, fascinating stories and interviews with their owners.Trade ReviewWhat a beautiful book. I just want to rush off and see all the gardens that I haven’t seen already. * Rick Stein *Table of ContentsForeword by Sir Tim Smit KBE Introduction A note on the Cornish climate 1 Bonython Estate Gardens 2 Burncoose House Gardens 3 Caervallack 4 Chygurno 5 Enys Gardens 6 Falmouth’s Public Gardens 7 Kestle Barton 8 Lamorran House Gardens 9 Minack Theatre Gardens 10 Penjerrick Garden 11 Pentillie Castle and Estate 12 Potager Garden 13 Prideaux Place 14 St Just in Roseland Churchyard 15 St Michael’s Mount Gardens 16 Tate St Ives: Barbara Hepworth Sculpture Garden 17 Trenarth Gardens 18 Tresillian House and Garden 19 Trevilley 20 Trevince Estate Gardens Visiting information Index Acknowledgments

    15 in stock

    £17.60

  • A Garden A Day

    Batsford Ltd A Garden A Day

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisAn exploration of gardens through the ages and across the globe in 366 daily entries, from the ancient hanging gardens of Babylon to a vegetable plot on the International Space Station. In this fascinating and beautifully illustrated collection, garden writer Ruth Chivers presents a garden for every day of the year. It’s a sumptuous journey through garden history, design, horticulture, literary inspiration, folklore and poetry. From Sissinghurst to Versailles, from the medieval poem 'The Romance of the Rose' to the latest horticultural details of a rewilded garden, from imaginary gardens in literature to the real gardens that inspired Van Gogh and Orwell, here are absorbing garden stories for the whole year. Botanical paintings sit next to historic plans and the very best garden photography. The entries are annotated with intriguing facts and inspiring ideas, telling the stories of gardens past, present and even future. A true celebration of gardens, A Garden A Day is a beautiful and essential book for any gardener that brings home the wonder of these spaces to all of us.

    15 in stock

    £16.00

  • A Sussex Garden Companion

    Finch Publishing A Sussex Garden Companion

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisAn easy to use guide to over 50 of the finest gardens in Sussex

