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A Year in the Life of Beth Chatto's Gardens Hardcover – April 3, 2012

by Rachel Warne (Photographer), Beth Chatto (Preface), Fergus Garrett (Introduction)

4.3 33 ratings

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Beth Chatto was possibly the most influential British gardener of the second half of the twentieth century. When she started to make her garden on an overgrown area of wasteland in Essex in 1960 she was faced with a range of widely differing conditions, from drought-stricken gravel through woodland to dense, silty bog. Applying the principles of ecological gardening, she set about finding plants that would suit these very different, awkward situations. The gardens she made - the Mediterranean garden on the sunny slopes, the shady woodland garden, the damp garden for water-loving plants, the drier than dry gravel garden - have become legendary. In this book photographer Rachel Warne has traced all these different gardens through the course of a year.

She is the author of many books including her classics The Dry Garden (1978) and The Damp Garden (revised 2004) as well as Beth Chatto's Gravel Garden (2000) and Beth Chatto's Woodland Garden (2002). An engaging exchange of letters with Christopher Lloyd, Dear Friend and Gardener, was published in 1998.

In 2002 she was awarded the OBE for her services to horticulture. A keen advocate of organic gardening, she has lectured worldwide.

Editorial Reviews

Review

If you can't make the trip to Beth Chatto's famous Essex garden, looking at A year in the Life of Beth Chatto's Gardens is the next best thing... Rachel Warne is someone to watch, with a feeling for how things grow and the way light falls. Add words by Fergus Garrett and you have a book that is useful as well as beautiful.

If you can't make the trip to Beth Chatto's famous Essex garden, looking at A year in the Life of Beth Chatto's Gardens ÿis the next best thing... Rachel Warne is someone to watch, with a feeling for how things grow and the way light falls. Add words by Fergus Garrett and you have a book that is useful as well as beautiful.

Rachel Warne has trained her lens on the vivid foliage and flowers that dominate these beautiful spaces. Fergus Garrett's words are a perfect companion and really help to bring out the character of the images.

For visual food for thought, A Year in the Life of Beth Chatto's Gardens is a sumptuous photographic guide to her Essex gardens.

An excellent coffee-table book with stunning photographs of individual plants and views of the garden, this is the story of a garden's year told in pictures, and a tribute to an inspirational gardener. A visual treat for gardeners of all abilities.

An important visual record of a garden that has become one of the most notable of the twentieth and twenty first centuries.

Once you have seen this book you will want to visit the gardens.ÿ

The perfect gift for gardening friends.

Warne's close-up and macro flowers are gorgeous, and it will make you want to explore the world at a slower pace, appreciating colours and playful light

If ever you needed proof that a garden can have year-round interest, this book provides it...We're given the chance to take a walk through a one-off garden, guaranteed to fill us with admiration for Chatto's achievements and renewed enthusiasm for our own plots

captured beautifully

The most desireable gardening book of the year and it repays long and careful attention, not just a quick browse

This beautifully assembled tribute to one of England's most influencial and wonderful gardens will delight anyone who has ever tried to make things grow

The most desireable gardening book of the year and it repays long and careful attention, not just a quick browse

About the Author

Rachel Warne won the International Garden Photographer of the Year Award 2010. Her work has appeared in magazines including Gardens Illustrated, Country Living, House and Garden, Home and Garden, Garden Life and The English Garden. This is her first book. Beth Chatto is a plantswomen, gardener and writer. She has won ten Gold Medals at the Chelsea Flower Show and was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Victoria Medal of Honour (1987), the Lawrence Memorial Medal and an honorary doctorate from Essex University. She is the author of many books and an engaging exchange of letters with Christopher Lloyd, Dear Friend and Gardener, was published in 1998. Fergus Garrett, Head Gardener at Great Dixter, first worked at the Beth Chatto Gardens as a student, over twenty years ago, and has remained a close friend of Beth's ever since.BETH CHATTO (born 27/06/1923) is a plantswomen, gardener and writer. Whilst having no formal horticultural training, she was inspired by her parents' enthusiastic gardening, her husband's lifelong study of natural associations of plants, and friendship with the great plantsman and artist Sir Cedric Morris.The Beth Chatto Gardens began at Elmstead Market, Essex in 1960. By applying the principles of ecological gardening, she transformed an overgrown area of wasteland into informal gardens that harmonise with the surrounding countryside. Complementing the gardens is a large plant nursery producing a wide range of unusual plants, which attracts thousands of visitors each year.She has won ten Gold Medals the Chelsea Flower Show and was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Victoria Medal of Honour (1987), the Lawrence Memorial Medal and an honorary doctorate from Essex University.She is the author of many books including her classics The Dry Garden (1978) and The Damp Garden (revised 2004) as well as Beth Chatto's Gravel Garden (2000) and Beth Chatto's Woodland Garden (2002). An engaging exchange of letters with Christopher Lloyd, Dear Friend and Gardener, was published in 1998.In 2002 she was awarded the OBE for her services to horticulture. A keen advocate of organic gardening, she has lectured worldwide.She lives in Colchester in Essex.Fergus Garrett, Head Gardener at Great Dixter, first worked at the Beth Chatto Gardens as a student, over twenty years ago, and has remained a close friend of Beth's ever since.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Frances Lincoln; Frances Lincoln ed. edition (April 3, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 128 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0711232148
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0711232143
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.07 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 10.25 x 0.75 x 11 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,835,880 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,922 in Garden Design (Books)

