As one who loves all things British, this book is a feast for the eyes! Kent, Sussex and Surrey have such beautiful gardens with a variety of styles for everyone who loves the outdoors. I may not be able to recreate these gardens, but I can still find great joy and inspiration in them.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I don’t think there is a more soothing book than this. What a perfect coffee table book in hard copy, too — just beautiful and inspirational, especially for wistful urbanites like me.

Gardening is certainly something I can take or leave. And its sister activity, visiting other peoples' gardens, is also something to be done in very small doses. So it was just mild curiosity and the fact I am from the SE of England of these pages that got me to pick this up for a browse. Starting with a cramped garden run by two chaps in Whitstable, contrasting with the industrial-scale planting at Arundel Castle (rightly featuring here as a place one knows of, yet whose gardens may not be what are in our minds when we do think of it), the format for the book is obvious – a quick guide to all the areas, the people creating the gardens in the first place, and the philosophy and look behind it all. It's a chatty, broadsheet supplement style, not going too far down the impenetrable, overly-cliquey writing approach it may have taken. This is about opening a window to the unknown, after all, and the every-third-word-in-Latin style is seldom present.

What the book doesn't get round to doing is discussing the houses alongside the gardens, in any great detail. Is this a giant orange buttress that this abuts, a mock Tudor frame for that wisteria, or a semi-detached bungalow looking no different to a dozen more? You could also argue that the idea of cramming up to thirteen images onto the same one page – as happens for every entry – is a bit of a budget-cutting catch-up that doesn't quite match the style of the other proceedings. But this is a book that admits early on that it couldn't include all it wanted to. These successful, inventive, enriching gardens? They just keep on growing, y'know, so we get just twenty. And I think it's a successful twenty. This suitably shies away from the Petworths and the other NT properties, and the others with a large media presence. I didn't get the urge to follow the creators and hare off to them all, but that as I say is my choice. For the target audience this is a pretty and informative survey, and there's little to suggest it won't succeed.

Since I was 5yo and read the Secret Garden for the first time, I’ve been obsessed with having my own. This book is so breathtakingly beautiful. Even if you didn’t read the passages (please do they are lovely) the pictures in this book are worth the price of the book. Sigh I am sad I can’t climb into this book. It’s so magical.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of The Secret Gardens of the South East by Barbara Segall. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this ARC.


I started this book expecting your usual gardening book with various tips and designs. But the combination of history and restoration this book provided was unique. The photographs that accompanied the text were gorgeous. I highly recommend this novel for those that enjoy gardening content. I give it a 5/5 stars

Beautiful coffee table book, easy to flip through and read one section at a time. The gardens included are gorgeous and inspiring. It makes me wish I could more easily travel to them all!

Gardening is a passion of mine and this book was wonderful for taking a nice look at gorgeous gardens in the UK, that I otherwise would not have been aware of.

With photos that capture the vivid colors, and wonderful wild loveliness of a natural garden, each chapter (a different garden), goes into the gardening, the people, and the inspirations behind the garden.

Lovely and in depth, this is a recommendation.

As an avid gardener, this book was pure heaven!! The most gorgeous gardens in the South East of England - Kent, Surrey & Sussex - are featured through words and pictures and it was just a treat to be allowed to see behind the gates of some of the most stunning gardens, and also hear the stories of the people who created them.

There is so much inspiration from each garden as they feature the small to the very large. And each garden is so different that you can't help but marvel at the creativity shown by each owner. There are formal gardens, but also those that cater more for wildlife, the perfect cottage gardens and also those that centre around sculptures. Every garden gave me plenty of ideas that I could try to recreate from planting combinations to the use of space,

I really loved hearing from the owners/gardeners of each garden featured as you got more out of what the garden means to them and why they chose the design. There's also very handy visitor information at the back of the book to help you plan your garden visits as you will be inspired to check many of them out yourself if in the area!

The photography is beautiful and this is a very worthy book to add to any garden lovers collection.

Choosing twenty stunning gardens from amongst hundreds in England must have been a difficult feat indeed. But Barbara Segall chose a wondrous variety from the South East which highlight the incomparable artistry of nature. Art, bits of history and architecture can enhance both formal and informal gardens, whether natural woodlands, succulent plots, herb plantings or secret gardens. Soil, climate and people (in particular relationships) affect what to and how to grow. Deceased greats such as Christopher Lloyd and Gertrude Jekyll are important details in this book, too.

Some gardens are inspired by travels, others by the bones of established gardens. As a master gardener visiting gardens in Europe is one of my favourite past times. This gorgeous book filled to the brim with glorious photography is so lovely that the photography instantly brings memories of my own travels to mind. A favourite of mine in this book include Gertrude Jekyll's Munsted Woods with its paths and rooms, fruit and vegetables. Walled Arundel Castle is resplendent with stunning mass plantings and Long Barn, first garden of Vita Sackville-West, includes unexpected secret rooms.

