This book is a wonderful reminder of how brilliant Rosemary Verey's garden was whilst she was alive. I visited several times with various people from the eighties onwards and it was a wonderfully romantic garden, full of delights and surprises around every corner. Sadly (but I understand the economic reasons) the house is now a boutique style hotel and not in the hands of the original family. A recent visit on a NGS open day was very sad as the gardens, although still worth a visit, no longer reflect the love, care or devotion they had in Rosemary Verey's day. Some parts have gone entirely, some are sadly neglected and weed laden. A visitor today, may not even know what existed before and certainly won't have seen it at its best. I prefer to remember it as it was, charming, low key, friendly, with eccentric old ladies taking the money, total trust in the "sales area" (you left your money for books, etc in a box) and informal advice for all gardeners who asked about the plants. I know this may sound reactionary, I don't mean it to be, and I'm not, but this is not a change for the better. Treasure this book if you saw all of it when it existed, and looked its best. If you didn't see it then, hope and pray someone in the future restores it back to its original brilliance (as many gardens are eventually, even if decades later)and treasure this book in the meantime.