The English Country House Garden: Traditional Retreats to Contemporary Masterpieces

There is something special about the English country house garden: from its quiet verdant lawns to its high yew hedges, this is a style much-desired and copied around the world.

The English country house is most often conceived as a private, intimate place, a getaway from working life, and here you will see gardens with meandering walks amongst greenery and contemplative pools of water. A sundial, a pergola, a croquet lawn, a herbaceous border of soft planting; here is a space to share secrets, to wander and relax, and above all to enjoy English afternoon tea.

But even the most peaceful of gardens also take passion and hard work to create. This new book takes a fresh look at the English country house garden, starting with the owners and the stories behind the making of the gardens.

With spectacular photos by Marcus Harpur, the text presents thirty gardens - some grand, some personal, some celebrated, some never-before-photographed - to explore why this garden style has been so very enduring and influential.

From the Victorian grandeur of Tyntesfield and Cragside, to the Arts & Crafts simplicity of Rodmarton Manor and Charleston; from Scampston, in the same family since the 17th century, to new gardens by Dan Pearson, Tom Stuart-Smith and the Bannermans; and with favourites such as Hidcote and Great Dixter alongside new discoveries, this book will be a delicious treat for garden-lovers.