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This is the first book to trace the evolution of the paradise garden from the template created by Cyrus the Great at Pasargadae 2,500 years ago, through the Moghul gardens...

[Rosemary Verey], who has died aged 82, was the doyenne of the gardening world. A pioneer gardener, designer and writer, she made \"good\" gardening popular, and by her example - both in the aesthetic and practical horticulture so admired at her home at Barnsley House, Gloucestershire, and through her serious, but highly readable, books - she also made it achievable by a whole new generation. Having established the bones of the garden, Verey's infilling planting became a work of genius, softening any tendency towards excessive formality, concentrating on tapestry effects of colour and scent. There is nothing labour-saving about it; rather, it displays a passion for beauty and a love of plants, which is reflected in her book, Rosemary Verey's Making Of A Garden (1995). Verey was also an inspiring teacher. Critical, demanding - and often intimidating - to her many students, she became their mentor, influ encing and guiding young designers, horticulturists and writers, many of whom have since achieved their own recognition, thanks to her exacting standards. Although so rigorous in her teaching, she encouraged lasting admiration and friendship, a reflection of her integrity and joyful sense of humour.

In Essex, Beth Chatto has created a garden where water-loving plants from around the world thrive. The shallow, gently flowing water is ideal for `emergents': irises, reeds and grasses that live on the nutrient-rich margins of lakes, ponds and streams, whose roots must be in water or waterlogged all year. The banks are home to `lush growers' which need heavy, retentive soil. True aquatics, such as water lilies, grow in the water itself. Lilium canadense from North America, finds an ideal habitat in woods, wood margins and moist meadow together in natural harmonies. They will only give a sustainable `performance', though, if they are given the sort of growing conditions they enjoy. Just by looking at a plant, it is often possible to make a very good guess at this. Grey-leaved plants generally come from countries with hot summers and will need well-drained soil; lush, thick-stemmed plants with large leaves come from wet regions, and they need moisture. Large, soft, exotic-shaped leaves which allow rain to run off will come from tropical regions and be too tender for most garden situations above a certain latitude or altitude.