Gardens (descriptions, history etc) Books

Book Synopsis“Uprooted reveals how a late-life uprooting changed Dickey as a gardener.” —The Wall Street Journal When Page Dickey moved away from her celebrated garden at Duck Hill, she left a landscape she had spent thirty-four years making, nurturing, and loving. She found her next chapter in northwestern Connecticut, on 17 acres of rolling fields and woodland around a former Methodist church. In Uprooted, Dickey reflects on this transition and on what it means for a gardener to start again. In these pages, fol­low her journey: searching for a new home, discovering the ins and outs of the landscape surround­ing her new garden, establishing the garden, and learning how to be a different kind of gardener. The sur­prise at the heart of the book? Although Dickey was sad to leave her beloved garden, she found herself thrilled to begin a new garden in a wilder, larger landscape. Written with humor and elegance, Uprooted is an endearing story about transitions—and the satisfaction and joy that new horizons can bring.

Read more less

Book Synopsis“Affectionate and informative, Unearthing the Secret Garden is not unlike a garden itself, with its smooth lawns of prose and striking shows of illustration and photography.” —The Wall Street JournalNew York Times bestselling author Marta McDowell has revealed the way that plants have stirred some of our most cherished authors, including Beatrix Potter, Emily Dickinson, and Laura Ingalls Wilder. In her latest, she shares a moving account of how gardening deeply inspired Frances Hodgson Burnett, the author of the beloved children's classic The Secret Garden. In Unearthing The Secret Garden, McDowell delves into the professional and gardening life of Frances Hodgson Burnett. Complementing her fascinating account with charming period photographs and illustrations, McDowell paints an unforgettable portrait of a great artist and reminds us why The Secret Garden continues to touch readers after more than a century. This deeply moving and gift-worthy book is a must-read for fans of The Secret Garden and anyone who loves the story behind the story.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn A-to-Z compilation of traditional gardening skills and heirloom plants, nostalgically illustrated with wood block art. Modern life is a cornucopia of technological wonders. But when we spend so much time glued to our phones and computer screens, something precious is lost: a sense of connection to the generations that have preceded us. John Forti is acutely aware of this loss, and his mission is to heal it. In The Heirloom Gardener, he celebrates and shares the lore and traditional practices that link us with the natural world and with each other. Arranged alphabetically, entries include heirloom flowers like beebalm, Johnny-jump-ups, and nasturtiums; traditional skills such as distilling, wreath-making, and brewing; and subjects such as ethnobotany, biodiversity, and organic gardening. Throughout, Forti highlights the ways in which these plants and practices can enrich modern life. The Heirloom Gardener is charmingly illustrated, resulting in a beautiful book that will inspire y

Read more less

Book Synopsis"A necessary addition to the library of any serious student."--The New York Times Sunday Book Review Almost every Japanese garden is influenced by the tea garden. Here, Marc Peter Keane describes the history, design, and aesthetics of tea gardens, from T'ang China to the present day, with over 115 stunning photographs, floor plans, and illustrations. The most extensive book on this genre ever published in English, The Japanese Tea Garden is a rich resource for garden lovers, historians, and landscape architects. Landscape architect Marc Peter Keane lived in Kyoto for twenty years and has a design practice in Ithaca, New York.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments ii An Invitation to Tea x 1 a brief history of tea 1 Tang-Dynasty China (618–907) 3 Nara-Period Japan (710–84) 4 Song-Dynasty China (960–1279) 5 Kamakura-Period Japan (1185–1333) 9 Yuan-Dynasty China (1271–1368) 12 Ming-Dynasty China (1368–1644) 12 2 cultural background 19 Garden History 20 Machiya: Merchant Townhouses 23 The Hermit in the City 27 Tea Aesthetics 39 3 muromachi society 43 Bushi: Military Aristocracy 44 Zenso: Buddhist Priests 49 Shonin: Merchants 57 Shokunin/Geinosha: Artisans/Artists 63 4 early development of the roji 67 Early Development of the Tea Garden 68 Shuko: The Tea of Urban Merchants in the Late 15th Century 70 Joo: Wabi and Tea in the Early 16th Century 78 Rikyu: The Creation of the Tea Garden During the Late 16th Century 85 5 from roji to chaniwa: tea gardens in the edo period 117 The Word Roji 118 Tea Gardens in the Early Edo Period 120 Early 17th Century: Furuta Oribe and the Beginnings of Daimyo-cha 120 Mid-17th Century: Kobori Enshu and the Development of Daimyo-cha 133 Late Edo Period: The Codification of Tea Gardens 139 6 extant tea gardens and gardens influenced by tea 57 The Roji of Tea Grand Masters 158 Estate Gardens of Provincial Lords 165 Imperial Gardens 172 Gardens of Merchant Residences 179 20th-Century Private Estates 184 Other Private Residences 189 7 parts of a tea garden 197 Outer Gate: Soto-mon or Roji-mon 198 Tea Path: Roji Michi 201 The Waiting Bench: Koshikake 208 The Middle Gate: Chumon 211 The Water Basin: Tsukubai 216 Stone Lanterns: Ishi-doro 224 Dust Pit: Chiri-ana 225 Privy: Setchin 227 Fences: Kakine 227 Walls: Kabe 232 Garden Well: Ido 232 The Plantings: Ueki 233 Notes 243 Tea Text Summaries 261 Glossary of Garden Terminology 268 Bibliography 276 Index 281

Read more less

Book SynopsisGrow twice the fruits and vegetables in half the space on the farm, in the backyard, or in your window!Have you noticed the extraordinary flavors and yields emanating from even a small garden when the soil is just right? If you’ve ever been envious of your neighbor’s dirt or just curious about homesteading, then The Ultimate Guide to Soil is perfect for you.The book begins with a personality test for your soil, then uses that information to plan a course of action for revitalizing poor soil and turning good dirt into great earth. Next, you’ll learn to start and maintain a no-till garden, to balance nutrients with remineralization, and to boost organic matter with easy cover crops.Don’t forget the encyclopedic overview of organic soil amendments at the end. Old standbys like manures and mulches are explained in depth along with less common additions such as bokashi compost and castings from worms and black soldier fly larvae. Learn when hugelkultur, biochar, paper, and cardboard do and don’t match your garden needs, then read about when and how to safely use urine and humanure around edible plantings.With an emphasis on simple techniques suitable for the backyard gardener, The Ultimate Guide to Soil gives you the real dirt on good soil. Maybe next year your neighbor will be envious of you!

