The unique style of the English garden is admired and copied all over the world. This book shows how the gardens of each period reflect the political, social and cultural life, how they affected architecture, clothes and manners, and how ideas and plants from other continents were embraced to form the art of English garden making. The contributions of men and women of genius and lesser known individuals are analysed and celebrated. The author's final conclusion is that an overwhelming love of flowering plants has always been the inspiration for English gardeners, and probably always will be.