Sherry, I want to live in the pages of this book: The Cottage Garden by Christopher Lloyd.

Here is a link that might be useful: book

Sherry, one of my favorites is "English Cottage Gardening for American Gardeners" by Margaret Hensel.

Harborrose, I am so addicted to rose and cottage garden books, so know I'll order The Cottage Garden, LOL!
I also subscribe to both English Garden and Fine Gardening, pretty much gave up all my other magazine subscriptions to justify the priciness of these two, but like both of them. For me, Fine Gardening has given me some pretty hands-on information and enjoy receiving them every couple of months.

Would love to hear reports on your new books so I can add to my ever growing piles in the house. :)

You'll love your magazine. I got it last year for Christmas, and every issue has been stunning.

Thanks for the lists of books!
Renee

Sherry, any of the David Austin books have gorgeous pics of both blooms and garden shots.
Nancy

Lloyd's writings were a hit but British conditions are very different from those of Florida, so reading stuff written there you will keep running into different plants and problems being discussed than you will be dealing with.

I agree that many English garden books & magazines are lovely (my favorites are all written by Graham Thomas - in addition to many decades of experience, he was a poet, and the prose is just fantastic to read).

I also agree, however, that taking specific plant/planting advice from them is a dangerous thing - we do not have the same climate conditions that they do there. Thus following any specific advice re which plants to plant, how they grow, when to plant them, etc. can lead to disaster - it is much better to just enjoy them as writings, and get books written by authors who garden either where you live or where the conditions are similar if you want suggestions for your own garden.

Jackie

The only part of the US that corresponds climatically at all to Britain is the PNW and northern coastal California. But even in that instance there is a marked difference resulting from our having a wet winter/dry summer climate instead of their evenly dispersed, year-round precipitation. A normal Seattle summer is a 100 year drought in London. The kind and extent of planting that is often possible there, when funding and labor are adequate frequently demands an irrigation system be part of the installation here.

bboy, I absolutely am not looking to the English gardeners for their plant selections but rather their plant types - just like I wouldn't look to you. hehe. More than that though I want to get their mindset and the whys and wherefores of their design aesthetic. It occurred to me that the parts of my garden that I like the best are those that were packed with plants, i.e., companions around the roses, and that is exactly what I am lacking in my back garden. I'd really like to get immersed in their thinking. For a long time I ignored the English garden style, disliking the unkempt nature of the tall grasses and (forgive me) weedy-looking flowering plants. They just looked like they needed mowing to me, but I think I know enough now to adapt their style with my own Florida-loving plants. In fact, I've fallen in love with Gaura which I think would really appeal to an English cottage gardener.

The red stems in the fall are really lovely.
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Gean and ogrose, I saw the books you mentioned, and their on my wish list.

Nancy, garden pics and plans are exactly what I'm looking for but with less emphasis on roses. The roses are where they are. I just want to build around them.

Thanks everyone.

Sherry