Many tips feature in conversations with the owners and gardeners such as including the wow factor, maintenance, sharp sheers, seasonal colour, the "no dig" policy and simplicity. Animal topiary and yew hedges always grab my attention and the examples shown are mind boggling. Who could resist the "Stumpery", rose gardens, Cloister Walk, Banqueting House Garden, Circle Pond, Italianate Sunk Garden, The Quadrangle, Hornbeam Walk and Birch Maze? Personal tidbits are included such as Jekyll's predilection for fig trees which I share! I love that the author includes photographs of the owners and gardeners and their gardens and future plans. Most privately-owned gardens in this book are large but a few smaller ones are described as well...so many live in cities and on small farms. Thankfully many gardens are open to the public.

Whether you are an armchair gardener or like getting your green thumbs dirty, you will not regret reading and learning from The Secret Gardens of the South East. Regardless of the climate you live/garden in, there is a lot to enjoy.

My sincere thank you to Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this inspiring book!

A lovely variety of gardens from around the southeast of England, and not the ones you might expect either. The pictures are nice and there is a lot of insight from the gardeners too. Definitely a book that keen gardeners will love.

I loved these gardens and loved the gorgeous pictures. A perfect book for whoever love gardening.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Fun Fact: I am deathly allergic to trees and grass (hence why I quickly became a reader as a child). Thus, the only time I can truly appreciate the beauty of gardens and nature is from within the pages of a book. This one is perfect, as you can experience and feel immersed in the beauty without ever leaving your own home. From Kent to Sussex and beyond, this one takes you on a personal tour of England’s most beautiful gardens. This one is perfect for the coffee table of gardening and landscape lovers, and for anyone who appreciates the cultivated beauty of nature.

The Secret Gardens of the South East:
A Private Tour
Author: Barbara Segall

eARC & Book Review
Publish Date: October 4, 2022

My Rating 4/5 ⭐️

In Segall’s book, The Secret Gardens of the South East, we tour some of the United Kingdom’s most exquisite gardens in the counties of Kent, Sussex, and Surrey.

Each garden features beautiful pictures and write-ups explaining the inspiration, plants used, and design techniques of the gardens.

While these aren’t gardens that I would find here in the Southern US, this book still resonated with me. I currently work in the landscaping industry and have previously worked for a high-end landscaper. The time and technique that went into each of these is something to brag about! I love that this book shines a light on exquisite and unique landscaping and gardens.

This book would be the perfect addition to any plant lovers bookshelf or even on a coffee table! I’d love to see these images in print.

Thank you NetGalley, Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a treat for garden lovers and armchair travelers! Twenty gardens, all of which are just gorgeously photographed, are included in this title. To name a few; 87 Albert Street, Balmoral Cottage, Long Barn, Moleshill House,and Sussex Prarie Garden. Whether known to readers or not, these often lush, always beautiful gardens come to life on the page. Happily, there is a section at the end of the book with information for visitors.

I loved the forward to this book. It notes that gardens are works of art that can be about history, architecture and more. It is observed here that gardens are also about relationships and the people who create them. Gardens of some well-known designers are in these pages. Many other of these gardeners were not known to me.

I picked up this book on what felt like a hard day. It offered some lovely respite.

Gardeners and lovers of beauty, take a look at this one! It is filled with inspiration.

Many thnaks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.

This is a lovely book of 20 gardens. I made the mistake of not looking closely when I requested the book and thought it was gardens of the southeast United States rather than southeast England. Other than the first garden these are mainly gardens of castles and manors. I don’t have a castle or manor and prefer to read gardening books that I could use for inspiration for my own gardens. These are enormous gardens with full time staff in charge of them. Text tells the stories of the rich people who bought them and pay people to follow their whims in them. As I mentioned, the first garden belongs to just an ordinary couple and I enjoyed their bit. The rest were beautiful but felt more like a travel guide than garden guide. There are photos throughout but the quality on my ARC was so poor that it reminded me of the episode of Twilight Zone where the book lover survives the nuclear bomb and is at the NY public library surrounded by millions of books and then he accidentally crushes his glasses. It was altogether not a pleasant experience to read it because of this but that’s the fault of the publisher and not the book.

I’m sure this will be a well loved book by many gardeners, especially those fond of opulent English gardens and who get to see the actual photos. And those who are far less cranky than I. 🙂

As a keen gardener, I love seeing what others do in theirs! This book is full of stunning gardens and packed with inspiration, as well as information about each place. Beautiful collection of photos, would make a wonderful gift for a gardener!