Read more less

Book SynopsisSince 1800, the 18 acres surrounding the White House have been an unwitting witness to history. Kings and queens have dined there, bills and treaties have been signed, and presidents have landed and retreated. Through it all, the grounds have remained not only beautiful, but also a powerful reflection of American trends both horticultural and just plain cultural.In All the Presidents' Gardens, Marta McDowell reveals the untold history of the White House grounds through surprising presidential facts, historical and contemporary photographs, vintage seed catalogues, and rare glimpses into the lives of our leaders. History buffs will revel in the fascinating tidbits about Lincoln's goats, Ike's putting green, Jackie's iconic roses, and Amy Carter's tree house. Gardeners will thrill to the information on the plants whose favour has come and gone over the years and the visionary gardeners who have been responsible for it all. This revised and updated paperback edition brings the story of America's First Garden up through the present day, including the Trumps' controversial changes to the grounds and the Biden's aim to give the space a wider cultural resonance.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhether on the ground or in the mind gardens carry meaning. They reflect social and aesthetic values and may express hope, anticipation or grief. Throughout history they have provided a means of physical survival. In creating and maintaining gardens people construe and construct a relationship with their environment. But there is no single meaning carried in the word 'garden': as idea and practice it reflects cultural differences in beliefs, values and social organisation. It embodies personal, community even national ways of seeing and being in the world.There are ten essays in this book, each of which examines the role of gardens and gardening in the settlement of New South Wales and in growing a colony and a state. They explore the significance of gardens for the health of the colony, for its economy, for the construction of social order and for personal identity.For the immigrants gardening was an act of settlement and also a statement of possession. For a long time it was with memories of 'home', often selective and idealised, that settlers made gardens but as the colony developed its own character so did gardening possibilities and practices.Trade Review'Peppered with a selection of seldom seen images this book will provide enjoyable reading and will likely become an invaluable reference work.' -- Adam Woodhams -- Inside History' ... this book is important because it documents the salient factors that played a crucial role in a history that has shaped and continues to shape the Australian manmade landscape.' -- Dr Zeny Edwards -- Journal of the Royal Australian Historical SocietyTable of ContentsIllustrations Forewords by Brett Summerell; Richard Neville; Robert Prince Acknowledgements Introduction by Gretchen Poiner 1. Gardens, landscapes, wilderness: ways of seeing ourselves by Gaynor Macdonald2. A sense of place by Gretchen Poiner3. Garden elements: seeds, plants and their sources in colonial New South Wales by Sybil Jack4. Cultivated wellbeing: gardens and health in colonial New South Wales by Janet George5. Exhibiting gardening by Ailsa McPherson6. Riverine gardens of Sydney waterways by Stuart Read7. Garden suburbs for the people: the movement from late 19th-century New South Wales by John Ramsland8. Planting New South Wales: the role of the Sydney Botanic Garden by Colleen Morris9. Hollywood in Burwood: the transformation of a suburban backyard to a garden by Catherine Rogers10. The evolving meanings of Retford Park: from the Hordens to Fairfax, 1885 to the present by Sue RosenAbbreviationsNotesBibliographyAbout the contributorsIndex

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisGarden visitation has been a tourism motivator for many years and can now be enjoyed in many different forms. Private garden visiting, historical garden tourism, urban gardens, and a myriad of festivals, shows and events all allow the green-fingered enthusiast to appreciate the natural world. This book traces the history of garden visitation and examines tourist motivations to visit gardens. Useful for garden managers and tourism students as well as casual readers, it also examines management and marketing of gardens for tourism purposes, before concluding with a detailed look at the form and tourism-based role of gardens in the future.Table of Contentsa: Preface 1: Introduction 2: A History of Garden Tourism 3: Gardening and Gardens Today 4: A World Garden Survey 5: The Multiple Roles of Gardens and the Importance of Indoor Flower Festivals 6: Outdoor Garden Festivals 7: Managing the Garden 8: Tourists to Gardens and Tourists in the Garden: Motivators and Enablers 9: Problems and Issues in Gardens Today 10: Reflections on the Future of Garden Tourism

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Glorious... Scurr is one of the most gifted non-fiction writers alive' Simon Schama, Financial TimesA revelatory portrait of Napoleon written for our own time, exploring his love of nature and the gardens that gave his revolutionary life its light and shade.Napoleon's gardens range from his childhood olive groves in Corsica, to Josephine's menageries in Paris, to the walled garden of Hougoumont at the battle of Waterloo, and ultimately to St Helena, where he could sit and scan the sea in his final months.In this innovative biography, Ruth Scurr follows the dramatic trajectory of Napoleon's life through the land he cultivated and that offered him retreat from the manifold frustrations of war and politics. Seen through the eyes of those who knew him in the shade of his gardens, Napoleon emerges a giant figure made human - both as the Emperor hunting for glory and the man in an old straw hat, leaning on his spade.'Immensely satisfying and captivating... Charming and intelligent' Andrew Roberts, TLS'Grippingly original' The Times'A delight to read' Daily Telegraph * A Book of the Year in The Times, Sunday Times, Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, Sunday Telegraph and History Today *Winner of a Society for Military History Distinguished Book Award 2022Trade ReviewGlorious . . . Scurr has achieved something remarkable: a completely original book on a completely unoriginal subject. But then she is herself a truly remarkable writer, one of the most gifted non-fiction authors alive -- Simon Schama * Financial Times *Ruth Scurr, a politics don at Cambridge University, has ingeniously somehow found an entirely new prism through which to view Napoleon: as a horticulturist . . . an immensely satisfying and captivating book . . . charming and intelligent -- Andrew Roberts * Times Literary Supplement *Ruth Scurr's imaginative take on Napoleon's life serves up fascinating insights into the man's behaviour and motivations, as well as an illuminating account of those around him. The gardening angle is fresh and perfectly developed; to garden is to control and manipulate, an empire builder does the same -- Penelope LivelyAn elegant prose stylist, Scurr is above all a fabulous historian, and a vivid storyteller with a novelist's eye for engaging detail . . . Napoleon emerges not in his warrior guise but in his full humanity . . . History's palimpsest emerges in these pages too, through Scurr's accounts of modern-day places shaped by Napoleon's vision: while his empire is the stuff of history books, his legacy as a landscape genius endures -- Claire Messud * Harper’s Magazine *Napoleon: A Life in Gardens and Shadows is history at its most enjoyable, a discursive ramble along its edges, away from matters of power and into its byways . . . Napoleon is a delight to read and must have been an immense pleasure to research -- Caroline Moorehead * Literary Review *

