The Classic Garden

British writer Graham Rose here evokes the classic gardens and gardeners of yesterday and tells how to adapt modern gardens to old ways in many genres: the herbaceous border, rose garden, herb garden, fruits and vegetables, lawns, walled garden topiary, arbors and retreats, conservatories and greenhouses, terraces and steps and decorative features. A human as well as botanical survey, this takes in gardening royalty and the more anonymous labors of gardening monks during the Dark Ages, surrendering choice facts: in 1344, a mole-catcher was paid four shillings to capture moles that were undermining a lawn. (Modern methods pale in human interest by comparison.)

Each section features a concise planting plan and a list of recommended plants (at book's end is a compilation of plants suggested for use in specific period gardens).

Full-color photographs of contemporary gardens and vintage photos, printed in sepia tones, of gardeners, tools and gardens of the past, are augmented by fastidiously executed illustrations and diagrams. This nostalgic look at the dynamism of past gardens will appeal to those with or without active green thumbs.