Landscape of Dreams: The Gardens of Isabel & Julia Bannerman

Genius, visionary designers whose work continues to frame what is with what was. Such a charming personal story, too. The alchemy of their partnership results in a magical juxtaposition of nature with architecture, found objects, art, history, and color. Beautiful photographs of their work will inspire you and their story will make you wish you could join them for drinks.

Terrific book that follows two major talents in the garden design field--who happened to be married to each other--each major project is described with passion and eloquence and humor by the distaff side of the marriage. Rare for garden books to be so beautiful AND informative. This is for the serious student and the connoisseur.

This is a spectacular book. The detailed background on how the gardens were planned and built adds depth not usually seen in a coffee table book.

It was beyond my wildest dreams. Their creative ideas are sheer fantasy.The greatest imagination of any landscapists that I've read. Very satisfying.

So delighted to see more of the Bannermaan's work and do envy the rot walls.

Lovely book!

This book had zero magic for me. I judge a book on how it grabs you and pulls you in from the very beginning. A book that you read or look at over and over. This book did not do that for me. In fact, you have to flip almost a third of the way through the book to see pictures that remind you that you're in fact reading a gardening book. I'm not sure why this book was even written. I'm glad I got it from my local library. The price is pretty high for a book that just isn't that interesting. Way better choices out there if you're looking for gardening ideas or just pictures of beautiful, practical, affordable gardens.

Most British gardening books are very much the same; the usual gardens (Dixter, Sissinghurst etc) described in overly enthusiastic and sycophantic language accompanied by full page pictures of the same view of the garden that every other book uses, plus the obligatory close-up pictures of dewy spiders webs on cardoon flowers... you know, the same old same old.If you like that sort of book then you will hate this one; the Bannerman's give a designer's eye view of the projects they've been involved with (we've all seen pictures of the stumpery at Highgrove, but this book shows you how it looked as it was being built!), and this is not a book aimed at those people who just think any big garden is 'lovely'. This is a book for people who want to know more about gardens than simply whether there's tea and cake.One criticism... no, one thing to point out; the Bannerman's are at the top of their game and are doing projects far outside the budgets of most of us mere mortals. The features and scale of the projects featured in this book are vast, as are the bills at the end of it. This is a book to inform and inspire, but if you're wanting to copy any of the gardens like for like you'd better have a lot of ground and a very healthy bank balance! However a good look at the gardens and a reading of the philosophy behind these gardens may well open your eyes to creating your own landscape of dreams.

The Bannermans are responsible for the creation of some wonderful gardens, that is an indisputable fact. However the photography in this book does not showcase their talents in the way they deserve. If you just search the internet for pictures of their gardens you will find better photos than this book can offer.

Loved the photos in this book

The excitement of anticipation outweighed the reality of purchase.Although a 'decent' book, sadly not nearly enough photo examples of work.

I gave it as a present. The recipient wrote: 'wonderful title and inspiring book, beautiful and varied images providing ideas and something to appreciate in themselves'