London is home to over 3 million gardens, from pocket handkershief front yards to historic horticultural sites like Westminster College Garden. This book celebrates the wealth of London's gardens with an inspirational compost of specially commissioned photographs, reviews, practical gardening advice, and much more.

London's gardeners are twice blessed: not only do they live in one of the world's most vibrant capitals, it is also one of the most verdant. Gardens of every imaginable style, shape and size abound on rooftops, within palaces, surrounding churches, behind walls - on every piece of dry land - even if it is floating on or lapped by the river Thames. In Great Gardens of London, Victoria Summerley and Hugo Rittson Thomas collaborate to unearth the most fascinating stories of plants and people inside London's most exciting gardens. Some of the gardens are strictly private, while others are regularly open to visitors, but all can now be savoured and enjoyed along with those who know them best. Great Gardens of London is a captivating photographic portrait of the greatest gardens of the capital which are primarily closed to the public or rarely open their gates. It will feature gardens designed by some of the leading contemporary garden designers from across the world. Accompanying the photographs will be essays on the design and planting that explain the designers' inspiration and passion.

Helen Babbs is a self-proclaimed city girl who lives on the second floor of a flat in a chaotic corner of London. An urge to find more green in the city and a stronger connection to the natural world leads her to create her first garden, an organic edible garden on her rooftop. This year-long adventure is the story behind My Garden, the City and Me. The journey begins in the dark of winter, where Babbs finds herself at a seed swap on a February morning, seduced more by packaging than by any true understanding of the plants. As the year progresses, Babbs revels in failures, like waking up bleary eyed and stomping on her seed starts, and triumphs like her summer-ending dinner party made with homegrown produce. Along the way she discovers “that I like gardening in my pajamas and that growing something from seed, watching it develop and then eating its fruits is truly joyful. I’ve daydreamed out there and entertained out there. It’s the force behind new friendships that I’ve forged. The garden has opened my eyes to a whole new side of London and urban living.” My Garden, the City and Me is a lyrical narrative about a twenty-something in search for a bit of wild in her city. The journey is charming, honest, and steeped in the lore of London, a city equally known for its gardens and its grit. In the end Babbs has achieved a new perspective on what it means to live green in the city she loves.

Recognizing the contribution of domestic gardens to the texture of 18th and early 19th century London, the author explores the small gardens, their owners and their significance to the development of the metropolis.

What can a gardener learn from Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony? Are perennial plants symbols of friendship? Is gardening in the Whig tradition? Are 'non-native' plants 'aliens'? Can the art of writing a novel be compared to gardening? Is Monty Don right about the presence of flowers in the great Renaissance Italian gardens? Do gardens exhibit Late Style? Can mowing be a creative activity? Why is the creation of a new path such a delightful experience? Should gardens open to the public be 'reviewed' in the same way as exhibitions of paintings and newly-published books? Minding The Garden: Lilactree Farm combines brief commentaries on garden history, on rare and familiar plants, on the tantalizing connections between the garden as art form and the other arts, on the pleasures and follies of gardening, in a collection of 125 'Notes' presented in the context of a composite gardening year. Discover how Lilactree Farm evolved over the years, through six retrospective 'plans, ' spaced sequentially throughout the text, and through Des Townshend's spell-casting photographs. Minding The Garden: Lilactree Farm is sure to captivate gardeners, both armchair and active, in the English-speaking world and perhaps beyond....

*2019 Green Earth Book Award winner* Two cats lead the way as young readers learn how to choose seeds, dig holes, and water their plants to create their own peaceful garden. From carrots and lettuce to sunflowers and daisies, this is a garden that children will be eager to plant and tend. With comforting text from Lucy London and charming illustrations from Christa Pierce, A Peaceful Garden shows young readers everything a peaceful garden needs to grow. Perfect for fans of Plant the Tiny Seed, When Spring Comes, and Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt. To grow a peaceful garden, wait for the last frost (just kiss the cold good-bye!). Now dig yourself a patch…

This beautifully told story follows Billy from early spring to late summer as he helps his grandpa on his vegetable patch. They dig the hard ground, sow rows of seeds, and keep them watered and safe from slugs. When harvest time arrives they can pick all the vegetables and fruit they have grown. Children will be drawn in by the poetry of the language and the warm illustrations, while also catching the excitement of watching things grow! Includes educational endnotes on gardening throughout the year.