This book takes the reader on a guided tour of London's public squares, community and allotment gardens, front gardens and window boxes - and the myriad and monumental public parks, from the grand formality of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens to the wild heathland of Hampstead and the commons. Illustrated with photographs that capture all the diversity of London's green spaces, presenting a unique and fresh viewpoint on the familiar, crammed with intriguing information as well as practical details, London Gardens is a source of delight and discovery for all Londoners, gardeners and environmentalists, and for all visitors to the city. - A must for any tourist interested in London's parks, gardens and green spaces - Reveals gardens never previously seen by the public and shows famous spaces in a new light - A fresh and innovative look at one of the world's greatest cities

About the Author

Jill Billington is an accomplished garden designer and writer. She contributes regularly to the Royal Horticultural Society's journal The Garden and the author of a string of successful books including Planting Companions and Really Small Gardens. She has also made numerous appearances on television, including BBC TV's Gardens by Design and Gardeners' World. Sandra Lousada is famous for her theatre and fashion photography and for her portrait photographs, especially children. Among the many books for which she has provided illustrations in Your Premature Baby (Frances Lincoln, 2000). This portrayal of the gardens of London, the city she calls home, is a new venture for her, and one she finds both challenging and exciting.

Reviews

Hidden amidst the overcrowded metropolis that is London is a surprisingly large number of green oases. Not just the obvious ones such as Hyde Park, Green Park and Hampstead Heath but smaller ones such as the beautiful ceanothus-clad Ecclestone Square, the brightly coloured planted pots on the riverboats alongside the canal at Little Venice or the ornate, over decadent waterfall at York House in Twickenham. Garden writer Jill Billington turns her hand admirably to the subject of garden history, tracing back the origins of each of these havens and analysing their continuing appeal. In conjunction with photographer Sandra Lousada, swapping theatre and fashion photography for that of garden, they tour the city from North to South, East to West, uncovering little gems of garden heaven. Sandra's photographs demonstrate a new talent in horticultural photography whilst Jill's readable yet intelligent writing makes the book a fascinating read for the general peruser or more learned gardener. For visitors to London or Londoners themselves, this is an excellent insight into one of the world's greenest cities. - Lucy Watson