There has never been a better time to celebrate botanic gardens. From Brooklyn and San Francisco, to Colombia and Brazil; Oxford and Kew, to Cape Town and Mauritius; Norway and Germany, to Sydney and Thailand, discover surprising diversity, superb vistas and some of the most intriguing plants you can imagine.

As centres for research, conservation and education, these expansive collections are integral to our understanding of the true power of plants.

But they also hold some of the most beautiful species on earth – including ferns, trees, cacti, orchids and more – expertly cared for and presented as a feast for the senses, delighting thousands of visitors each year.

Ambra Edwards introduces the gardens, bringing them to life on the page, and uncovers their history, collections and scientific influence. This is a celebration of the wonder that is contained within the world’s greatest botanic gardens.

Ambra Edwards and Charlie Hopkinson explore, in words and pictures,
the lives, visions and achievements of fourteen very different head
gardeners.

“Ambra Edwards’s fascinating interviews show what diversity there is in British gardens. It’s a book about people and how they tick – people who happen to be gardeners.” – The Times

“An informative and eye-opening delight.” -  Philippa Stockley, Country Life

“The author, well-known for her sparky writing style and broad hinterland of interests, has interviewed 14 head gardeners in search of some answers, teaming up with the highly empathetic and skilled photographer Charlie Hopkinson to produce this visually appealing and revealing book about some remarkable people in horticulture? Nor is it hard to argue with her view that gardeners are undervalued by society, in status and reward. Let’s hope this brilliant book goes some way to redressing that.” – Ursula Buchan,  The Garden

The Story of the English Garden is the National Trust’s accessible history of the nation’s gardens, sumptuously illustrated and artfully curated.  

From tiny medieval gardens to vast Georgian parks, from Victorian glasshouses crammed with exotic specimens to the elegant outdoor ‘rooms’ of the Edwardians and the functional, ecologically aware gardens of today, this book explores the love affair between the English and their gardens for over 500 years. It’s a fascinating story about passion – and power and politics too. The book is beautifully illustrated throughout and includes new photography of some of the most influential gardens in the world, including Sissinghurst.  

Drawn from the National Trust’s extensive archives, The Story of the English Garden is the definitive guide to Europe’s greatest collection of historic gardens – a rich celebration of World Heritage sites, rare and exotic plants and groundbreaking architectural design.