What do you think?
Rate this book
Gardens of the National Trust
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 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.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
3 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 22, 2020
Anybody that knows me well enough would know that in my free time, I love nothing more than meandering my way around a beautiful National Trust garden or exploring an intriguing stately home. The last few months, due to these unprecedented times, I have been unable to do that, and to be honest, I'm just itching to get back out there.
I've been a member of The National Trust for a long time, and I appreciate that there is a tremendous amount of work that goes into restoring the properties, and taking adequate care of the magnificent gardens. This rather large coffee table book contains all of the gardens cared for for by The National Trust.
On each page there is a vision of beauty, and I couldn't help but stare a few moments at the vivid flowers, or the grand trees. Each garden has something unique to offer, and that leads me to definitely having some favourites.
There are descriptions of the layout of each garden, where the property is situated, the past owners of the gardens, and lastly, the plant and tree choices. There were some tips in there for fellow gardeners too, such as how to keep a lawn looking exceptional.
I don't think one has to be a gardener to appreciate just how fine these gardens are. Sitting in a beautiful garden has a calming quality for a person, and in times like these, I think some calmness is what we all could do with.
I've been a member of The National Trust for a long time, and I appreciate that there is a tremendous amount of work that goes into restoring the properties, and taking adequate care of the magnificent gardens. This rather large coffee table book contains all of the gardens cared for for by The National Trust.
On each page there is a vision of beauty, and I couldn't help but stare a few moments at the vivid flowers, or the grand trees. Each garden has something unique to offer, and that leads me to definitely having some favourites.
There are descriptions of the layout of each garden, where the property is situated, the past owners of the gardens, and lastly, the plant and tree choices. There were some tips in there for fellow gardeners too, such as how to keep a lawn looking exceptional.
I don't think one has to be a gardener to appreciate just how fine these gardens are. Sitting in a beautiful garden has a calming quality for a person, and in times like these, I think some calmness is what we all could do with.
March 6, 2017
This is a weighty book, well over 400 glossy pages. Those pages contain the expected beautifully shot photos of most of the National Trust's gardens. I very much doubt that anyone will ever be disappointed by a visit to one of the gardens as they are cared for by an army of dedicated experts.
The gardens are not just pretty to look at, they are also interesting and informative - an education in horticulture, history of gardening, gardening itself. Many are also productive, using traditional techniques to grow produce used in restaurants and tea rooms at the property. Unlike many of the buildings in the Trust's care the gardens aren't preserved, they are always improved, renovated or restored.
And yet it's hard to see where this book lies in highlighting this. The size and expense lead it to being a coffee-table book. One couldn't carry this as a portable guide to the gardens, one wouldn't heave it around the garden for tips - apart from the odd page from NT gardeners there are few practical gardening hints here.
The book is of greatest interest to plantspeople, those that really want to know exactly which variety of a particular plant is found at which property and probably recognise it from it's Latin name. It's a very specific book and that's what made it quite dull for ordinary garden enjoyers like me. The first few paragraphs give an interesting overview of the garden or property but after that it's lots of wordy detail of the garden contents, lists of plants and features.
It's a shame that the beauty of the garden is given over to words. Take this example from Ascott early in the book:
"Here the grounds open into an extensive arboretum, the foreground to a sweeping panorama across the Vale of Aylesbury to the Chiltern Hills...Everywhere, there are trees of eccentric habit and hue: weeping, cut-leaved and copper beeches, blue, golden and weeping cedars, variegated sweet chestnut, purple maple, cut-leaved alder, yellow catalpa - the scene further enriched in autumn bythe potent tints of scarlet oak, red maple, tulip tree and liquidambar. In spring, waves of yellow and white daffodils wash over the slopes, floowed by colnies of snakeshead fritillaries and native wildflowers".
All this accompanied by a single picture of an avenue of trees (in summer, not autumn or spring) either side of a road. That's it, not a single flower in sight. At £30 I would prefer a lot more glossy photos and far fewer words. If you were really interested in the detail of gardens you'd be more likely to just go than to want to read about the gardens, I feel. Those that could be swayed into visiting probably aren't drawn in enough by the too few photos.
One for the specialist.
The gardens are not just pretty to look at, they are also interesting and informative - an education in horticulture, history of gardening, gardening itself. Many are also productive, using traditional techniques to grow produce used in restaurants and tea rooms at the property. Unlike many of the buildings in the Trust's care the gardens aren't preserved, they are always improved, renovated or restored.
And yet it's hard to see where this book lies in highlighting this. The size and expense lead it to being a coffee-table book. One couldn't carry this as a portable guide to the gardens, one wouldn't heave it around the garden for tips - apart from the odd page from NT gardeners there are few practical gardening hints here.
The book is of greatest interest to plantspeople, those that really want to know exactly which variety of a particular plant is found at which property and probably recognise it from it's Latin name. It's a very specific book and that's what made it quite dull for ordinary garden enjoyers like me. The first few paragraphs give an interesting overview of the garden or property but after that it's lots of wordy detail of the garden contents, lists of plants and features.