Read more less

Book SynopsisForeword by Alan TitchmarshFor more than 45 years Hugh Johnson has written Trad's Diary, delighting in recording his observations of his own garden, as well as many others, and of the wider natural world. Free to turn his attention to whatever is happening in that season, or simply something that piques his interest, his subjects are as diverse as the sounds of water, forest walks, the names of roses, the taste for shade he shares with Handel, the colours of autumn, the smell of rain, the private garden discovered within Beijing's Forbidden City or the first crocuses of spring. Month by month, Hugh shares with the reader through his easy, evocative writing an eclectic mix of thoughtful, topical and whimsical insights that will delight not only gardeners but anyone with an interest in nature in all its costumes.

Read more less

Book SynopsisGet out in your garden and discover the history hidden in the hedges.Did the Romans have rakes? Did the monks get muddy? Did potatoes seem really, really weird when they arrived on our shores?Drawn from Jenny Uglow's own love for plants, this lively 'potted' history of gardening in Britain takes us on a garden tour from the thorn hedges around prehistoric settlements to the rage for ornamental grasses and 'outdoor rooms' today. Tracking down the ordinary folk who worked the earth - from weeding women to florists - as well as aristocrats and grand designers and famous plant-hunters, A Little History of British Gardening is brought to life by gorgeously vivid illustrations and Uglow's insightful wisdom. Not only dealing with flowery meads, grottoes and vistas, landscapes and ha-has, parks and allotments, Uglow explains, for example, how the Tudors made their curious knots; how housewives used herbs to stop freckles; how the suburbs dug for victory in World War II.With a brief guide to particular historic or evocative gardens open to the public, this is a book to put in your pocket when planning a crisp, winter's day out - but also to read in your armchair with a well-earned glass of red, after a hard day's graft in your own garden.'Enchanting, stirringly evocative and fascinating' Daily Mail'This book will be a joy for any gardener' Independent Trade ReviewThe book charts gardening right up to the present day, looking at the spike in demand for allotments and the current boom in naturalistic gardening. This isn’t a dry historical reference book, it’s filled with interesting anecdotes and asides that bring all the eras to life -- Rachael Funnell * English Garden *Uglow's account of a national obsession is a delight from beginning to end * The Observer *This book will be a joy for any gardener * The Independent *The biographer of Gaskell and Hogarth now takes us into the garden, where plants glow and miniature landscapes unfold at the touch of her easy prose * Sunday Telegraph *Enchanting, stirringly evocative and fascinating * Daily Mail *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis lavish book highlights a selection of the wonderful illustrations held in the archive of The Florilegium Society at Sheffield Botanical Gardens. Each illustration included in the book is accompanied by a plant profile, stating where the plant was found in the wild and explaining something of its history, uses and botany. The book also gives an introduction to florilegia dating from the early herbals, and a history of the Society's Herbarium and the Gardens themselves. Featuring over 100 colour illustrations and 67 plant profiles, it is a book for everyone to enjoy, whatever the season. The Botanical Gardens are in the heart of the City of Sheffield and are a much-loved venue enjoyed both by the people of Sheffield and visitors to the City. This book has been written by the Society's founding chair Valerie Oxley. Valerie developed the diploma in Botanical Illustration with colleagues at the University of Sheffield.Trade ReviewAs someone lacking even a trace of artistic ability, perhaps the most astonishing thing is how all the illustrations manage to be in recognisably different styles, without in any way sacrificing botanical accuracy. So much beauty for a mere £25. -- Ken Thompson * Professional Gardeners Guild *An illuminating record of the treasures of Sheffield’s Botanical Garden, recording the beauty and lifecycle of both native and exotic plants. -- Ambra Edwards * Gardens Illustrated Issue 304 *The amount of visual information in each artwork and the different ways in which different artists accomplish that, paired with the accompanying plant profile text, give a satisfying experience of each plant as drawn by the Society’s artists. Affordably priced, this “hidden garden” would be a good addition to any botanical or horticultural library and to the personal libraries of botanical art lovers. -- Charlotte A. Tancin Librarian Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation * Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries Newsletter *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is one of Scotland's most visited tourist attractions and has been cultivating and studying plants for over three centuries. Across its four garden sites, the Royal Botanic Garden's living plant collection contains over 13,500 species from 156 countries, including some that are extinct in the wild and others new to science. The ever-growing Herbarium currently contains over three million dried specimens and the Library houses Scotland's national collection of botanical and horticultural literature, including manuscripts dating back to the fifteenth century. The highlights illustrated in this book provide a personal insight into one of the world's greatest botanic gardens and reveals the invaluable contribution that it makes to the ongoing documentation and conservation of the world's diverse plant life.

Read more less

Book SynopsisCambridge University Botanic Garden is a unique 40-acre site housing a living collection of plants for research and teaching use by the University of Cambridge. Laid out in 1846 to demonstrate relationships between major plant groups, the Garden today is home to 8,000 species from all around the world, including 2,000 trees which provide year-round interest. In this guide the Director, Professor Beverley Glover, introduces the reader to some of the highlights in the Botanic Garden's collection. These include majestic trees and beautiful flowers, but also some rare and vulnerable species that might otherwise escape notice. She sets the scene for the Garden's foundation and history through its original map, and showcases some of its modern landscapes and horticultural set pieces. Throughout the guide she emphasises the enormous role that the Botanic Garden plays in modern scientific research, and explains some of the key breakthroughs of recent years.

