Publisher's Synopsis
Garden visiting has never been more popular but not many of usunderstand what we are looking at when strolling through a beautifulgarden - are we looking at an original landscaped sit or a re-creation?Is the planting matter authentic or made up of modern hybrids? Are thesteps and terracing in the Italianate style or are they Arts andCrafts? The truth is that most gardens of any age are like apalimpsest: successive generations have changed and influenced the softand hard fabric of the place over time. Inevitably many of the gardenswe wander through today are an amalgam of changing fashions andcircumstance. How to Read Gardens providesthe reader with all the knowledge he or she needs to tease out theclues that will tell the complete story of a garden's past. From thegrandest estate to the smallest suburban plot, this book will enlivenand inform every visit.