It's a shame that the beauty of the garden is given over to words. Take this example from Ascott early in the book:
"Here the grounds open into an extensive arboretum, the foreground to a sweeping panorama across the Vale of Aylesbury to the Chiltern Hills...Everywhere, there are trees of eccentric habit and hue: weeping, cut-leaved and copper beeches, blue, golden and weeping cedars, variegated sweet chestnut, purple maple, cut-leaved alder, yellow catalpa - the scene further enriched in autumn bythe potent tints of scarlet oak, red maple, tulip tree and liquidambar. In spring, waves of yellow and white daffodils wash over the slopes, floowed by colnies of snakeshead fritillaries and native wildflowers".
All this accompanied by a single picture of an avenue of trees (in summer, not autumn or spring) either side of a road. That's it, not a single flower in sight. At £30 I would prefer a lot more glossy photos and far fewer words. If you were really interested in the detail of gardens you'd be more likely to just go than to want to read about the gardens, I feel. Those that could be swayed into visiting probably aren't drawn in enough by the too few photos.
One for the specialist.
January 17, 2021
Not enough pictures, and too much text. And the text is boring. It's unbelievable how badly this balance has been set in this book. You won't get a real understanding on what the gardens are actually like, because the photos are limited and/or inadequate, and the wall of text you're welcomed with is too dense and tedious to convey any meaning at all.
***
I feel a bit like I cheated, because I didn't actually read most of the accompanying text. But the authors have made it quite impossible unless you're that autistic to get through it. I usually finish all the text in every book I read, otherwise I don't feel it's fair for me to say I have ''read it''. This one, I just couldn't do it. Mind-numbingly boring text that I got tired of after getting through circa 20% of it. That's why the grade is '2'. It was a very promising edition that completely disappointed me.
***
I feel a bit like I cheated, because I didn't actually read most of the accompanying text. But the authors have made it quite impossible unless you're that autistic to get through it. I usually finish all the text in every book I read, otherwise I don't feel it's fair for me to say I have ''read it''. This one, I just couldn't do it. Mind-numbingly boring text that I got tired of after getting through circa 20% of it. That's why the grade is '2'. It was a very promising edition that completely disappointed me.
September 1, 2021
This revised edition includes three gardens recently acquired: Dyffryn Gardens, Tredegar House and Stoneywell, and also touches on developments and restoration undertaken at several Trust places.
The book is easy to use and a pleasure to lose yourself in: if you know the name of the property that interests you, you can find it in the alphabetical directory; otherwise there's a map of the UK at the front of the book where you can search for a garden by location.
Each entry is accompanied by a couple of photographs (I would have loved more, but I'm greedy) and information about the soil, rainfall and altitude which might be most of interest to students of horticulture or professional gardeners. In a couple of pages of text, the entries introduce you to each garden, its history, its star planting, recent restoration, and the names of landscapers who have shaped the layout.
The book is easy to use and a pleasure to lose yourself in: if you know the name of the property that interests you, you can find it in the alphabetical directory; otherwise there's a map of the UK at the front of the book where you can search for a garden by location.
Each entry is accompanied by a couple of photographs (I would have loved more, but I'm greedy) and information about the soil, rainfall and altitude which might be most of interest to students of horticulture or professional gardeners. In a couple of pages of text, the entries introduce you to each garden, its history, its star planting, recent restoration, and the names of landscapers who have shaped the layout.
February 13, 2023
This is a wonderfully detailed book about all of the gardens belonging to The National Trust. It includes beautiful photos of the gardens. I particularly liked the inclusion of the soil type and the altitude, the average rainfall and size of each garden, so I would know if certain plants would be suitable for my garden. The potted history of each garden was also very interesting, and I have found some gardens I would love to visit in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 14, 2018
A beautiful book for anglophiles
June 6, 2020
The books is ok if you want read about flowers in the gardens of homes and castles up and down country, the photos are brilliant but it is not for me
March 19, 2023
Great pictures, informative but I would have liked some more illustrations about the main points of each garden.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
Read
November 2, 2007Can't say as I'm "reading" this book per se, but it arrived yesterday and I'm delighted to browse through now and then--especially the gorgeous photos. I love gardens, especially English gardens, and it's all the more fun to stroll through the pages now that my feet have actually tred upon the paths of a few real English gardens. I'm sure Tyler fervently hopes I will not start a new collection--coffee table garden books, haha! (But I fear my passion has already been ignited!) ;->
PS I have the older edition; I couldn't afford the added splurge for the new edition and bought the old used off Amazon. It's still quite nice!
PS I have the older edition; I couldn't afford the added splurge for the new edition and bought the old used off Amazon. It's still quite nice!
October 12, 2008
Very beautiful book, but sparces on text.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews