Thenford The Creation of an English Garden

<p><b>A new edition.</b><br><br><b>To celebrate showcasing Thenford''s world-class collection of snowdrops, this completely updated edition contains superb photography of the dynamic new collection. The perfect gift for garden lovers everywhere.</b><br><br>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 <i>Mistake by Mistake</i>. 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 <i>Thenford: The Creation of an English Garden</i>. This second edition, published in 2024, updates the story and balances the mistakes against the achievements.<br><br>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.<br><br>Thenford’s 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.<br><br>Beautifully illustrated, this story of the creation of an extraordinary garden will delight horticultural experts and novices alike.<br><br>Visitors are welcome. For details of public access see <i>thenfordarboretum.com.</i></p>