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The Secret Gardens of East Anglia

Today I wanted to bring you some impressive photos of little-known East Anglian gardens. As a novice gardener (an someone who has no idea what to do with their empty plot) I’ve been flicking through lots of gardening books recently. I was thoroughly inspired by the newly released ‘Secret Gardens of East Anglia’ book so read on to find out more…

The book is a result of the combined efforts of of well-known horticulturalist and garden writer Barbara Segall and garden library photographer Marcus Harpur. The pair form an award-winning team and have visited all 22 gardens in this book to experience the spaces for themselves. And Marcus Harpur took some rather beautiful photos in the process.

Winterton Lighthouse by Marcus Harpur

Featuring impressive gardens from around the counties of Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex, every page celebrates the culture, beauty and diversity of the region. We not only learned about the natural conditions and the plants that have thrived in the area, the book also tells us a little more about the garden creators themselves.

Wooden extension to Winterton Lighthouse by Marcus Harpur

This personal approach really got me interested in the book. Sure, it’s nice to look at lovely photos of gardens but it’s the owners style that intrigues me most. As someone who is only just starting out on their gardening journey, it was interesting for me to learn about the specific challenges and rewards the gardeners have encountered while tending to their gardens.

Polstead Mill by Marcus Harpur

The book features famous spots such as Columbine Hall, a moated garden with a series of green rooms, Kittling Tower with it’s field of daffodils for a Tudor gatehouse, Ulting Wick with thousands of tulips against a backdrop of black wooden barns and the Wyken Hall with vines and roses surrounding an Elizabethan manor house.

Elton Hall by Marcus Harpur
Helmingham Hall has a gem of a garden hidden in its own moated island. Photo by Marcus Harpur

Even the president of the Royal Horticultural Society hasn’t escaped the camera lens. Barbara and Marcus visited this private garden at Raveningham Hall to find out just what the RHS president gets up to behind closed gates.And here’s the exciting part – you can win a copy of Secret Gardens of East Anglia in my giveaway. In fact, I’ve got two copies of the book for two lucky readers to win so enter via the Rafflecopter widget below. There are plenty of ways you can gain entries into the competition so give it a go – and best of luck to you all!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway open to UK residents only, competition runs from 15th September 2017 – 1 October 2017. Two winners will be chosen at random by Rafflecopter after this date and contacted via email.

26 Responses

  1. Would definitely have an organised part, but then a wild part for the wildlife so we could have hedgehogs etc. Dream would be to have a summerhouse. Although stables and land would be a huge plus too.

  2. OOOh that’s hard, but we would have ordered borders but then a wild part for the wildlife with a pond etc. Somewhere that the birds and other wildlife can be fed without worrying and somewhere for the dog to run about and let off steam. Dream would be to have a summerhouse.

  3. My dream garden would have a hot tub and a summer house. It would have an orchard and a lovely wild flower garden.

  4. It would have lots of different areas, railway sleepers, a vegetable patch and and alovely patio for entertaining.

  5. Mainly a large pond with native grasses and plenty of marigolds. Flowering shrubs around the perimeter, gorse & broom in abundant. Wild garlic

  6. Oh my goodness, I’d loooooooove a classic English cottage garden (complete with cottage, hehe! 😉 )!! Trying to do that as I can with my garden, haha.

  7. My dream garden would be quite large with different sections – a lawn to picnic and play on, a play area for the children, an area to plant veg…a little orchard and of course an area to plant loads of beautiful flowers and plants. Did I mention a swimming pool? Don’t ask for much do I…but you did say dream 😉

  8. I would have a pond – ir a lake if I am dreaming, a cave , lots of wild flowers, and stones, kind of wild!

  9. A large orangery, winding footpaths, high walls, secret doors, exotic plants and a large very flat grassed area for playing games 🙂

  10. My dream garden would have a cottage garden feel to the planting scheme, a wildlife pond, a herb garden and vegetable plot. We moved house a year ago, and so far all I have managed to do with our very wild and overgrown garden is to hack back the nettles and brambles to reveal a circular patio and the remains of a pond and stream, all silted up and full of old carpet, mangled bits of metal and other debris. Hopefully by early next year we will have finished removing all the weeds and rubbish, and can then start on making the garden look lovely again.

  11. Oh my goodness! These photos are just so beautiful! I don’t have a garden at the moment, but back when I lived in Australia I always had a large balcony, which I would absolutely cover with pots and plants and hanging baskets. One day, one day I will have my own beautiful plot to bring to life!

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Cassie is a freelance writer with a Masters degree in Lifestyle Promotion Studies and is trained in Personal Money Management. She loves to ‘get the look for less’ so regularly shares thrifty-living advice, DIY interior design ideas and low-cost recipes on her blog.

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