Island Gardens: Havens of Beauty Around the British Isles

by Jackie Bennett, Richard Hanson (Photographer)

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780711240216
Publisher:	Frances Lincoln
Publication date:	09/04/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
File size:	37 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

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.

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.

Table 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
Kierfiold 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

Editorial Reviews

★ 11/15/2018

Garden writer Bennett (Shakespeare's Gardens;The Writer's Garden), with photographer Hanson, explores roughly 100 island gardens located around the coast of the British Isles. These spaces are established and maintained under a variety of challenging conditions. Strong winds, geographic remoteness, and difficulty obtaining supplies and plant materials by ship require a determined spirit. Several famous gardens are featured, such as Trescoe Abbey Garden and Lindisfarne Castle, along with lesser-known ones. The photos blend panoramic views, aerial shots, homes and castles, in addition to pictures of the plants and landscapes. The text is sprinkled with profiles of some of the plants the gardeners grow. Many of these locations have a long history, and several have been rediscovered and restored. The obstacles faced by island residents add a compelling human perspective to the material. A useful travel guide accompanies the narrative. VERDICT This well-written book is a visual delight, appealing to sophisticated travelers or adventurous gardeners who may consider visiting these unique locales.—Deborah A. Broocker, Georgia Perimeter Coll. Lib., Dunwoody

Library Journal

This well-written book is a visual delight, appealing to sophisticated travelers or adventurous gardeners who may consider visiting these unique locales—Library Journal

“If you dream of escaping from it all, this is the book to transport you.”   

—Daily Mail

"Part travel inspiration for the outlying islands of the British Isles and part informative guide...enlivened by a generous dose of storytelling. This jewel of a book combines really engaging, well-researched content with the glossy beauty of a coffee-table production."—Gardens Illustrated

"Island Gardens...is as good as its word. The poetry, if not the sequence of the Shipping Forecast seems to accompany our circuit of the UK...guided by Bennett's thoughtful, sensitive commentary and alluring photographs by Richard Hanson. A real treat."—Ham & High

"There is something romantically enticing about islands, so Island Gardens is a particular treat."—Country Living

"informative, well-written and beautifully illustrated"—Blackberrygarden.co.uk

"Stunning photos make this a perfect gift."—Woman and Home

"There are more than 6000 islands scattered around the the main islands of Britain and Ireland, and Island Gardens is a beautiful book celebrating the diverse plant life to be found."—People's Friend

"a brilliant concept, well executed, exploring both the special joys and challenges of island gardens..."—Evening Standard

From the Publisher