SECRET SANCTUARIES
Britain’s far-flung island gardens
Vast swathes of rhododendrons at Arran’s Brodick Castle, resplendent red lilies in Guernsey and elegant orchids on Oronsay fill this new book exploring the gardens in the remotest corners of the British Isles. The horticultural specialist Jackie Bennett describes the lives of plants that withstand relentless winds, thin soil and unpredictable temperatures to emerge in full bloom. Their caretakers must battle the elements too, watering ferneries for hours every day, following timetables as dictated by the tide and peppering vertiginous hillsides with flower seeds fired from shotguns. ellen peirsonhagger ‘Island Gardens’ by Jackie Bennett (£25, White Lion Publishing) is out now.