You don"t need to be planning a visit to Ireland to buy this beautiful book, but if you are it will certainly whet your appetite for the glories of the Irish garden and tempt you to include some of the featured gardens in your tour. The sumptuous photography accurately conveys the lush abundance made possible by the famously "soft" climate and attractive sepia-washed pen-and- ink drawings give an overall view of the larger gardens in the book. Each chapter explores a single garden, revealing its often fascinating history, the personalities involved in its evolution and the garden as it is today. The reader is guided through the garden in its different seasons with detailed descriptions of noteworthy views, features and plantings along the way. Author Olda Fitzgerald lives at Glin Castle, one of the featured gardens, and this has allowed her unique access to some of the grandest estates in Ireland. But not all are on a vast scale: there are also the more intimate pleasures of gardens such as Woodfield in County Offaly and Helen Dillon"s Dublin garden. Ending on a practical note, a useful visitor"s guide at the back of the book gives information on opening times and facilities. --Stephanie Donaldson