Garden Reviews

Interested in a specific garden? See the Garden Index page for an alphabetised list (or the Garden Tweets page for short Twitter reviews).
We are not on our own in needing better criticism it seems – the literary world think they need to raise their game too: http://hatchetjoboftheyear.com/Hatchet-Job-2013.


Powis Castle: a review by Tristan Gregory

April 29, 2013

Gardens are reopening, and it’s garden reviews time again. Remember thinkingardens when you make a visit.. And, just by the way, – I am now blogging regularly and personally  here. (Even about gardening. Sometimes… here’s piece on weeding and one on ‘What not to do in your garden in April’  - you are nearly too late!) The [...]

Sezincote – of elephants and water by Alison Levey

February 7, 2013

The name Sezincote has acquired a kind of magic for its associations: Brighton Pavilion, India, the Raj… Does the garden live up to this magic? Alison Levey visits for thinkingardens (and herself) and, as ever, offers an astute opinion… Anne Wareham, editor Alison Levey: I, like many gardeners I am sure, have three lists for visiting gardens: [...]


Institutional Gardens – are they all awful? by Anne Wareham

January 23, 2013

I posted this first on the Veddw blog, which I am sure you are all familiar with. But just in case you’re not, and because of the enthusiastic response it received in the social media, (where so many comments happen now, off site, sadly) and in the post comments, I am also publishing it here. Anne [...]

The gardens of Manoir d’Eyrignac and Marquessac, France, by Bridget Rosewell.

January 9, 2013

Some pieces hang around a bit long (sorry everyone) – this arrived in summer and it’s now after Christmas. So – a time trip back to summer, in a less soggy place than Wales… (Bridget is away at the moment – I hope she will respond to your comments on her return) Anne Wareham, editor [...]


Gold at the Olympic Park by Bridget Rosewell

November 16, 2012

Meadows now cover a multitude of sins – or at least, the term ‘meadow’ does. All part of the ‘naturalistic’ trend (see Michael King’s post and Sarah Price telling you how to do it at home here) Bridget Rosewell takes a look here at whether meadow is a term which makes sense in the context of the [...]

Aberglasney, a review by Anne Wareham

September 27, 2012

I visited Aberglasney in September this year (2012) and so took the opportunity to review it for thinkingardens. By way of an extra. Anne Wareham, editor Aberglasney The garden at Aberglasney burst into the world in a television series some years ago. The series was based round the archaeological work which was going on, and [...]


Chaumont 2012 reviewed by Anne Hanley

August 14, 2012

We don’t seem to have heard so much of the garden festival at Chaumont recently – or is it simply that I don’t read enough of the garden media? It is clearly still going on its colourful, wonderfully French way and I’m very happy to have an excellent review of this year’s gardens from Anne [...]

Bodnant Garden: a review by Tristan Gregory

July 11, 2012

The last time two times I have visited Bodnant I have been entranced by the trees (see below) and much less entranced by everything else. It seems that I’m not alone, and I’m grateful to Tristan for the review below. Tristan didn’t take any photographs when he visited so I have added some of my [...]


The 9/11 Memorial Park in New York reviewed by Sheppard Craige

April 8, 2012

A poignant piece about a very particular site, sensitively written. Thank you, Sheppard. Anne Wareham, editor. Sheppard Craige: The still unfinished 9/11 Memorial Park in lower Manhattan has already been seen by more than a million visitors. It is a powerful minimalist composition of two large squares excavated in the earth by architect Michael Arad. [...]

Sussex Prairies Garden reviewed by Darryl Moore

November 17, 2011

It may seem strange to have three reviews of one garden on the thinkingardens site. However, we are frequently told that different people experience gardens differently. It seems right to me that those differences, or lack of them, should be available for people to consider. It is interesting to me that the three thinkingardens reviewers saw similar [...]


Sussex Prairies Garden Again – reviewed by Susan Wright

October 17, 2011

I make no apology for a new and different perspective on the Sussex Prairies Garden. I’m fed up with the ‘isn’t it lovely’ single viewpoint on gardens. Critical comment may also be easily dismissed – but perhaps not so easily when it is clearly not simply an eccentric, single person perspective. Every year, one garden, by either luck or skilful management, will appear [...]

Appeltern Gardens, Netherlands reviewed by Wanda Oprea

September 30, 2011

Is there an inherent problem with show gardens? And can you have too much of a (maybe) good thing? Does quality shine in the most challenging circumstances? These are some of the questions raised by this piece by Wanda Oprea in her review of the permanent exhibition of show gardens at Appeltern in the Netherlands. [...]


Sussex Prairie Garden review: Meadows, Prairies and Downs by Kate Buxton: a review of the Sussex Prairies Garden

August 30, 2011

The topic of contemporary naturalistic planting design is a fascinating topic: what is the relationship between ’Dutch Wave’ gardens, the ‘New American Garden Style’, wildflower meadows, quasi arable fields, prairie gardens and ecological planting design? It would be good to consider their similarities, differences, virtues and limitations further on thinkingardens. Kate Buxton’s piece here, on the Sussex Prairies [...]

Bryan’s Ground reviewed by Sarah Wint

August 3, 2011

An entertaining approach to reviewing here by a new contributor, Sarah Wint. I hope we may hear more from the in-laws and – an unreliable? narrator. I have enabled comments and will see if this creates too much work for poor harassed editor or not.. Anne Wareham  editor Review of the garden at Bryan’s Ground, Herefordshire. I’ve just [...]

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