Books for sale

Signed copies of the following hardback books are available as priced below including postage and packing:

Follies of Europe – architectural extravaganzas                £35.00

Why do Violets shrink? Answers to 280 thorny questions

in the world of plants                                                            £14.99

The not so little Book of Dung                                             £14.99

Victorian Gardens                                                                 £25.00

Also available at £12.99 including postage and packing, signed copies of

New Shoots, Old Tips

Monet at Giverny (paperback)

Cheques in sterling (or dollars email Caroline.holmes.com@btinternet.com for details) should be made payable to 'Caroline Holmes'

Orders should be posted to:

Gardens Millennium to Millennium,

Denham End Farm,

Bury St. Edmunds IP29 5EE,

What the critics say 

New Shoots, Old Tips

'This anthology of gardening writing, which stretches from as far back as Genesis, is an ideal loo book. Dip into it for advice on almost any topic, from budding and grafting to beds and borders. It sets what we do today in its historical context'  Daily Telegraph

'Occasionally it is good to get away from the nitty-gritty of gardening ... and wander off into historical attitudes and anecdotes. ... Everyone has an opinion here, from Noah to George Bernard Shaw, from 16th century suspicions concerning aubergines to the number of bedding plants required each year to demonstrate that a garden belongs to a duke. .. there are no colour illustrations, but .. plenty of black and white ones - advertisements, plans, cartoons and photographs'  The Times

Monet at Giverny

Evening Standard, included in 2001 Art Books of the Year

'Is there room for another book on Giverny? Read this for its fascinating detail about all aspects of life in 19th century France (waterlily hybridisation, the helpful advent of oil paint in tubes, treatment for cataracts) as well as for the astute comments on, for instance, Monet's use of perspective in relation to Le Notre's. The picture captions are a volume in themselves.'  Historic Gardens Review

'If you love your garden and obsess over colour then you'll adore 'Monet at Giverny' .. This beautifully illustrated book portrays Monet's outstanding plantsmanship, his obsession with gardening and colour as well as a wealth of horticultural detail.'  Essential Water Garden

'In this beautifully illustrated paperback .. Biographically incisive, it shows the artist as a consummate plantsman ..'  Country House and Home

'This is at its best about his plantings - the new Japanese clematis varieties, the exchange of foxglove seeds with fellow-painter Gustave Caillebotte, and the municipal council's worries about the health hazards that might arrive with foreign aquatic plants' The Guardian

A Zest for Herbs (UK title) or The Romantic Herb Garden (US title)

The Sunday Telegraph Book of the Week 23 May 2004

Eastern Daily Press Book of the Week 8 May 2004

The Evening Standard Book of the Week 5 May 2004

'Ostensibly a gardening tome, because horticulture is Holmes's vocation, this beautifully written volume deserves a place on the shelf of any serious cook who is keen to understand about herbs.... However, it isn't only the mouth-thrilling flavour of fresh herbs or the delicate petals of edible flowers that Holmes appreciates. She revels in eye-pleasing aesthetics, heady and diverse scents, medicinal properties, aphrodisiac effects and romantic connotations.' The Scotsman

'In her latest book, The Romantic Herb Garden ... she suggests planting a beautiful bouquet of complementing plants such as peonies, lilies, mint, and geraniums in the same area of the garden. Add color and warmth to your garden with foliage. Golden-leaved herbs and shrubs and yellow and gold flowers such as French marigolds will give a garden eye-popping colour. The Blade, Toledo OH

' The author .. aims to change attitudes and bring herbs back into the forefront of garden design. .. Her book is not a step-by-step instruction manual on how to grow and propagate herbs; ... it leans towards the design element and, with beautiful photography and descriptions of gardens the world over, would be equally as appealing to the armchair gardener as to those who like to plan ahead for precise shape colour and scent.'  The Index Magazine

'Shows how we can incorporate this sensual ideal into even the smallest town garden, as well as our urban lifestyles'  The Evening Standard

'A feast for all senses .. You can touch, taste, smell and eat Caroline Holmes' fantastic selection of herbs for beds and borders'  Gardens Monthly

'This book not only discusses the many ways you can use herbs, but looks at these plants either as a backdrop to - or indeed star of - any garden scheme. It details imaginative ways to plant herbs successfully in your garden .. ' Aberdeen Press and Journal

'Gardening books are aplenty in bookshops these days, but if you want some inspiration for your little piece of garden paradise, look no further.'  Suffolk Magazine