English Cottage Gardening: For American Gardeners, Revised Edition
Product Description
Thanks to the extraordinary photographs and gardening wisdom in this classic book, the elegant intimacy of the English cottage garden is a practical possibility for amateur gardeners in diverse regions of the United States. The author has analyzed the aesthetic and horticultural elements in ten representative cottage gardens–eight in England and two in the United States. Her spectacular photographs render the look and atmosphere of these gardens, while her text focuses on easily grown, readily available plants that are adaptable to a wide variety of climatic and soil conditions. In the back of the book–completely updated for this new edition–may be found specific horticultural information on a wide variety of cottage garden plants commonly available in the United States, glossaries of Latin and common names, and a list of sources for old rose varieties. The gardens in this beautiful book are not those of the great estates of England, manicured by staffs… More >>
English Cottage Gardening: For American Gardeners, Revised Edition
This book was constantly in my possession during the winter before I created my first cottage garden. It is filled with helpful material, plant lists and horticultural notes, and seems to be as useful to the beginner as to the professional. She showcases ten different gardens, and gives some history on how and why they came to be. The beautiful photographs alone caught my attention for a long time. The only disappointment to me was that eight out of the ten gardens were English; I was hoping to see more American gardens. However, one of the featured American gardens is Tasha Tudor’s garden (my absolute favorite), definitely worth drooling over. I think one of the nicest aspects of this book is that it removes the intimidation factor and proves you can have a fabulous garden without all the planning and precision of many gardens.. Definitely a must for cottage garden enthusiasts!
This is one of my very favorite garden books. Pictures are beautiful, and the book is informative…giving plant names and even showing layout drawings of how the plants were placed. The gardens were not designed by professionals but were created thru trial and error, the way most people do their own. Shows how pretty a garden can be without perfection. Even shows many tiny doorway gardens that should not be intimidating for busy American gardeners. I would highly recommend this book.
There is a wild and romantic image associated with cottage gardens and this book gives us page after page of incredible photos that inspire us to create one of these intimate spaces of our very own. Opening photos of Tasha Tudor’s Vermont garden draw us into the continuous flow of picturesque gardens that range from photos of simple doorway gardens to massive perennial borders.
Credit is given to the architectural elements in the garden such as an ornate gate or a brightly painted arbor. These aspects are important in establishing the depth of the garden and are often overlooked. Straight lines and hard surfaces help to add dimension to overflowing and seemingly out of control plants.
There are lots of examples of this throughout the book and they are defined not only by the gorgeous photos but by Ms. Hensel’s thorough treatment.
Of course, the plants are the main focus and there are plenty shown and discussed. Roses take a whole chapter and, it is not by chance, that many of the plants are herbs. These have always been the carefree backbone of most cottage gardens. The emphasis, though, is not on becoming an expert with plants, but rather to start with a single idea and a few cherished plants and let the garden begin.
Margaret Hensel set out to create an interesting little book with photos of picturesque thatched cottages and became intoxicated with the gardens she found. The beauty she discovered as she explored country lanes and city streets led to the creation of this extraordinary book that showers us with the loving creations of many gardeners, both amateur and professional.
I ordered this book because Tasha Tudor wrote the foreword, and her garden was featured. Ms. Tudor has long been one of my favorite artists and I’ve enjoyed collecting her books and books written about her. But what a special treat, not only was I able to get a glimpse into her gardens but that of a multitude of other wonderful cottage gardens that inspired and challenged.
The photography is extraordinary, truly capturing possibilities for anyone wishing to achieve a comfortable, serene and beautiful garden in their own home setting. The advice of gardeners who truly love their gardens has been more helpful than many of the so call “Expert” knowledge in similar readings. Margaret Hensel brings alive each and every flower and hardscape. I’ve read and reread this remarkable book many, many times and it is a constant source of information of cottage horticulture.
I have owned this book for several years, and recently got a copy for a friend who is also into cottage gardening, and loves all things British. This book is chock full of ideas to help one create a beautiful garden. It is not a “How to” book, but a reference to help stimulate your own imagination. The photography is lovely, and the text is overflowing with information. I would (and did) buy this book again and recommend to anyone who loves English or cottage gardening.