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From Tresco to Lindisfarne, Anglesey to Sark, travel around the British Isles and discover the most beautiful and extreme island gardens on this visually stunning tour.
The British Isles consist of more than 6,000 islands scattered around the main islands of Britain and Ireland. More than 100 of these British off-shore islands are inhabited - and where there are people, there are gardens. Lighthouse gardens, gulf-stream-soaked, tropical gardens, windswept remote gardens with giant and ancient yew trees, and gardens surrounding castles and monasteries of historical significance.
Encounter a huge variety of habitats and gardening conditions , from coastal machair to woodlands, mountains, dunes and meadows, and explore a wide range of aspects, from shady dells, to sunny banks, deep-soiled productive gardens to rocky, alpine slopes. While they can differ dramatically with regards to aesthetics, what all island gardens share is the special light, magical atmosphere and indefinable magic that a proximity to water can bring. Here, Jackie Bennett reveals the challenges their gardeners face, the designs required in such extremes, and the skills their gardeners have mastered to survive and thrive, accompanied by stunning photography by garden and drone photographer Richard Hanson .
List of contents
Introduction 6
ISLES OF SCILLY 12
Tresco Abbey Garden 18
TRESCO
Echiums 22
THE SOUTH-WESTERN ISLES OF SCOTLAND 32
Brodick Castle 36
ARRAN
Ascog Hall Garden and Fernery 42
BUTE
King Fern 47
Achamore Gardens 50
GIGHA
The Horlick Rhododendrons
ANGLESEY: YNYS MÔN 56
Plas Cadnant 60
Himalayan Lily 71
ORKNEY 74
The Quoy of Houton 78
MAINLAND
Fiddlers Green 84
SOUTH RONALDSAY
Kier¿old House 86
MAINLAND
Hardy Geraniums on Orkney 91
CHANNEL ISLANDS 96
La Bigoterie 102
GUERNSEY
Herm Island 108
HERM
Wild Leek 111
La Seigneurie Gardens 112
SARK
Rosa Mundi 118
INNER HEBRIDES 122
Lip Na Cloiche 126
MULL
Priory Garden 138
ORONSAY
Wild Flowers 143
An Cala 144
SEIL
ISLE OF WIGHT 152
Mottistone Gardens 156
Agapanthus 163
Crab Cottage 164
HOLY ISLAND 172
Lindisfarne Castle 176
Gertrude Jekyll’s Flowering Annuals 185
Travel and Garden Guide 186
About the author
Jackie Bennett has travelled widely, visiting and writing about gardens. Her books include
Shakespeare’s Gardens,
The Writer’s Garden,
Wild About the Garden and
Island Gardens. She is a former editor of
The Garden Design Journal and
The English Garden.
Richard Hanson's work has appeared in books and magazines and he has photographed in the gardens of well-known garden writers such as Helen Yemm, Ursula Buchan, Francine Raymond and Ronald Blythe. His photography has been featured in
The Garden Design Journal, and
Gardening with the National Trust.
Summary
From Tresco to Lindisfarne, Anglesey to Sark, visit the most beautiful and extreme island gardens of the British Isles, understanding their climates, native plants, and survival skills their gardeners deploy.
Additional text
"a brilliant concept, well executed, exploring both the special joys and challenges of island gardens..."
Report
This well-written book is a visual delight, appealing to sophisticated travelers or adventurous gardeners who may consider visiting these unique locales Library Journal 20181115
