The Golden Age of the Garden: A Miscellany

Description

The relationship between England and its gardens might be described as a love affair; gardening is one of our national passions, rooted in our history. The eighteenth century is often called the Golden Age of English gardening. As the fashion for formal pleasure grounds for the wealthy faded, pioneers including William Kent and Capability Brown created masterpieces of landscape design, ushering in a new era of picturesque vistas inspired by nature. From these creations spring our very idea of Englishness - rolling hills, beautiful curves, aesthetic surprises and architectural delights. Charting the transformation in our love of the garden through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, The Golden Age of the Garden brings the voices of the past alive in newspaper reports, letters, diaries, books, essays and travelogues, offering contemporary gardening advice, principles of garden design, reflections on nature, landscape and plants, and a unique perspective on the origins of our fascination with gardens. Exploring the different styles, techniques and innovations of the past, and the creation of many of the stunning gardens we still visit today, this is a beautiful, evocative and rewarding collection for all gardeners seeking insight, new ideas, surprises and inspiration.

Claire Cock-Starkey is a writer, editor and researcher specialising in historical miscellanies and natural history. She worked with Ben Schott on his highly popular sports miscellany, and was series editor for all six editions of Schott's Almanac. She is the author of six books including Penguins, Pineapples and Pangolins: First Encounters with the Exotic, Famous Last Words and How to Skin a Lion: A Treasury of Outmoded Advice. She writes regularly for Mental Floss and lives in Cambridge.

"A pot-pourri - and a delicious one at that. This charming small volume is a treasure trove of wonderful short extracts ... meant to be dipped into and savoured like an anthology of poetry" - The Wall Street Journal; "I found this to be a really insightful look at so much to do with the world of horticulture ... the basics are still as timely now as they were back then! A real treat of a read for all those with green fingers!" - Karen Mace, Nudge-book.com