The Garden at Chatsworth

Fülszöveg

THE GARDEN
AT CHATSWORTH
Tlie Duchess of Devonshire is a born raconteur. Who else coukl begin the story of the world-famous garden at C^hatsworth by saying 'Our garden is an inhibiting place to go out with a trowel. It covers IIW acres . . .' Hut she has looked after those acres with an acute eye, deep de\ otion and an extraordinary vi.sion for fifty years and knows every tree, every lichen-co\ cred statue and e\ ery bend in the path. Here she takes the reader on a riveting tour, telling the story of each part of the garden with a lightness of touch that disguises her formidable historical and horticultural knowledge.
As she says, the history of the garden is inextricably bound up with the famih that has li\ ed at CMiatsworth for over 4.')0 years. But more than that, it encapsulates the history of English gardening. I:\ery style of gardening has been tried here, often by the chief protagonists of that .style. They made elaborate parterres, stupendous rockeries and enchanting... Tovább

Fülszöveg

THE GARDEN
AT CHATSWORTH
Tlie Duchess of Devonshire is a born raconteur. Who else coukl begin the story of the world-famous garden at C^hatsworth by saying 'Our garden is an inhibiting place to go out with a trowel. It covers IIW acres . . .' Hut she has looked after those acres with an acute eye, deep de\ otion and an extraordinary vi.sion for fifty years and knows every tree, every lichen-co\ cred statue and e\ ery bend in the path. Here she takes the reader on a riveting tour, telling the story of each part of the garden with a lightness of touch that disguises her formidable historical and horticultural knowledge.
As she says, the history of the garden is inextricably bound up with the famih that has li\ ed at CMiatsworth for over 4.')0 years. But more than that, it encapsulates the history of English gardening. I:\ery style of gardening has been tried here, often by the chief protagonists of that .style. They made elaborate parterres, stupendous rockeries and enchanting woodland walks, and harnessed the natural water supply to make the famed (Cascade and the Iimperor fountain, the highest gra\ity-fed fountain in the world, hi describing their achievements, the Duchess brings alive the owners, gardeners, architects, writers, royalty, peers, politicians and poets who ha\ e left their mark here.
The pre.sent Duke and Duchess have been responsible for some of the most striking changes to the garden. As a very new, young Duchess she planted the magnificent double rows of pleached limes that now, fifty years later, so effectively link the hou.se and the 17th-century fountains, and then she planted l.'iOl) beeches to make the much-copied crinkle-crankle hedge. The Duke has designed monumental yew hedges and personally planted thousands of exquisite spring- and autumn-flowering bulbs. Among other innovations - always made in the 'spirit of the place' - the Duke and Duche.ss have added hothouses, lieds and borders, a maze, contemporary sculpture, and a new. productive kitchen garden.
A niagniliccnt subject sumptuously illustrated, a fascinating stiirx beauliUill\ told. / /»¦ (.'iin/i'ii ul ( Iwlsworlh is for all garden lo\ets. c\cr\ one of the 100.11(111 people w lio \isit it each vear and an\one inu icsted in I nglisli lilsliir\ who revels in a good read. Vissza