THE GARDENS OF ENGLAND AND WALES, THE SHELL GUIDE TO

Sarah Hollis and Derry Moore, Guild 1989, 367pp.

For hundreds of years the English have had a passion for gardens, and garden visiting, popular since the seventeenth century, has become a favourite pursuit for millions of people in the last decade.

The guide describes over three hundred and fifty gardens, ranging from the splendid parks surrounding stately homes, the quite small private gardens, and covering the spectrum in terms of climate, terrain and design.

Sarah Hollis’s criteria in selecting entries, as she explains in her introduction, in that whatever the owner has set out to achieve has " worked," and that the garden has a particular harmony and well-defined character. Wherever you are there are gardens within reach that are well worth a visit. This book tells you where they are, how to get there, the months of the year they are open, and describes the character and main features of each garden listed. The glorious pictures, many in full colour, were taken by the celebrated photographer Derry Moore.

Both the book and the dust jacket are in very good condition. It is a heavy item however, and parcel post or surface mail might be the order of the day