Secret Gardeners: Britain's Creatives Reveal Their Private Sanctuaries

Bought as a gift for a landscape designer - she LOVES this book!

Totally over the top garden book. Eye candy for all gardeners. Exquisite private English gardens.

This could be, should be, would be a beautiful book if it were printed properly. The photos are washed out and colorless and look over-exposed. At least one other reviewer here blamed it on the photographer, but in my opinion it's the fault of the printer. I used to work with professional photographers, and if they were having a book printed in China (as this one was) they would, almost to a person, move there for however long it took to oversee the process, just to avoid a disaster like this. It must be so frustrating and disappointing to put so much time and effort into a publication, only to have the publisher cheap-out on the printing and ruin your work.

Wonderful gardens with beautiful photographs

I liked the story about Andrew Lloyd Weber the best.

Great pictures

I guess I got to get deep into it it was a good cost kind of rip but good no complaint any woo I need to read some I like hands on I'm a first time garden learning to be patient not knocking no one style I love gardeing one of my dreams I just don't have a house I'm renting you know how that go been here 21years and the ppl next door build a garden i was so excited I put mine out doors and now I network with them they let me get veggies and fruits but I just use they seeds this coming year I'll be ready this season my stuff grew late but they came out I was happy.

I ordered a new copy of this book, it came stained, dirty, the cover's edges were peeled back showing the cardboard (or whatever book covers are made from underneath) and the pages rounded and yellowed. This was definitely a bait and switch purchase. I'll never order from these folks again.

I expected the phenomenal photography, but I was completely surprised -- and captivated -- by the stories. Truly delightful. I am so pleased I have my copy.

I hadn't heard of half the people mentioned as I come from Australia. Some of the photos were a bit average, the gardens not as nice as you would expect.

Outstanding photos and great write ups of the gardens.

What a shame: The text isn't reflected in the photos. You can't see what the writer is going on about. Lots of small pictures cluttered across the pages. The worst is the quality of the photos. The whole book is lacking intensity of colour. It feels like one is looking at an unhealthy landscape. 2 stars because Sting's house would look great if it had some colour.

This is a treat, a chance to escape into another world. It is perfect if you are curious about what you might find behind the high walls of country estates--although some of these gardens are in towns and cities.If you are looking for inspiration for that vast, neglected country estate you have just bought, you are sure to find it here. Equally, if you are not so fortunate, you can cast a critical eye on the choices of others and decide which style of garden would suit you best. Among my favourites were the garden of Stud House, in Hampton Court Home Park; Andrew Lloyd Webber's immaculately maintained acres; Cath Kidston's London domain with its expanse of water and clever design in which path segues into lawn; and Jeremy Irons's gorgeous abode of golden stone. But there are disappointments, too. Some of the gardens are rather underwhelming. One of them even seems to make a virtue of being so. There is surprisingly little colour in many of the gardens. And although there are photographs of many of the owners, this is not Hello! magazine. You may be left slightly disappointed by the lack of detail about their lives. This is a book about gardens, not celebrities.