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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
26 responses
My dream garden would just be a wide area for the dogs to run around in.
a wildflower meadow
It’d have a built in pool – I wouldn’t really care about the rest lol x
A long grassy garden with a tree at the bottom
Lots of grass a long garden with a tree at the bottom
Sorry it didn’t say that one had been posted. Didn’t mean to post TWO comments.
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.
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.
My dream garden would have a hot tub and a summer house. It would have an orchard and a lovely wild flower garden.
a pond with a little bridge lots of roses and a fairy garden
It would have lots of different areas, railway sleepers, a vegetable patch and and alovely patio for entertaining.
It would have lots of different rooms, each with a different feel to it.
lots of wild flowers and trees
Iford Manor, Somerset
would love a mediterranean type garden with lots of palms and running water
Mainly a large pond with native grasses and plenty of marigolds. Flowering shrubs around the perimeter, gorse & broom in abundant. Wild garlic
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.
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 😉
I would have a pond – ir a lake if I am dreaming, a cave , lots of wild flowers, and stones, kind of wild!
lots of exotic large trees and bushes
I was at Helmingham Hall yesterday and it was just gorgeous! I would love mine to be a cottage garden, with a vegetable garden at the back! Lots of white, pink and purple flowers, and gorgeous greenery.
A large orangery, winding footpaths, high walls, secret doors, exotic plants and a large very flat grassed area for playing games 🙂
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.
Lovely lush green grass, a flower bed going all around the grass & a big pond in the middle with lots of colourful fish swimming in it :0 x
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!
It would have wild flowers, a pond and fountain and be wildlife friendly – it would look natural and peaceful.