In 1872 the most famous cultural critic in Britain moved into a dilapidated cottage in the heart of England's Lake District and swapped his pen for a billhook. John Ruskin's arrival in a landscape already steeped in agricultural history began an evolution that led to the extraordinary gardens that grace Brantwood today. In this beautifully illustrated and comprehensive guide, eminent botanist and horticultural expert David Ingram traces the history of the gardens and explores the contribution of successive garden visionaries that have blessed Brantwood from Ruskin to the present day.