Author(s): Caroline Clifton-Mogg; Marianne Majerus

Gardening

London is a city of hidden gardens, a place where few ever glimpse the many colourful secrets behind the sober townhouse facades that give so little away. But the gardens are there, fascinating in their diversity and infinite in their variety, and beautifully revealed on the pages of this book. The secret gardens of London that are uncovered here go beyond convention; they range from the large, classical and formal, with simple, single colour schemes, to tiny gardens that run riot with colour of every imaginable hue. There are gardens on roofs and gardens in basements, gardens where the boundaries cannot be seen and gardens on terraces. There are gardens on top of the world, gardens with water - even gardens on water. There are gardens sheltered by tropical plants, or by billowing sails. There are English cottage gardens, and modern gardens that present sculpture outdoors. There are gardens of artists and gardens of practical enthusiasts. There are collectors' gardens, passionate plantsmen's gardens, gardens restored, revived or reclaimed. The gardens revealed here in this intriguing selection of unique places - thanks to the shared dreams of the owners and the ingenuity of London's finest designers - will delight and inspire anyone with an interest in gardens, gardening - and learning one or two secrets along the way.