Thenford: The Creation of an English Garden

(Hardback)

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Description

When Michael and Anne Heseltine wanted to tell the story behind the creation of one of the most beautiful private gardens in England, they thought their book should be titled Mistake by Mistake. While every gardener will identify with that sentiment, the Heseltines were advised that a book with such a gloomy title would never sell. So the book they published in 2016 was called Thenford: The Creation of an English Garden. This second edition, published in 2024, updates the story and balances the mistakes against the achievements. Over more than 40 years, Michael and Anne have converted a run-down walled garden, silted-up mediaeval fishponds and overgrown woodlands into a 70-acre arboretum that includes three lakes, restored fishponds, an alpine trough garden, a rill, extensive water gardens, a sculpture garden and a restored walled garden. The arboretum owes its original inspiration to the late Sir Harold Hillier and contains more than 3,000 varieties of trees and shrubs, many wild-collected by such well known plantsmen as Roy Lancaster CBE, Allen Coombes, Keith Rushforth and Chris Chadwell. Thenfords most recent feature is the national collection of snowdrops, built over the years with much encouragement from renowned galanthophiles David and Margaret MacLennan, and now numbering more than 1,200 varieties. Beautifully illustrated, this story of the creation of an extraordinary garden will delight horticultural experts and novices alike. Visitors are welcome. For details of public access see thenfordarboretum.com.

Reviews

Full of rich photography, it is a celebration of four decades of horticultural triumphs and disasters... What comes shining through in this delightful book and also in the flesh, is just how much pleasure the Heseltines have had from watching their Thenford dream take shape' * Daily Mail *
A sumptuous collection of photographs and illustrations * Mail on Sunday *
A finely illustrated account of their work * Financial Times *
A handsomely produced book * The Spectator *
This richly illustrated coffee-table book explains the creative process in detail * Daily Mail *
A beautifully produced account of a massive project * Evening Standard *
Fascinating... what comes through clearly is how well the Heseltines work together as a team... What a garden and what a book!' * Country Life *
The most comprehensive account of the creation of an English garden that you are ever likely to have the privilege of reading... delightful, yet informative' * Gardens Illustrated *
Written in both their voices, each taking different chapters, with warmth, amusing anecdotes and respect for the people who have helped advise and craft it * Garden Design Journal *
Will delight horticultural experts and novices alike * Welsh Border Life *
This book is a feast for the eyes, bristling with ideas and practical solutions * House & Garden *
An excellent book... An illustrated history and well-documented account of the garden's creation' * English Garden *

Author Bio

Michael Heseltine is a former Deputy Prime Minister for the United Kingdom. He has been married to Anne Heseltine since 1962. Their joint passion has been working on the garden at Thenford, their family home since 1977.