Flower Gardens is a personal treatise by one of England"s foremost garden writers, a beautiful and informative guide to choosing the best flowering plants for any garden and arranging them harmoniously in a given setting. Penelope Hobhouse beings by discussing flower qualities - color form, habit season and scent - in relation to the whole plant and its contribution to the garden. Different flower garden styles are discussed in subsequent chapters - from natural gardening, through classic flower borders and beds, to more manicured styles of elegant formality. Delightful photographs of featured gardens demonstrate each of these themes. A personal and practical plant catalogue includes more than 700 flowering plants, with detailed information on how and where to use them in garden composition.