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.

Britain's National Trust has the finest collection of gardens ever assembled under one ownership - the greatest in number, diversity, historic importance, and quality. Together, they form the world's most important collection of cultivated plants, distinguished by their beauty, rarity, historical interest and scientific value.

About the Author
Stephen Lacey is one of Britain's best-known garden writers. 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 lives in London and has a garden in north Wales.

Reviews
"Gardens of the National Trust by Stephen Lacey will give you a great insight into the gardening history of Britain." Garden News



Book Information
ISBN 9781905400003
Author Stephen Lacey
Format Hardback
Page Count 400
Imprint National Trust Books
Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
Weight(grams) 1888g
Dimensions(mm) 262mm * 249mm * 32mm