    1 in stock

    £8.07

  • Paradise and Plenty: A Rothschild Family Garden

    Pimpernel Press Ltd Paradise and Plenty: A Rothschild Family Garden

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe productive garden at Lord Rothschild’s private house, Eythrope in Buckinghamshire, is legendary in the garden world for the excellence of the gardening and as a haven for traditional techniques that might otherwise be lost. Under the leadership of the renowned head gardener, Sue Dickinson, now retired, and the current head gardener, Suzie Hanson, this garden works on a scale that is now rare, producing, year-round, all the fruit, vegetables and flowers for a country house where entertaining still happens on a grand scale and where everything is done to the highest standards. Paradise and Plenty opens a window on a garden that has, until now, been kept intensely private, and on a world beyond most gardeners’ dreams. But in this book everything shown is useful as well as beautiful. Gregory Long points out in his introduction that as more and more people turn to growing their own, books are needed that show the techniques of dedicated cultivation, as well as the results. Many of the techniques used at Eythrope are old and tried, but have fallen out of use almost everywhere else. Others have been adopted more recently, as careful trials have proved their worth. If you want techniques for preparing soil, growing herbs, pruning apple trees, training roses, planting bulbs in pots or propagating many different plants, or which are the best tried and tested tomatoes, snowdrops or chrysanthemums to plant, you’ll find out here. In the words of the author herself, ‘This book has to be how as well as wow.’Trade Review"An inspiring book, describing the use of traditional techniques and giving valuable new tips and tricks, this will appeal to all gardeners at all levels." * Professional Gardener * “I particularly like...the generosity that gives author, photographer and garden the space to breathe” * Saga magazine *"This is a book to inspire perfection, not to incite envy." * Historic Gardens Review *"This is an exceptional book, not to be missed." -- Anna Pavord * The Garden *"This is an exceptional book, brilliant in all departments – writing, photography, design and production." -- Anna Pavord * Independent *"A handsome volume, both coffee-table book and practical manual." * Spectator *"Beautiful photographs...Like the garden, very well presented." * Ham & High *"Makes what might seem an exclusive world completely approachable and inspiring to every gardener." -- David Sexton * Evening Standard Best Gardening Books of 2015 *"If you want to know how to grow peaches, melons or superb herbaceous borders in beautifully matched colours, let alone every kind of vegetable and edible cherry, there are details here that no other gardening book in print is able to pass on." -- Robin Lane Fox * Financial Times *"The newly-minted British publishing house Pimpernel Press has produced a clutch of excellent gardening books....A book as beautifully and incisively written as this, so filled with detail, careful observations and with lavish photography by Tom Hatton, must also, you feel, have taken much time to create." * Irish Times *"Action heroine of the year is Sue Dickinson, head gardener at Jacob Rothschild's Eythrope, the subject of Mary Keen's Paradise and Plenty." -- Christopher Woodward * Evening Standard *"Not just a celebration of perfection but a meticulous set of instructions for achieving it..The ultimate pleasure of her book is that Mary Keen is a very good writer...This perfect book is not cheap, but it should feature prominently on every gardener's Christmas wish list." * The Lady *"We might not all be Rothschild rich, but we can all learn something for our own little paradises." * Sunday Times *"Gloriously illustrated." * Woman and Home *"More than a spectacular picture book." * Evening Standard *"Elegantly produced with family archive material and photographs by Tom Hatton (some resplendently reproduced on double gatefolds) that really help to explain why this garden is not just important, but how it continues as a prime example of Britain's very best gardening practices." -- David Wheeler * Hortus *"Alongside Keen's hugely informative text, there are beautiful photographs...Eythrope has 'always been intensely private', so this book gives a rare opportunity to look over the walls and learn about this secret garden." * The Oldie *"This feast of a book is my favourite in a distinguished year for gardening books. It is one that I shall keep readily to hand, to refer to for the definitive advice on the 'how' of successful gardening, and to enjoy the 'wow' that is the result." -- Sarah Langton-Lockton * The Lady *"Crisp, clear prose...beautifully illustrates...The book gives a rare and profound understanding of the sophistication of gardening at its most masterly. It is inspiring." -- Kim Wilkie * House & Garden *"Mary Keen’s Paradise and Plenty, published by Pimpernel Press Ltd is my Book of the Year. This book, written as a record of the garden in its twenty-fifth year, will be cherished for years to come as a record of a great garden." -- Val Bourne * Oxford Times *“More than a vicarious look over the walls – it is a record of tried and tested traditional and modern techniques.” * Country Living *"This luxurious book is an unusual mixture of tribute and manual. Fascinating...Keen's style is accessible, compelling and fact-packed." * Garden Design Journal *"In the charmless age of the Kindle, this is a welcome reminder of how beautiful an object a book can be. Tom Hatton’s photographs - both colour and black and white - are seductive: especially glorious is a range of fold-out spreads depicting the same scene at different seasons. The paper is heavy and glossy, the layout elegant and spacious; there are decorative endpapers and silken bookmarks - all admirably in keeping with the subject, which is gardening done as it used to be done, as well as it can be done, with no effort or expense spared." * Gardens Illustrated *"Much more than just a coffee table book, Mary gives a detailed account of techniques used. The Rothschilds' Paradise Garden is very grand indeed, but Mary's down-to-earth approach means there is plenty of practical advice in this book. Sumptuous illustrations include flaps of pictures which open to reveal the same view at different seasons or in close-up. Mary is as good a writer as she is a gardener, so vegetable and flower growers, armchair gardeners and garden historians alike will all find much to interest them in this fascinating book." * The English Garden *"A unique opportunity to see how fruit, vegetables and flowers are grown in the traditional way for a country house whose owners entertain on a pre-war grand scale. Forget Downton, this is the real time machine....Such a handsome book...packed with practical information and guidance. Any gardener would improve their own plot after reading this book." * Daily Telegraph *"Stunning...This book will satisfy garden historians and professional gardeners. While not a practical how-to since the scale is so vast and the garden is well staffed, this title will provide home gardeners with a tip or two as they enjoy the story and photographs of a well-managed estate." * Library Journal (US) *"Well-written and filled with seductive full color photographs, this book demands the attention of landscape designers and armchair gardeners alike." * Publishers Weekly (US) *

    2 in stock

    £24.00

  • Great Dixter: Then & Now

    Pimpernel Press Ltd Great Dixter: Then & Now

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisChristopher Lloyd, icon and iconoclast of the gardening world, was born at Great Dixter, in East Sussex, in 1921 and died there in 2006. In the years between he developed the garden at Dixter into a mecca for plantsmen and a hub of ideas and connections that spread throughout the world. And from the 1930s almost until his death he was also photographing the garden, recording it in intimate detail as it changed and developed. A carefully chosen selection of Christopher's photographs is published here, the majority for the first time. They are juxtaposed with images from the Lloyd family's earliest days at Dixter, and with photographs taken by Carol Casselden and others of the garden as it is today.Trade Review"A fascinating record of how Dixter has been shaped and enriched over the years. Like the garden it celebrates, this is a multi-layered, diverse display of delights." * Gardens Illustrated Books of the Year *"A source of inspiration and a wonderful piece of horticultural history." -- Period Living"This book bursts with life and combines Garrett's commentary with brilliant photography to tell the story of a garden that beautifully fuses the old and the new." * Daily Mail *"A beautiful, annotated, photographic history...It is essentially a record of how Great Dixter has been enriched by the interpretation of its different gardeners, as well as by the maturing of plants and mellowing of hard structures...These images celebrate Lloyd's achievement by putting it in the context of what came before and after." * The Field *"A must for anyone who knows and loves Great Dixter." * House & Garden *"A triumph, perfectly encapsulating the progress and changes to the garden over nearly a century...The photographs are undoubtedly the stars of the book, however, Fergus' text is the perfect complement, just long enough to be interesting and informative, guiding us through the various parts of the garden...The book is also a brilliant size...so it's easy to handle and browse through." * The Reckless Gardener *"An excellent introduction, garden guide and souvenir." * An Irish Gardener *"Charming..." * My Weekly *

    15 in stock

    £12.34

  • New Directions in Garden Tourism

    CABI Publishing New Directions in Garden Tourism

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisFollowing on from the success of Garden Tourism, this book provides an update on the statistics and growth of the global phenomenon of garden visitation. It delves into new themes and contemporary trends, from art and culture to psychographic profiling of visitors and how social media and semiotics are used to enrich visitor experience and fuel motivation. In addition to these new topics, the book also expands on important areas such as the continued rise of urban gardens, garden events, historic gardens and garden economics. It features: Visitor statistics for gardens around the world up to 2019. New case studies of The National Garden of Wales, Missouri Botanic Garden, Queens Botanic Garden, and Bombay Sapphire Gin Distillery in Hampshire, UK. Full-colour images that show gardens in airports, new structures and initiatives in botanic gardens, the use of botanicals in gin distilling, animals and birds and the importance of gardens to their survival, and garden responses to the restrictions imposed on them by the COVID -19 pandemic. This new book provides a wealth of information for garden managers and tourism students. It is written in an engaging style that will appeal to garden managers, students of horticulture and tourism, and casual readers interested in the phenomena of gardens.Table of Contents1: Introduction: Philosophy of New Directions in Garden Tourism 2: Gardens Around the World, 2013–2019 3: New Directions in Gardens 4: New Audiences for Gardens 5: The New Media Landscape 6: Tourists in the Garden; Human Health and Happiness and the Semiotics of Garden Visiting 7: Events and Festivals 8: Impacts of Botanic Gardens: Economic, Social, Environmental and Health 9: Urban Garden Tourism 10: Gardens and Historic Homes; New Directions in Historic Garden Tourism 11: Future Directions 12: The Effect of the Coronavirus on Garden Tourism

    15 in stock

    £81.59

  • The Secrets of Great Botanists

    Exisle Publishing The Secrets of Great Botanists

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisBotanists have been the trailblazers in discovering how plants work to benefit our species, collecting many of the plant-species we find in our gardens today from all around the world. This informative and beautiful guide presents the stories and reveals the secrets of 35 of these botanists, plant collectors and gardening pioneers of the past and present.This includes Joseph Banks, Asa Gray and Marianne North, highlighting the qualities that brought them success. Every botanist included in The Secrets of Great Botanists was, or is, passionate about their particular specialty. Whether they were searching for plants in wild places, prescribing herbal medicines or forming new structures of plant classification, they were driven by an insatiable desire to learn and discover, so that we, as humans, might benefit from improved crops, medicines or gardens.Through the vibrancy of botanical photographs and beautifully illustrated period botanical watercolours, this book aims to teach re

    15 in stock

    £17.99

  • The Pursuit of Paradise

    HarperCollins Publishers The Pursuit of Paradise

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisThis book will provide a new perspective on the way we garden, why we garden and what it means for us.Trade Review‘A fresh and beautifully illustrated account of gardeners’ideals and their realisations… Open it at any page and one is hooked’Natasha Spender, Daily Mail ‘The most enchanting, erudite and thought-provoking book on the subject to be published for many years’Amanda Craig, Independent on Sunday ‘Completely absorbing’Peter Parker, Daily Telegraph ‘A series of idiosyncratic, delightfully informative and elegantly written essays…‘This year’s ideal Christmas present for the literate gardener’Sir Roy Strong, Sunday Express ‘A genuinely important contribution, not just to understanding gardens of the past, but to how we might get the most pleasure from the gardens of the future’Montagu Don, Observer ‘If you want to be impressively well-informed about why every self-respecting home must have a patio, or why delphiniums, gladioli and larkspur are distinctly passé, then latch on to this illuminating book’Penelope Lively, Mail on Sunday ‘Be warned. This is a rich brew, not to be taken in one gulp. Gardening in this book encompasses science and history, philosophy and art, literature and the military, politics and sex… it is all tremendous fun’Ruth Gorb, Guardian

    15 in stock

    £12.34

  • THE GRASS IS GREENER Our love affair with the lawn An AngloSaxon Passion

    HarperCollins Publishers THE GRASS IS GREENER Our love affair with the lawn An AngloSaxon Passion

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisGrass and its organisation into lawns is a particularly English obsession.Trade Review‘A witty, quirky history of the lawn – and fond tribute to the lawnmower’ The Times ‘This book is absolutely hilarious. Brilliantly written, a minor classic. A gem.’ The Field ‘Even those without green fingers will find Tom Fort’s hymn to horticulture entertaining.’ Evening Standard ‘Cultural history at its best’ Country Life

