Lost Gardens of the World

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and Sandra Lawrence for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! This book is absolutely gorgeous and includes some really interesting information on gardens around the world. The illustrations are beautiful as well. I highly recommend picking this one up when it releases!

A beautiful book that feels like being brought on a journey of discovery. This is a very informative book about many gardens from around the world with gorgeous illustrations

A garden book without photographs? Yes, and it works thanks to the amazing narrative written by Lawrence, who evokes times and places long past. Simply beautiful

Certainly a niche book; a good one. If you are interested in lost cultural artefacts, lost treasures of nature and especially lost gardens, oases and edens in the world like me, you will enjoy this book.

The illustrations and the design are amazing.

Lost Gardens of the World by Sandra Lawrence takes you on a journey through some of the world's most intriguing and forgotten gardens. Blending history with horticulture, the book uncovers the stories behind these once-beautiful spaces. With gorgeous illustrations and interesting tales, it showcases the creativity of past garden designers. It's a great read for garden enthusiasts and history buffs alike, celebrating the legacy of these incredible, overlooked gardens.

Lost Gardens of the World by Sandra Lawrence is my dream book. Since I was a little girl, secret and hidden gardens have caused my heart to pitter patter. In fact, as a child while shelling peas I regaled my wide-eyed siblings with made-up stories about hidden staircases disappearing into underground candy shops, libraries and gardens. They believed me for a time. Why not take that further as adults, seeking whimsy and fantasy in gardens, architecture, ruins, tree trunks and caves?

As an adult I seek hidden gardens and other treasures on my travels which take me to places of wonder, including several in this book. Forty abandoned and forgotten gardens are the focus, some which have forever faded into obscurity, others which are undergoing restoration. Illustrations for each garden are easily recognizable, especially those I've visited and read about.

Influences such as weather, disease, wildlife and humans can literally change garden landscapes and are discussed here. Between garden chapters are informative pages about gardens such as seed banks, hermitages, follies and garden rooms.

Amongst my favourite gardens in life and in this book are the impossibly exquisite Villa Adriana in Italy which was supplied by aqueducts, Les Hortillonnages in France and its islands, Paleis Het Loo in the Netherlands with ties to royalty and designed by garden archaeologists, and Schönbrunn Palace mazes in Vienna (I once got lost in a garden maze in Scotland!). I would love to visit the subterranean gardens and grottoes of Dewston in Wales and Painshill Landscape Garden in England and many more.

As a master gardener, I enjoy learning about anything horticulture related but this is a book for anyone and everyone intrigued by lost gardens.

My sincere thank you to Quarto Publishing Group-White Lion and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this enchanting book. As there are thousands of such places, my hope is for a lost gardens book series. The possibilities are breathtaking.

A great combination of stunning illustrations and obscure history, this book would be at home on any garden lover's bookshelf. It has dozens of lost gardens, from those that were lost over a thousand years ago to those that faded into disrepair within the last century. There's a brief overview of each garden's history, from the first planting to any restoration efforts that are being made. Also, did you know that there are garden archaeologists? Sounds awesome. And, sounds like they're doing good work. This is also an interesting history book because so many of the gardens' rises and falls mirror bigger events, or royal families' histories. It also includes snippets of broader garden history, like the history of fake stone and garden hermits as an employment option. Very fun book.

This book is so so cute omg! Lost Gardens of the World is a book that you don't wanna put down for a second in your life. This is so good omg.

What a wonderful book about Lost Gardens that are being revised. I found the telling of the histories of the gardens fascinating and exciting to imagine, and I found the revival of the gardens reminds me of libraries where they go in and out of fashion but never really die, and are truly diamonds in the rough. I don't know if I would ever get a chance to visit any of these gardens but reading about them makes me feel like I'm there already.
I thought the illustration were very nice but I wish there were actual pictures included of what the gardens look like now and pictures of the people who not only created the gardens but the people who are helping them return to life.

I did like that there is an appendix that tells if the gardens are opened to the public and I hope this book encourages people to visit them.

I want to Thank Quarto Publishing Group – White Lion | Frances Lincoln and NetGalley for an advance copy of a book full of Gardens.

Author and journalist Sandra Lawrence takes readers on a tour of 40 horticultural gems from around the world that have been lost either through neglect, abandonment or destruction.

Thank you Quarto Publishing & Netgalley for making this available on Netgalley as a Read Now book! I enjoyed reading this book and looking at the pictures of the gardens. If you’re interested in reading about gardens then I would recommend reading this book.

James' rating: 5 out of 5 vibrant stars!

First of all, the illustrations! Oh my gods, they are honestly one of the best ones I've ever seen. It was vivid as well as high in detail. The illustrator did an amazing job.

Coming to the descriptions, I could visibly see the research that the author had done as well the dedication. There was a plethora of information ranging from history to interesting facts to engaging stories. I appreciated the effort that was taken to unveil each garden mentioned and also their clear and concise description that was fluid.

At this day and age where technology is taking over every aspect of our lives, these sites should be preserved not only for their significance in history but also their raw beauty in varied layers. I would love visit them someday. The author has done an excellent job in bringing their garden to life through their words and I would definitely recommend this book to plant lovers.

Thanks to Sandra Lawrence, Lucille Clerc and Frances Lincoln for a beautiful ARC!

Lost Gardens of the World is a beautiful compendium that takes us all over the planet to showcase lost gardens that have been rediscovered throughout the years. Their preservation is not only of upmost importance to history, but also for humanity, as connectedness with nature is essential to our species. The work, thought, and sheer passion that were put into this title are very apparent, and it was a capturing read from beginning to end. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity!