Gardening at Sissinghurst

Rating:
Summary: Gardening at Sissinghurst
Review: Could a British garden be taken seriously if it had no pleached limes, no white garden, no boxwood hedges? I should think not. Nor should any good book about important British gardens skimp on coverage of these features. This is not an issue for Tony Lord's Gardening at Sissinghurst.

Lord has photographed the garden in all seasons and in all kinds of flattering light. Where structure, foliage, and texture were important the light is diffuse. Where color makes the scene interesting, the light is warm, clear, and direct.

There's neither shortage of things to photograph nor of good photographs. Ten chapters are organized around specific garden regions: the rose garden, the lime walk, the cottage garden, the white garden, and so on. In each region the style of planting varies to match the theme. It's formal in the courtyards, less so in the cottage areas, and nearly wild in the orchard.

American gardeners in the northwest will be able to replicate the gardens thanks to watercolored plans by Frances Lincoln. Those in other parts of the country will have to reconsider plant selections. Limes, verbenas, boxes and lupines will have limited applicability outside the northwest. And in many of the drier parts of the US the lushness would not make sense. In all cases, though, the use of structure to create 'rooms' is relevant.

The text strikes a nice balance between talking about design aspects and discussing horticultural details. We get drawn into the scene, feeling at times like landscape architects and at others like master gardeners.

Who should buy this book? People interested in transforming outside spaces into interesting and vital living spaces, people who love good gardening photography, and people who plan to or wish they could visit the monumental English gardens of the early twentieth century.

Rating:
Summary: Gardening at Sissinghurst
Review: Could a British garden be taken seriously if it had no pleached limes, no white garden, no boxwood hedges? I should think not. Nor should any good book about important British gardens skimp on coverage of these features. This is not an issue for Tony Lord's Gardening at Sissinghurst.

Lord has photographed the garden in all seasons and in all kinds of flattering light. Where structure, foliage, and texture were important the light is diffuse. Where color makes the scene interesting, the light is warm, clear, and direct.

There's neither shortage of things to photograph nor of good photographs. Ten chapters are organized around specific garden regions: the rose garden, the lime walk, the cottage garden, the white garden, and so on. In each region the style of planting varies to match the theme. It's formal in the courtyards, less so in the cottage areas, and nearly wild in the orchard.

American gardeners in the northwest will be able to replicate the gardens thanks to watercolored plans by Frances Lincoln. Those in other parts of the country will have to reconsider plant selections. Limes, verbenas, boxes and lupines will have limited applicability outside the northwest. And in many of the drier parts of the US the lushness would not make sense. In all cases, though, the use of structure to create 'rooms' is relevant.

The text strikes a nice balance between talking about design aspects and discussing horticultural details. We get drawn into the scene, feeling at times like landscape architects and at others like master gardeners.

Who should buy this book? People interested in transforming outside spaces into interesting and vital living spaces, people who love good gardening photography, and people who plan to or wish they could visit the monumental English gardens of the early twentieth century.

Rating:
Summary: For armchair gardeners
Review: I live in a climate where the classic english garden of borders and meadows is unattainable. However, this book satisfies in many ways: as a souvenir of a visit, as a delicious geardening feast for the eyes, and as the story of one garden.

I was lucky enough to visit Sissinghurst in early summer and see one of her moods. This book introduces the other seasons and readily transports me when I am in the mood to think of faraway places, and need a bit of restful beauty in my reading life!