Greenest of the Greek islands, Corfu has a rich but little-known garden heritage. This first-ever book on the subject is as inspiring as it is informative. Illustrated by multi-award-winning photographer Marianne Majerus, it focuses entirely on private gardens, and gives a unique entrée to a secret world ranging from romantic old estates to stunning contemporary works by international designers. Rich with stories about the gardens and their creation, the text brims with insights into the island’s unusual cultural and natural history. Portraits of individual gardens show how design ideals have evolved, influenced by global and Mediterranean design trends but respecting the local spirit of place and drawing on local craft traditions. They provide a wealth of inspiration for garden makers in Mediterranean climate zones and beyond. The final chapter explores the island’s varied wild landscapes; it follows the procession of wildflowers through the seasons and illustrates local culinary and medicinal uses of wild plants. Shortlisted for the 2019 Runciman Book Prize. US National Indie Excellence Award winner, 2019. Silver Medal, 2019, Garden Communicators International. "I cannot praise this book enough...Guides the reader through the gates of gardens most of us could only dream about visiting...both the texts and the photographs ensure that we do not merely visit these places, we explore them."--Diana Farr-Louis, The Mediterranean Garden , October 2018 "A coffee-table topper that explores the unexpected gardens of Corfu and will leave you yearning for your own island retreat....The chapter on contemporary gardens highlights some of the recent superstars of mediterranean garden design, including Alithea Johns, Jennifer Gay, and Thomas Doxiádis--many of whom use local plants and naturalistic effects from the surrounding landscape to create sustainable gardens."--Stephanie Mahon, Gardens Illustrated , April 2018 "Five new books have arrived in The Watch House library this week, all fabulous, but none as beautiful as this one. I had no idea Corfu was so wet (44% more rain than London) and blessed with so many stunning gardens across the spectrum of design..." The Frustrated Gardener Blog , Facebook, August 25, 2018. Greenest of the Greek islands, Corfu has a rich garden heritage spanning old estates, village gardens, and stunning contemporary gardens by international designers. Lavishly illustrated by award-winning photographer Marianne Majerus, this compelling portrait gives insights into the island's unusual social and natural history, and provides a wealth of design inspiration for any garden maker who contends with summer water shortages. All but one of the twenty-three gardens depicted are private, so the book is a rare window into a secluded world. In-depth studies show how the island's garden ideals have evolved, influenced by global designtrends but respecting the local spirit of place and drawing on local craft traditions in stone, terracotta, and wrought iron. They show how Corfu's garden makers conserve water, handle sunlight and shade, and choose plants for their resilience and low maintenance needs. The contemporary gardens vary in scale and mood, but all take inspiration from the island landscape with its spectacular views of mountains and sea. Tracing the roots of their inspiration, the book's last chapter explores the island's varied wild landscape and wild plants. Mary Keen , author of the Preface, is a garden designer, author, and lecturer. She is a frequent contributor to garden magazines and a columnist for the UK newspaper The  Telegraph . The most recent of her five books is Paradise and Plenty: A Rothschild Family Garden . Rachel Weaving , a writer and garden maker, came late to Corfu but fell quickly in love with the island's natural beauty and spellbinding gardens. After a career in communications and management in international financial organisations, she obtained an RHS Certificate inHorticulture, studied garden design at the Oxford College of Garden Design, and advised on garden design. She began creating her current garden twelve years ago on a Corfiot hillside. The challenge of doing so led her to study the island's gardening conditions and traditions and their roots in its culture, history, and natural environment. She lives in Washington, DC and Corfu. Marianne Majerus is one of Europe's finest garden photographers; her artistic and sensitive images are sought after by publishers and private clients. She has won many awards including International Garden Photographer of the Year and Photographer of the Year by the Garden Media Guild. She is a founding member of the Professional Garden Photographers' Association and an RHS judge. Recent books include Gardens of the Italian Lakes , Great Gardens of London , and Garden Design: A Book of Ideas , for which she was awarded the title of Book Photographer of the Year by the Garden Media Guild. She won the 2018 European Garden Phot