The way we were photographs from the country life archive

If you’ve ever wondered what the gardens of some of Britain’s best landscape architects look like, there’s a new book that tours these places

Letter of the week As old as ...

The garden of a former vicarage in Sussex now encompasses all the elements needed for relaxation and entertaining

French artists have appropriated alfresco dining ever since Édouard Manet scandalised Paris with his Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe , yet many charming scenes were painted in Britain, too, and are worth rediscovering, says Deborah Nicholls-Lee

A close observation of the season’s cycles and respect for ecology have been the guiding principles in the development of the garden at Highlands, in the High Weald of East Sussex

James Cordingley, head gardener at National Trust Dunster Castle in Somerset, tells us about its diverse planting and historical features