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4.3 33 ratings

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J Bradford

One of the best inspirational gardening books I own

Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2023

I have dozens of gardening books. Many provide valuable information about specific plants. Several feature gorgeous gardens but on a scale that one could never achieve at home. What I love about this book is that, while her overall garden is quite grand, there are many ideas/planting schemes that can be adapted for a home garden. The photos are of good quality and good size so you really get a feel for the layouts, and all plants are identified, which is very helpful. This is a great book to turn to for inspiration. It is an English garden so not everything may work in the U.S., but many things will.

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gmpeacock

gorgeous book

Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2013

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beautifully photographed book ,beautiful garden. It was interesting to see
what plants that were planted together, and also what plants look good in what season, helpful for planting in my own small garden. Loved the book

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K. Russell

Any Chatto book is a treasure!

Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2018

Verified Purchase

Fabulous gift idea for your favorite gardener. I purchased it for myself :D

Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2018

LOVE BETH!

Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2017

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Beautiful book and received on time. Thank you.

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Rodja NZ

Weird unsharp landscape picture book, Monet style

Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2012

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I had been so looking forward to purchasing this book since last September; it arrived this week from the USA (Amazon UK were unable to supply) Strange assortment of landscape photos with plenty of image noise and moire (blurry)which most photographers dislike. Wide angle len has been used, but crisp clear photos would assist people like me who like to identify most of the plants in the photos.
I was unable to relive the joys of visiting this wonderful garden. Having visited the garden many times over the years I was hoping the photos would jump out at me, sadly this is not the case, except perhaps the great winter scenes. This picture book sets out to show just how magnificent this worlds renown garden is and I must admit it does go along way in this regard.
Sorry to say I did not find any new plants depicted. I would have so much liked to have seen a photo of phlomis tuberosa 'Amazone', as it was mentioned in the text. I purchased this plant many years ago at this famous nursery. Also some of the plants discovered in this garden, like kniphofia 'Little Maid', pulmonaria 'Tim's Silver', pulmonaria 'David Ward', P. 'Beth's Blue' and geum 'Coppertone'which is show as blooming, (but a full photo of the plant would have been delightful) are not able to be seen in this book. In fact too many closeup of flowers were shown. Showing the whole plant in association with its neighbours would have assist in the some education value; all Beth's books have given great educational value to me.
At least the photo of Mrs Chatto is clear and sharp, but I prefer the dustjacket photo showing Beth surrounded by her wonderful plants.

5 people found this helpful

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Dave Egbert

Not what I expected.

Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2012

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Like Chatto's much loved "Gravel Garden" book some years ago, "A Year.." is a visual delight showing the many moods of the varied gardens of the Beth Chatto Gardens. But don't expect the usual Chatto insight or commentary about the plants, themes, or combinations. Other than the brief introduction by Great Dixter Garden's Fergus Garrett, this is entirely a photo essay with very short captions. But if you are familiar with Chatto's works, you will quickly identify each garden section and some of the incredible combinations and ideas.
The book is predictably broken into seasons with each garden taking it's turn in the spot light and there is a plan style illustration at the beginning to orient you to each section. But the Damp and Water Gardens get most of the attention with only a few photos of the Gravel Garden and no photos of the Scree Garden or anything else that I would have expected when dealing with Chatto's landscape. I will also say that the photos lack something and some are very dark. I loved Steven Wooster's photos in "Gravel Garden" but these are totally different.
There is a list of Chatto's published books at the back plus an index of plants. An excellent source of inspiration for gardeners who are versed in Chatto's ideas or simply lovers of great well planted gardens captured in photos.

4 people found this helpful

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