Read more less

Book SynopsisJoin Monty Don, Britain's pre-eminent gardener, and acclaimed photographer Derry Moore on their historic journey through the most stunning gardens of Venice and the Veneto.Few world cities hold the romance and historical sweep of Venice. Thousands visit every year - and a mixture of crowds and climate leave it vulnerable, so much so it is often said to be in danger of sinking - but away from the usual tourist haunts around St. Mark's square are exceptional hidden treasures, some 500 gardens, many of them with fascinating stories.Starting in the heart of the city and working their way out to the Veneto, Monty and Derry celebrate the beauty of these places and tell their unique stories: from a beautiful nunnery garden with a history of exotic animals and a kitchen garden of the historic Foundation to the Madonna church to the estates of famous Venetian families, like the spectacular Giusti Renaissance garden.With stunning full colour photography throughout, Venice Gardens will give readers new insight into one of the world's most beloved cities - you won't see Venice the same way again.

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Brings both house and garden vividly to life... A magnificent achievement' Gardens Illustrated 'A finely crafted work... it is an important record of the history of one of the country's most splendid estates' The English Garden The Palladian house of Stourhead, in Wiltshire, occupies a plateau above the confluence of three valleys. When you cross the south lawn and descend the tree-hung slopes, you glimpse a lake adorned with classical temples. Continue and you will find an allegorical grotto; a gothick hideaway; a Pantheon of demi-gods and, on high, a deserted temple to Apollo. To the west Alfred's Tower commands views over three counties, a gaunt landmark to English monarchy and patriotism. This is how in Georgian times Henry Hoare – known as Henry the Magnificent – would have explored the garden he designed. Generations of the Hoare family, bankers who combined service with enlightened patronage and philanthropy, have developed and cultivated the garden at Stourhead, and for many its breathtaking vistas are paradise. Dudley Dodd charts the owners of Stourhead and the history of the landscape, house and art collection. He describes how flights of folly, individual flair, taste and careful stewardship have nurtured a national treasure, which is among the finest English landscape gardens and, since 1946, a jewel of The National Trust. The stunning new pictures by the renowned photographer Marianne Majerus provide an up to date record of this enduring Elysium.Trade ReviewBrings both house and garden vividly to life... It makes for a gripping family saga. What is wonderful about this book is its range [...] and Dodd is especially good at setting the garden in context. A magnificent achievement * Gardens Illustrated *Dodd [is] meticulous and skilful. This is a finely crafted work and its telling illuminated by magnificent images of the property. It makes a wonderful addition to a library but it is also an important record of the history of one of the country's most splendid estates * The English Garden *Going through such a comprehensive account, Dudley Dodd gives the background and context that is needed to fully enjoy this amazing landscape garden, and brings Stourhead's story to alive * Country Gardener *With sketches, plans and stunning photography by the renowned photographer Marianne Majerus, this book will appeal to those who know and love the gardens as well as those who are yet to visit * Wiltshire Living *Dudley Dodd captures the beauty and history of the Palladian jewel in Wiltshire and its colourful owners, the Hoares, who acquired the house in 1717 and used their wealth, creativity and taste to nurture the fine gardens we see today * Daily Mail *Using original and other contemporary artworks and references, a detailed picture of how the owners of Stourhead developed their vision and nurtured it is entertainingly and painstakingly presented * Garden News *A beautiful coffee table book for anyone with a interest in plant and natural photography, the history of British gardens and architecture and more, it comes highly recommended * Amateur Photographer *A beautiful illustrated guide to its history, with photos, plans and sketches of the Eden once described as "more beautiful than any landscape put on canvas"' * i News *Captures the stunning vision of Henry Hoare * The Lady *Written by Dudley Dodd and featuring beautiful new images by renowned photographer Marianne Majerus, Stourhead: Henry Hoare's Paradise Revisited offers a comprehensive visual history of this celebrated landscape, its famous Palladian house and art collection * Outdoor Photography *A book in which there is so much visual richness to enjoy * Home & Garden *Dudley Dodd, a figure from the golden days of the National Trust, is the perfect guide * House & Garden *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe ‘Garden of England’, ’The High Weald’, these are phrases that describe a 70-year-old Area of Outstanding National Beauty in Southern England. Among these dramatic landscapes and ancient woodlands stand many castles, mansions and cottages, ringed with orchards, meadows, drifting flowers and horticultural exotica. Featured gardens range from grand landscapes to works of glorious eccentricity, Arts and Crafts green rooms to postage stamp-sized plots of ingenuity. Wilderness weaves into floral genius, while native and exotic species stand side-by-side – all within the unique climate of the English garden. Including chapters on English Parks, Arts and Crafts Gardens and Woodland Gardens, Where the Wildness Pleases – The English Garden Celebrated pays homage to English horticultural excellence and tells the gripping stories behind some of our most breath-taking landscapes. This book also features a handy Who’s Who of designers, gardeners, plant hunters and nurserymen, and a brief guide to English playing greens – cricket, bowling, croquet and tennis. This is a welcome guide for anyone interested in visiting this astonishingly beautiful part of the country, or those thinking of buying a plot.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis beautifully illustrated colouring book contains more than 50 botanical designs, taken from the archives of Curtis''s Botanical Magazine, published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The black-and-white line drawings have been placed beside their original water-colour pictures, offering guidance should you wish to remain faithful to the plant''s original hues. For those interested in the names of each flower, you can also find them listed at the beginning of the book.Perfect for plant and nature lovers, this elegant colouring book will provide you with hours of entertainment and help you familiarise yourself with many varieties of exotic plants. ABOUT THE SERIES: Arcturus Publishing and The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew have collaborated to create a wonderful selection of botanical-themed arts, crafts and activity books, including origami, dot-to-dots and colour-by-numbers.

