Product Description

When the National Trust decided to take on the care of gardens, the aim was that these would be the very best of their kind in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Trust now has the finest collection of gardens ever assembled under one ownership - the greatest in number, diversity, historic importance and quality. Taken together they contain the world's most important collection of cultivated plants, distinguished for their beauty, rarity, historical interest and scientific value. First published in 1996, this new edition has been substantially revised to showcase superb new photography, and to introduce recently acquired properties such as Greenway in Devon and the gardens of houses such as Red House in Kent and Tyntesfield in Somerset. Stephen Lacey paints a vivid picture of individual Trust gardens through historical and horticultural perspectives. He gives his personal take, describing the present state of each and placing it firmly within the context of gardening history in Britain. All the major periods are represented: a knot garden from a 1640 design at Moseley Old Hall in Staffordshire; magnificent eighteenth-century landscapes such as 'Capability' Brown's at Petworth in Sussex; Victorian Gardens like Biddulph Grange in Staffordshire, with its wealth of new plants introduced from all over the world; and the famous plantsmen's gardens of the last century, such as Nymans in Sussex, Sissinghurst Castle in Kent, and Hidcote in Gloucestershire.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4320 in Books
• Published on: 2005-10-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 392 pages

About the Author
Stephen Lacey is one of Britain's best-known garden writers. His books include The Startling Jungle, Scent in Your Garden and, most recently, Real Gardening. He is a long-standing columnist and feature writer for The Daily Telegraph and for ten years was a regular presenter on BBC Television's Gardeners' World. He now spends a large part of every year travelling, garden visiting, and lecturing on traditional and contemporary planting design to horticultural societies, design schools and botanic gardens around the world.

Customer Reviews

Great text and stunning photos
I found information on plant varieties, garden design and historical facts fascinating. The entry on Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal was particularly poignant for me, as it is probably my favourite National Trust garden (of the ones I've visited), and Stephen Lacey's text added to my enjoyment and memories of a sunny summer's day visit. Despite being mid-winter, it made me want to jump in the car and drive up to North Yorks to revel in the splendour of this garden.

This is a book to dip-in and out of before and after visiting National Trust properties. I'm keen for spring and summer to come round again to see these gardens at their best. To be honest, I may even brave the cold winter weather and go and see the winter face of some of my more local NT gardens.

The photography is undoubtedly stunning, and does these gardens full justice. More photography and books of this type please, National Trust.

Looks great, not such great text
A very attractive coffe table book, full of high quality images. However, in terms of garden design and maintenance it is a little bit specialist for my taste. Overall, this is one for the garden historian rather than the gardener. Btw - a previous review questions why gardens belonging to the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) aren't included in the book. I suspect it's because NTS is an entirely seperate organisation from the National Trust for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, rather than the author not rating gardens north of the border.

It relies too heavily on the artwork.
It seems that the author relies heavily on the startling photograhy in this book, perhaps he should concentrate his efforts elsewhere, as the text is neither here nor there.
I could not tune into this lacklustre offering at all.