Villa Gardens: How to Plan and How to Plant Them (1902)

This concise guide is perfect for anyone with an Edwardian, or fashionable late Victorian, house who wants a contemporary yet period garden. The subtitle is ‘How to Plan and How to Plant Them’, and contained within are nine plans for gardens, each with a perspective - unprecedented from any designer of this date. The perspectives are so good that they have been enlarged and reprinted at the back of this new edition. Born in 1864 in Victorian Britain, William Rogers created with this book a unique snapshot into a previous era. It presents a picture of a middle class garden designer who says what he thinks, and it’s very refreshing! Although not very politically correct, the book is hard to put down and often very amusing.