Read more less

Book Synopsis'A world-renowned horticultural tour de force, Arabella Lennox-Boyd is one of the most accomplished landscape designers of our time' House and Garden 'Arabella Lennox-Boyd's memoir-like account is a complete joy to read as well as to look at... A must' Country Life 'Testament to an extraordinarily creative and blooming life' Tatler Arabella Lennox-Boyd is one of the foremost garden designers in the world. She has created some of the country's most stunning private gardens, in addition to commissions for the Serpentine Sackler Gallery and projects for Sting and Trudie Styler. Looking back over her extraordinary career, Arabella takes us on a tour of the gardens that have had a particular interest or meaning to her. She describes the inspirations that led to the final design and plant combination. Famed for her herbaceous borders and a passionate collector of plants and shrubs, Arabella imparts her expert wisdom on planting and offers practical advice on landscaping. The book will be illustrated with beautiful photography and accompanied by Arabella's sketches and planting plans.Trade ReviewGardens in My Life is a personal journey... Particularly vivid are the descriptions of Arabella's childhood holidays in Oliveto... This instilled in her a deep and lasting love of nature that has provided a rich seam of inspiration. This book is a compelling testament to that' * House & Garden *It's a book that will no doubt adorn the coffee tables in the grand houses she was first inspired by when she arrived in London. And it's a testament to an extraordinarily creative and blooming life * Tatler *Arabella Lennox-Boyd's memoir-like account is a complete joy to read as well as to look at... A must' * Country Life *This beautiful book, by one of the most accomplished garden designers of our time, looks back over Arabella's extraordinary career and the gardens that have had particular interest or meaning to her... Alongside breath-taking photography are Arabella's fascinating sketches and planting plans' * The Home Page *Disarmingly candid memoir from a 'grande dame' of garden design, filled with pragmatic insights into the practical business of being a designer * Gardens Illustrated *[Lennox-Boyd is] an engaging, graceful writer with a straightforward, almost modest style -- Anne Swithinbank, World of InteriorsWildly romantic, atmospheric and often festooned with roses, Arabella Lennox-Boyd designs are celebrated with gusto in this exploration of her work. From her own garden in Tuscany, to those in Britain and beyond, it's heady, aspirational stuff. Wonderful for luxuriating in on a wet winter afternoon, the mix of conversational anecdote and description of the thinking behind each garden makes for an enjoyable read. I particularly appreciated the 'masterplan' overhead drawings, which help the reader to orientate themselves within each garden -- Rachel de Thame, The TimesA nostalgic look back at her career and the private gardens that have had a particular interest or meaning to her * Landscape Magazine *

Read more less

Book SynopsisHow to Read Gardens is the essential guide for garden lovers and visitors alike. Visiting gardens has never been more popular but not many of us understand what we are looking at when strolling through a beautiful garden - are we looking at an original landscaped site or a recreation? Is the planting matter authentic or made up of modern hybrids? Are the steps and terracing in the Italianate style or are they Arts and Crafts? The truth is that most gardens of any age are like a palimpsest: successive generations have changed and influenced the soft and hard fabric of the place over time. Inevitably many of the gardens we wander through today are an amalgam of changing fashions and circumstance. How to Read Gardens gives you all the knowledge you need to tease out the clues that will tell you the complete story of a garden's past. From the grandest estate to the smallest suburban plot, this book will enliven and inform every visit.Trade ReviewThis handy pocket sized guidebook would be a useful companion for visitors to any garden, great or small, historic or modern, public or private. * Countryman *This attractive and lavishly illustrated book is an ideal present for friends who claim not to know much about the history of gardens, but delight in visiting them * Cornwall Garden Trust Journal *Table of ContentsForeword Introduction Types of Garden Styles of Garden Trees Plants & Flowers Landscape Features Garden Buildings Features Appendices Glossary Resources Index Acknowledgements

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe story of how Francis Pryor created a haven for people, plants and wildlife in a remote corner of the fens. A Fenland Garden is the story of the creation of a garden in a complex and fragile English landscape – the Fens of southern Lincolnshire – by a writer who has a very particular relationship with landscape and the soil, thanks to his distinguished career as an archaeologist and discoverer of some of England's earliest field systems. It describes the imagining, planning and building of a garden in an unfamiliar and sometimes hostile place, and the challenges, setbacks and joys these processes entail. This is a narrative of the making of a garden, but it is also about reclaiming a patch of ground for nature and wildlife – of repairing the damage done to a small slice of Fenland landscape by decades of intensive farming. A Fenland Garden is informed by the empirical wisdom of a practising gardener (and archaeologist) and by his deep understanding of the soil, landscape and weather of the region; Francis's account of the development of the garden is counterpointed by fascinating nuggets of Fenland lore and history, as well as by vignettes of the plantsman's trials and tribulations as he works an exceptionally demanding plot of land. Above all, this is the story of bringing something beautiful into being; of embedding a garden in the local landscape; and thereby of deepening and broadening the idea of home.Trade Review‘A gloriously bucolic fenland hymn celebrating one man’s love for his garden and his wife. Francis is a fine writer and visionary, with an intelligence as sharp as an archaeologist’s trowel. Time spent in his company in person or in print is well spent!’ * Tony Robinson *'Brings to life the sense of place, that mythical bond between a garden and its natural landscape.’ * George Plumptre, CEO of the National Garden Scheme *‘Pryor is clearly smitten with the Fens. A gently heroic account of one archaeologist’s attempts to transform a beloved but exhausted landscape into a place where nature thrives.’ * Sally Coulthard, author of A Short History of the World According to Sheep *The pleasure [Pryor] takes in old landscapes and farming practices, and in the poetic words that describe them... is palpable * The Times Literary Supplement *Francis Pryor and his archaeologist wife Maisie, share their thoughtful garden-making in A Fenland Garden. Through their love of the land, they unearth some great garden stories and historical insights... A marvellous chronicle * RHS Magzine *In this uplifting read, [Pryor] reclaims the land bit by bit to produce a garden where nature thrives once more. * Britain Magazine *Francis's account of the development of the garden is counterpointed by fascinating nuggets of Fenland lore and history, as well as snippets of the plantsman's trials and tribulations as he works an exceptionally demanding plot of land. * Countryside magazine *This is a charming story of a fruitful, resourceful partnership, which has produced a landscape of real quality, attractive both to wildlife and to visitors welcomed on charity open days. * Spectator *PRAISE FOR SCENES FROM PREHISTORIC LIFE: 'Decades worth of communicating archaeology on TV and screen and a recent foray into crime fiction writing help make this a highly compelling read' Spectator. 'An evocative foray into the prehistoric past... Pryor recreates [the prehistoric world] with an effortless narrative style' BBC Countryfile Magazine. 'Brings almost impossibly distant times into brilliant focus' Eastern Daily Press Norfolk. 'Pryor's colourful book makes life in Britain BC often sound rather more appealing than the frenetic and anxious 21st century!' Daily Mail. 'Vividly relating what life was like in pre-Roman Britain' * Choice Magazine *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Lady Gardeners to whom the chapters of this book are devoted are those women who, from the eighteenth century to the present day, have been working in a garden, from imagining and creating it, to sowing, planting, pruning, painting and photographing plants, and moving from garden design to more urgent themes such as landscape conservation and environmental issues. However, and this is the reason why this collection differs from other excellent models that deal with women and gardens, the essays also dwell on the personal lives and experiences of women who have lived in gardens, and enjoyed landscape, jotting simple notes in their diaries or working as landscape architects, describing it in stories for children, portraying strange exotic plants in their paintings, assembling bunches of flowers to decorate their home, and defending such spaces with their strong commitment to preservation. From England, and its long well-documented garden history, they have moved to Africa, the Americas, Australia, New Zealand, the Far East: the chapters in this book thus also confirm the vocation of the English garden that can enlarge its boundaries, transform and adapt itself to modern times and distant climates without foregoing its old roots. Table of ContentsIntroduction: Lady Gardeners, from England to the wider world – Francesca Orestano Chapter 1: The Eighteenth Century: three princesses at Kew Gardens – Anna Zappatini Chapter 2: Dorothy Wordsworth: a Romantic garden in the Lake District – Anna Rudelli Chapter 3: Jane Loudon, notes on gardening for Victorian ladies – Anna Zappatini Chapter 4: Marianne North, the world is a garden to paint – Anna Zappatini Chapter 5: Children and Gardens by Gertrude Jekyll: training young gardeners – Anna Rudelli Chapter 6: Beatrix Potter, playful and scientific illustrations. From Peter Rabbit to landscape conservation – Anna Rudelli Chapter 7: Garden and Landscape in North America: Beatrix Farrand’s inscription of Eden in the wilderness of the New World – Francesca Orestano Chapter 8: Vita Sackville-West: a garden that looks like home, from Knole to Sissinghurst – Francesca Orestano Chapter 9: Edna Walling and her gardening work, or ‘the happiest days of my life’ – Francesca Orestano Chapter 10: History, design, vision: Sylvia Crowe – Francesca Orestano Chapter 11: The adventure of an exotic species: Maria Teresa Parpagliolo Shephard – Francesca Orestano Chapter 12: Rosemary Verey: re-reading English history in the modern garden – Anna Zappatini Chapter 13: Beth Chatto: going along with the environment, or ‘the right plant for the right place’ – Anna Zappatini

