The great estates and country houses owned and preserved by the National Trust boast some of the most beautiful gardens in Britain. This breathtaking photographic tour invites readers to savor the seasonal pleasures of a wide variety of the Trust’s gardens in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland— from small town gardens to vast expanses of landscape, from mazes and rose gardens to those with arbors and topiary.

Whether capturing the shades of autumn at Sheffield Park in Sussex or snowdrops at Anglesey Abbey in Cambridgeshire, the evocative color pictures by two acclaimed landscape photographers reveal both stunning vistas and close-up details. Together with descriptive captions, they beckon tourists, armchair travelers, and Anglophiles to wander through these places of great natural beauty and historic interest. All of these gardens, and the houses and estates to which they belong, are open to the public.

English gardens are known for their well-tended beauty. And Great Britain's National Trust--a charitable organization that has been caring for and protecting historical sites and beautiful natural treasures throughout England, Wales, and Northern Ireland for more than 100 years--boasts some of the most beautiful gardens in all of Britain. A Year in the Garden offers a breathtaking photographic tour of these national treasures in all their glory.

Photographers Nick Meers and Stephen Robson provide the lenses for us to view the outstanding panoramas and gorgeous details of these magnificent gardens. Through their eyes, readers will see the splendor of Cambridgeshire's Anglesy Abbey with its drifts of delicate snowdrops, and the rich autumn colors of Sheffield Park in Sussex. Readers will practically smell the heady scent of midsummer roses at Mottisfont Abbey in Hampshire and feel the chill of winter's frost sparkling on topiary yews at Lytes Cary in Somerset.

Garden consultant John Sales and National Trust publisher Margaret Willes describe these and many other horticultural delights in informative text accompanying the photographs. Information is provided on necessary growing conditions for the plants pictured, as well as historical and other interesting information about the gardens.

This stunning book provides a fascinating visual record of some of the most beautiful gardens in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland and appeals to both the enthusiast and armchair gardener. However, the book's strictly Anglocentric bent may prevent it from being particularly useful for American gardeners. --Robin Donovan