Understanding Garden Design by Vanessa Gardner Nagel, reviewed by Sarah Wilson
A book with a title suggesting a very modest agenda – will it really be useful and engaging for amateur and professional alike? An excellent book…
Appeltern Gardens, Netherlands reviewed by Wanda Oprea
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…
Sussex Prairie Garden review: Meadows, Prairies and Downs by Kate Buxton: a review of the Sussex Prairies Garden
The topic of contemporary naturalistic planting design is a fascinating topic: what is the relationship between ‘Dutch Wave’ gardens, the ‘New…
The Omnipotent Magician, Jane Brown reviewed by Gary Webb,
A review of a new book on – was he ever called Capability? – Lancelot Brown, reviewed by Gary Web who is Grounds Manager at Compton Verney, a…
Chiswick House and Gardens: a dog’s dinner or a curate’s egg?
Barbara Taylor has recently discovered, Chiswick House & Gardens. In the interests of research, she decided to give it the once over and find…
The Laskett reviewed by Emma Bond
“It is a shame that Sir Roy Strong is subjected to the now-obligatory drivel about his being a ‘national treasure’, because this unthinking cliché…
The Twilight Garden by Lia Leendertz, reviewed by Susan Wright.
A-book-I-got sent: and a new reviewer. Welcome to Susan Wright. Anne Wareham, editor. ‘The Twilight Garden’ by Lia Leendertz is all about “creating…
“‘A Veritable Eden’ The Manchester Botanic Garden: a History” by Ann Brooks. Reviewed by Carl Legge
Another book review: thinkingardens has made it on to the publishers’ lists. So with thanks to a new contributor, Carl Legge, we introduce the…
Veddw reviewed by Bridget Rosewell
Just to wind up Matthew Appleby, who is complaining there is too much Veddw on this site… Having just been sent the review I can’t resist adding…
Gardens Of The World-The Great Traditions by Rory Stuart reviewed by Sara Venn
Gardens Of The World – The Great Traditions, is difficult book to review as its interest to the reader will depend upon what they expect from…
Mill Dene Garden reviewed by Darryl Moore
Darryl Moore is a valued garden critic on thinkinGardens, with an astute sense of the relationship between the owner and the garden and its…
‘Italy’s Private Gardens’ by Helena Attlee and ‘Great Gardens of Italy’ by Monty Don: reviewed by Charles Hawes
Helena Attlee recently published a lavishly illustrated book on Italian gardens and this has now been followed by Monty Don’s book of his BBC 2…
Gardening Women by Catherine Horwood
“I was astounded by how many plants I had considered to be native to this country….”
Boughton House – Kim Wilkie’s Orpheus reviewed by James Alexander-Sinclair
“Perfect, Impressive, Majestic and Splendid. It is the sort of thing that makes one sigh from the pleasure of it all. And I did..
But…”
The High Line: more than the sum of its parts
“But it wasn’t Piet Oudolf who got most of the early press about the High Line. New Yorkers are far more interested in architects and landscape architects than garden designers, and in this case it was the elevated rail line itself, and its very costly rehabilitation, that was the focus of public and media hype. Now that the aerial garden has been opened to the public for over a year, the plantings themselves are garnering more public acclaim.”