Read more less

Book Synopsis“A fascinating and intimate portrait of a garden over time … Reading is like being given a rusty key to a beautiful secret garden." - Ben Dark, Author of The GroveHidden away behind high stone walls in the centre of London is Lambeth Palace Garden, a 10-acre site that has been continuously cultivated for more than a thousand years.Join Head Gardener Nick Stewart Smith as he unlocks the gates and invites us to wander through a secret garden where nature is at the heart of everything and where a thoughtful approach to gardening creates a haven for all sorts of native wildlife, allowing nature to flourish in the midst of one of the world’s busiest cities.The Thousand Year Old Garden is a comforting meditation through the seasons on the act of renewal, hope, gardening, and our place in nature.Trade Review“It is a fascinating read and best of all, with appetite whetted, the reader can arrange to visit the garden which opens to the public through the National Garden Scheme.” * Country Life magazine *“A unique insight into a special place, written with tenderness and passion by a gardener with a real eye for detail” * Countryside magazine *Steward Smith professes not to be a writer but his easy, conversational style married with an extraordinary eye for horticultural, historical and even personal detail belies this. * The Field magazine *Readers will have their interest piqued by this captivating work, and can visit the garden to see for themselves (though Lambeth Palace itself is closed for refurbishment) * The Field magazine *His book is like the contented conversation between two people sharing a bench: ruminative, tangential, full of wisdom. * Church Times *A most charming and original story of a gardener and his garden -- Roy LancasterA wonderful grasp of the natural world, and the delicate balance between the cultivated and the wildlings, and the gardener's role in bringing out the best of both -- Roy Lancaster

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom alpacas to zebus, crocodiles to wombats, journey through the individual histories of bizarre garden pets and their often bizarre owners. Who would dream of keeping a bear in the summerhouse, or a peccary in the park? Find out why the artist Rossetti favoured a wombat over a zebu, and if hares make good pets for depressed poets.Dr Twigs Way uncovers a secret world where crocodiles lurk in the fernery and flamingos stalk the shrubberies. From the Roman period to the modern day, discover the story of armadillos kept by merchants in London and Queen Charlotte’s filthy-tempered zebra. These are quirky tales of animals in the garden.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisDiscover 60 of the world's most spectacular gardens plus 120 travel ideas to ignite a love of outdoor spaces. Featuring the history of every botanical gem, beautiful photography and trip planning tips, this uplifting book explores the restorative effects of flora and fauna, and the joy to be experienced from each of the inspiring gardens inside it.Walk spellbinding nature trails at the Desert Botanical Garden in Arizona, US; wander the stone paths of Japan's infamous Kenroku-en Garden; or steal away to a subtropical retreat just off the coast from Glengarriff, Ireland. In-depth garden profiles, Q&As with experts, and personal accounts from writers who have experienced the magic of each destination accompany the mesmerising gardens inside this book, so that you can learn just why each idyllic sanctuary is so joyful.Inside The Joy of Exploring Gardens:- 60 in-depth profiles of gardens illustrated with beautiful photography; a Q&A section where you can read the insights and thoughts from an expert closely linked to the garden; and first-hand accounts from writers who have visited each outdoor space- 120 extra must-visit garden destinations from all over the world- At-a-glance reasons to go that offer a glimpse into what you can expect to find in each garden from water features to rainforest walks; city views to upcycled sculptures- Accessibility awareness including an overview of the path and ground conditions and the availability of accessible toilets and other amenities for visitors with disabilities and mobility issues- In the know tips to help you get there including local transport, when to go, what to take with you, must-do activities, and experiences not to be missed- Covers global garden destinations including Africa & the Middle East, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania- Foreword by Lyanda Lynn Haupt, author, naturalist, ecophilosopher, and speaker. Her latest book is Rooted: Life at the Crossroads of Science, Nature, and Spirit.Do more of what you love with our uplifting Joy of series and nurture your biggest passions. The Joy of Exploring Gardens is the ultimate gift book for the horticulturist in your life or a wonderful treat to inspire your next joyful garden adventure to a paradisiacal wonder or secret botanical gem.About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet, a Red Ventures Company, is the world's number one travel guidebook brand. Providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973, Lonely Planet reaches hundreds of millions of travellers each year online and in print and helps them unlock amazing experiences. Visit us at lonelyplanet.com and join our community of followers on Facebook (facebook.com/lonelyplanet), Twitter (@lonelyplanet), Instagram (instagram.com/lonelyplanet), and TikTok (@lonelyplanet).'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves; it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' – Fairfax Media (Australia)