    15 in stock

    £14.24

  • An Economic History of the English Garden

    Penguin Books Ltd An Economic History of the English Garden

    7 in stock

    Book Synopsis''Roderick Floud''s ground-breaking study of the history, money, places and personalities involved in British gardens over the past 350 years gives fascinating insight into why gardening is part of this country''s soul.'' Michael Heseltine, Deputy Prime Minister (1996-1997)''Thousands of books have been written about the history of British gardens but Roderick Floud, one of Britain''s most distinguished economic historians, asks new and important questions: how much did gardens cost to build and maintain, and where did the money come from? Superbly researched, it is full of information which will surprise both economists and gardeners. The book is fun as well as edifying: Floud shows us gardens grand and humble, and introduces us gardeners, plantsmen and technologies in wonderful varieties.'' Jane Humphries, Centennial Professor, London School of EconomicsAt least since the seventeenth century, most of the English population have been unable to stop making, improving and dreaming of gardens. Yet in all the thousands of books about them, this is the first to address seriously the question of how much gardens and gardening have cost, and to work out the place of gardens in the economic, as well as the horticultural, life of the nation. It is a new kind of gardening history.Beginning with the Restoration of Charles II in 1660, Roderick Floud describes the role of the monarchy and central and local government in creating gardens, as well as that of the (generally aristocratic or plutocratic) builders of the great gardens of Stuart, Georgian and Victorian England. He considers the designers of these gardens as both artists and businessmen - often earning enormous sums by modern standards, matched by the nurserymen and plant collectors who supplied their plants. He uncovers the lives and rewards of working gardeners, the domestic gardens that came with the growth of suburbs and the impact of gardening on technical developments from man-made lakes to central heating.AN ECONOMIC HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH GARDEN shows the extraordinary commitment of money as well as time that the English have made to gardens and gardening over three and a half centuries. It reveals the connections of our gardens to the re-establishment of the English monarchy, the national debt, transport during the Industrial Revolution, the new industries of steam, glass and iron, and the built environment that is now all around us. It is a fresh perspective on the history of England and will open the eyes of gardeners - and garden visitors - to an unexpected dimension of what they do.Trade ReviewA fascinating history of gardening reveals our expensive passion for all things green... This is the first economic history of the English garden and frankly it's almost shocking that no one has looked into it until now... There is a mind-boggling amount of detail in this book ... Floud is a clear writer and excels at providing context and keeping the whole enterprise grounded. -- Ann Treneman * The Times *We have social histories of the English garden, art histories of the big ones and plant histories of what went where. We seldom have a financial history. Floud has set out to write one, applying his head for statistics to this under-cultivated field... an invaluable checklist ... Floud's bigger point is that gardening is and has been a big element of the total economy. ... Amazing. Floud casts his net wide. -- Robin Lane Fox * Financial Times *This is a very different kind of gardening book. It's not about design or horticultural techniques, but is a history, - the first of its kind, the author claims - of the economics of gardening, financial excess and all, from Charles II to today ... extraordinarily interesting. Floud impresses on us the sheer scale of what we're dealing with here... his book is full of fascinating detail - about everything from working-class gardens, kitchen gardens and nurseries, to the astonishing cost of some rare plants and their shrinking value over time. -- Andrew Holgate * Sunday Times *This is one of the most important books on garden history in the last half century and, for anyone serious about the subject, it is a Must Buy. -- Richard Mawrey * Historic Gardens Newsletter *a new kind of garden history ... Filled with fascinating and often surprising details -- P D Smith * Guardian *this is an immensely engaging book. The figures Floud presents, while abundant and obviously carefully uncovered, are so remarkable ... Floud's economic approach may seem an oblique means of interpreting [a landscape] but, trust me, it is surprisingly rewarding -- Robert Leigh-Pemberton * Daily Telegraph *

    7 in stock

    £13.49

  • A Philosophy of Gardens

    Oxford University Press A Philosophy of Gardens

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisWhy do gardens matter so much and mean so much to people? That is the intriguing question to which David Cooper seeks an answer in this book. Given the enthusiasm for gardens in human civilization ancient and modern, Eastern and Western, it is surprising that the question has been so long neglected by modern philosophy. Now at last there is a philosophy of gardens. Not only is this a fascinating subject in its own right, it also provides a reminder that the subject-matter of aesthetics is broader than the fine arts; that ethics is not just about moral issues but about ''the good life''; and that environmental philosophy should not focus only on ''wilderness'' to the exclusion of the humanly shaped environment. David Cooper identifies garden appreciation as a special human phenomenon distinct from both from the appreciation of art and the appreciation of nature. He explores the importance of various ''garden-practices'' and shows how not only gardening itself, but activities to which thTrade Reviewan intricately argued, beautifully nuanced and highly sensitive analysis of what gardens mean and what sort of enterprise they are . . . David E. Cooper has written a book that anyone who wants to understand gardening, our relationship with nature, and the arts will want to read. * Mara Miller, Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism *Table of Contents1. Taking Gardens Seriously ; 2. Art or Nature? ; 3. Art-and-Nature ; 4. Gardens, People, and Practices ; 5. Gardens and the Good Life ; 6. The Meaning of Gardens ; 7. The Garden as Epiphany ; 8. Conclusion: The Garden's Distinction

    15 in stock

    £35.69

© 2025 Book Curl

    • American Express
    • Apple Pay
    • Diners Club
    • Discover
    • Google Pay
    • Maestro
    • Mastercard
    • PayPal
    • Shop Pay
    • Union Pay
    • Visa

    Login

    Forgot your password?

    Don't have an account yet?
    Create account