Photographers Nick Meers and Stephen Robson provide the lenses for us to view the outstanding panoramas and gorgeous details of these magnificent gardens. Through their eyes, readers will see the splendor of Cambridgeshire's Anglesy Abbey with its drifts of delicate snowdrops, and the rich autumn colors of Sheffield Park in Sussex. Readers will practically smell the heady scent of midsummer roses at Mottisfont Abbey in Hampshire and feel the chill of winter's frost sparkling on topiary yews at Lytes Cary in Somerset.
Garden consultant John Sales and National Trust publisher Margaret Willes describe these and many other horticultural delights in informative text accompanying the photographs. Information is provided on necessary growing conditions for the plants pictured, as well as historical and other interesting information about the gardens.
This stunning book provides a fascinating visual record of some of the most beautiful gardens in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland and appeals to both the enthusiast and armchair gardener. However, the book's strictly Anglocentric bent may prevent it from being particularly useful for American gardeners. --Robin Donovan