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe ultimate celebration of England’s most gorgeous gardens, showcasing their enduring appeal from historic masterpieces to individual creations of today The English Gardener’s Garden spans seven centuries to spotlight over 60 of England’s finest gardens. Adapted from Phaidon’s bestselling The Gardener’s Garden, updated, and organized geographically by county, the selection ranges from formal Renaissance gardens, herbaceous Arts and Crafts gardens of the 20th century, to artistic creations and healing gardens by contemporary designers. Each entry is illustrated with sumptuous photographs and features a concise text detailing the garden’s historical and stylistic importance and that of its designer, patron, or maker, creating a beautiful and easy-to-use introduction for garden designers and enthusiasts alike. A valuable resource for those seeking inspiration on garden design and planting – and the ideal gift for garden-lovers – this book showcases the enduring appeal of the English garden and features gardens by historic figures and leading contemporary designers – Gertrude Jekyll, Sarah Price, William Robinson, and Tom Stuart-Smith, to name a few. Featuring historic national treasures such as Sissinghurst Castle Garden and Capability Brown’s Blenheim Palace, alongside contemporary examples including Dan Pearson’s Lowther Castle and Derek Jarman’s Prospect Cottage, The English Gardener's Garden is an accessible overview of over 60 iconic and influential English gardens from the sixteenth century to the present day, including all types of garden, including formal parterres, cottage gardens, botanical, and urban gardens. A valuable resource for those seeking inspiration on garden design and planting – and the ideal gift for garden-loversTrade Review‘[Will] provide some excellent inspiration for the green-fingered people in your life.’ – TimeOut'A tribute to Britain's national passion for cultivating ornamental plants.' – NPR.org ‘A welcome addition to any Anglophile gardener’s library. It is part inspirational tome and part armchair travel experience with gorgeous photography to linger over.’ – Gardenista‘A must-have title for gardeners and for those who love viewing the natural beauty that others have primed, nurtured, and developed. A likely favorite in every gardening section.’ – Library Journal

Read more less

Book SynopsisSpectacular gardens are viewed from the perspective of a snail in Virginia Woolf's 'Kew Gardens' and from that of a sheltered teenage girl in Katherine Mansfield's 'The Garden Party'. The family of Doris Lessing's 'Flavours of Exile' haul succulent vegetables and fruits from the rich African soil, and Colette in 'Bygone Spring' luxuriates in extravagantly blooming flowers. Children discover their own peculiar paradises in Sandra Cisneros's 'The Monkey Garden' and Italo Calvino's 'The Enchanted Garden', while adult gardeners find things that move and haunt them in William Maxwell's 'The French Scarecrow' and Jamaica Kincaid's 'The Garden I Have in Mind'. Gardens of the mind round out the anthology: the beautiful but fatal garden of Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'Rappaccini's Daughter', the crystal buds of J. G. Ballard's 'The Garden of Time', ravenous orchids in John Collier's 'Green Thoughts', and Aoko Matsuda's 'Planting', in which a young woman plants each day whatever she has been given - roses and violets, buttons and broken cups, love and fear and sorrow. An entrancing book for everyone who loves gardens and the beauty of nature.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWinter doesn’t have to be a time of year to put your garden to bed. Gardening with Winter Plants is a guide to the range of wonderful plants that will bring colour and interest to your garden at a time of year that can seem dull and grey. In this book, Kew expert Tony Hall has profiles over 200 plant species and cultivars of all types that are perfectly suited to perform in the colder months. The book has tips on planting positions, plant combinations and pruning advice to ensure success in gardens of all sizes. Gardening with Winter Plants includes a reference guide to flowering by month, plant colours and fragrancy, and information on plants that will attract wildlife.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe book showcases these unique artworks in their different mediums as they are exhibited in the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art. Serving as a guide and keepsake, Petrichor is the perfect takeaway from Collishaw’s exciting exhibition. Highlights include the UK premier of Even to the End, a large-scale projected work that immerses viewers in a sequence inspired by the invention of the Wardian Case, The Centrifugal Soul, a zoetrope displaying bird courtship against a backdrop of blooming flowers and The Albion, an eerie spectre of an oak tree suspended between life and death.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAs I step out of the conservatory facing North, supported by my pusher, the first that catches my eye is the dying Sycamore which escapes death every year by producing a healthy crop of leaves, but it looks so decrepit that surely it can't pull that trick yet again. -1 April, 2020 In his eighty-eighth year, John Boorman uses his time in lockdown to reflect on the splendour of the surrounding nature of County Wicklow. Coccooning with his daughter and son among the hills of Annamoe, Boorman chronicles his daily walks and observations of the trees on his estate, writing with heightened appreciation of the beauties of his eyrie using only one eye and one finger. Poetry flows from his pen as he sits chairbound among his trees and flora: sycamores, limes, beech, oak, redwood, shrubs and flowers, birdsong and shifting skies are luminously recorded as the world falls silent. With illustrations by Susan Morley, this slim but meditative volume is a remarkable narrative by the creator of The Emerald Forest, Excalibur and Deliverance - a swansong like no other.Trade ReviewReading each entry, a meditative calm descends, and I can almost feel the bark of the twin oak he so lovingly strokes when he visits it, as if greeting an old friend, before sitting on the bench beneath to drift in and out of ruminations and dreaming. -- Susan McKeever * Books Ireland *Reading each entry, a meditative calm descends, and I can almost feel the bark of the twin oak he so lovingly strokes when he visits it, as if greeting an old friend, before sitting on the bench beneath to drift in and out of ruminations and dreaming. -- Susan McKeever * Books Ireland *Delicate, insightful, rich and meditative. -- Hilary A. White * The Independent *

