Gardening from the couch: The English Garden, by Phaidon Press
Photo credit: The English Garden
My neighbor Bob, who is one of my gardening mentors, told me after several failed attempts to grow foxglove and delphiniums that I did not have an English garden and there was nothing I could do to grow one in the heat and humidity of Maryland.
I gave in and planted Echinecea and Russian sage instead, but that did nothing to dampen my desire to have the kind of garden you find in the countryside of England - or in the Pacific Northwest for that matter.
That's why this coffee table book, The English Garden, published by Phaidon Press, is so wonderful.
It is a collection of pictures from 100 English gardens - from a painting of Sir Thomas More's family, against the backdrop of a classic Tudor garden, to the National Lottery Garden, decorated with colorful steel spheres inspired by the numbered balls in England's National Lottery.
The perfect book for a rainy Sunday afternoon - and a cuppa tea.
Comments
That looks amazing. We would enjoy sitting and enjoying that garden. That book sound lovely as well. Thank you for sharing them with us.
Dan and Deanna "Marketing Unscrambled"
Posted by: Dan and Deanna | June 28, 2009 9:51 PM
I've seen what were described as English Gardens (although I've never been to England but they certainly look like the pictures in my head when I read Agatha Christie!) and I've never seen...are those balloons?
Nope. Steel balls designed to mimic the lottery balls!--Susan
Posted by: Eve | June 29, 2009 12:24 PM
but you must keep trying, instead of 'english' just think 'cottage' garden it will widen your perspective and broaden you possibilities. Echinacia is perfect, try Cleome, and "honesty' (Lunaria annua) an 'english' garden is just a few perennials thrown together with a few annuals and some herbs plus the odd tree and trelliss, there are so many beautiful american plants that can do the job, I live between england and U.S and am having a great time re.creating this effect.
Posted by: Anonymous | May 29, 2010 3:03 PM
Susan, I also love the English garden look, and have given up on delphiniums in this climate. However, my foxglove is in bloom right now, and spreading by self-seeding, so give that one another try!
Posted by: Dahlink | June 1, 2010 2:20 PM