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom 1946 to 1957, Vita Sackville-West, the poet, bestselling author of All Passion Spent and maker of Sissinghurst, wrote a weekly column in the Observer describing her life at Sissinghurst, showing her to be one of the most visionary horticulturalists of the twentieth-century. With wonderful additions by Sarah Raven, Vita Sackville-West's Sissinghurst draws on this extraordinary archive, revealing Vita's most loved flowers, as well as offering practical advice for gardeners. Often funny and completely accessibly written with colour and originality, it also describes details of the trials and tribulations of crafting a place of beauty and elegance. Sissinghurst has gone on to become one of the most visited and inspirational gardens in the world and this marvellous book, illustrated with drawings and original photographs throughout, shows us how it was created and how gardeners everywhere can use some of the ideas from both Sarah Raven and Vita Sackville-West.Trade ReviewDripping in gardening romance ... [Raven] delights in Vita's chatty writing ... Read it. You'll be delighted by its charm English Garden Full of evocative details ... elegant ... Raven's book also quietly reveals the more complicated story behind the apparent ease of inherited wealth Independent on Sunday [A] well-illustrated hommage, from an intimate perspective, to Vita and her gardening style ... [Raven's] assessment of Vita's achievement is respectful but not subservient. Her clear-eyed confidence is contagious. Spectator The exquisitely beautiful garden - now in the care of the National Trust - and Vita ... are wonderful candidates for books; together, they are doubly engaging ... Sarah Raven gives a vivid insight into the making of Sissinghurst House & Garden Sarah Raven has a unique knowledge and appreciation of the garden and its creator ... Her book paints a brilliant and captivating portrait of a great garden and its creators Lady Without doubt the seminal work on the creation of Sissinghurst ... delightful ... impossible to put down ... I cannot recommend it enough Garden Design Journal The line between cherishing the best of the past and celebrating the future is a fine one, but Raven treads it with exemplary energy and tact in this lovely book, with its delightful black-and-white archive photographs of Vita and Harold, and its ravishing colour plates of the garden in its glory Daily Mail A joy ... [Sarah Raven's book is] about beauty, enjoyment, celebration of making - everything that good gardening ought to be. Its atmosphere is as consoling as sun-warmed brick. It is fastidiously illustrated by beautiful photographs old and new. Raven believes, justifiably, that a dynamic past can instruct the present and her book is a bid to see that Vita's thinking is not stilled ... Best of all is the dashing abundance of plant ideas ... Sarah Raven proves a most graceful chaperone, chiming in, amplifying ... This book and Vita's ideas will inspire and, if you are even half a gardener, have you reaching for your gardening gloves with new purpose -- Kate Kellaway Observer

Read more less

Book SynopsisAided by this book the gardener can now answer the question "What's in a name?" and they and their garden will benefit from understanding the wealth of information that has hitherto lain hidden within the mysterious world of Latin names.' - Financial Times OnlineRHS Latin for Gardeners is an informative, entertaining and beautifully illustrated unravelling of the mysteries of botanical Latin. Over 3,000 Latin names are listed alphabetically, showing how plant names can reveal where a plant originally comes from (and thus its preferred growing conditions), along with such properties as its shape, form, colour, taste, and smell. Each name is clearly defined and accompanied by a pronunciation guide, and the pages are filled with attractive botanical illustrations. Fascinating feature spreads retell the adventures of important plant hunters such as Sir Joseph Banks and Alexander von Humboldt, and explain how their discoveries affect the way our gardens look today. Individual plants are also profiled throughout, showing how their names can illuminate their hidden histories. Aided by this book, every gardener, and their garden, will benefit from uncovering the wealth of information that lies within the remarkable world of Latin binomials. A little Latin can do a lot of good - apply the lore of Latin to your own garden!Contents includes...The A-Z Listings of Latin Plant NamesPlant ProfilesPlant HuntersPlant Themes...And Much More!Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION HOW TO USE THIS BOOK THE HISTORY OF BOTANICAL LATIN BOTANICAL LATIN FOR BEGINNERS LATIN PLANT NAMES A from abbreviatus to azureus B from babylonica to byzantinus C from cacaliifolia to cytisoides D from dactylifera to dyerianum E from ebenus to eyriesii F from facetus to futilis G from gaditanus to gymnocarpus H from haastii to hystrix I from ibericus to ixocarpus J from jacobaeus to juniperinus K from kalmiiflorus to kurdicus L from labiatus to lysimachioides M from macedonicus to myrtifolius N from nanellus to nymphoides O from obconicus to oxyphyllus P from pachycarpa to pyriformis Q from quadrangularis to quinquevulnerum R from racemiflorus to rutilans S from sabatius to szechuanica T from tabularis to typhina U from ulicina to uvaria V from vacciniifolia to vulgata W from wagneri to wulfenii X from xanthina to xantholeuca Y from yakushimanum to Yunnanense Z from zabeliana to zumi PLANT PROFILES Acanthus Achillea Alyssum Digitalis Eryngium Eucalyptus Foeniculum Geranium Helianthus Jasminum Lycopersicon Parthenocissus Passiflora Plumbago Pulmonaria Quercus Sempervivum Streptocarpus Tropaeolum Vaccinium PLANT HUNTERS Alexander von Humboldt Sir Joseph Banks Meriwether Lewis and William Clark Francis Masson and Carl Per Thunberg John Bartram David Douglas Carl Linnaeus Jane Colden and Lilian Suzette Gibbs Joseph Hooker Andre Michaux PLANT THEMES Where Plants Come From The Shape of Plants The Color of Plants The Qualities of Plants The Fragrance and Taste of Plants Numbers and Plants Animals and Plants CREDITS

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less