A history of the garden in the Cotswolds that is recognized around the world as the epitome of the English country garden.

The garden of Hidcote Manor in Gloucestershire is among the most influential gardens in England, and certainly one of the most visited. Each year more than 100,000 visitors come to this Cotswold hilltop to admire the intricate parterres and exuberant borders, to wander through the fabled series of 'garden rooms' and the mysterious woodland glades and find inspiration in the varied gallery of plants. No garden made in the 20th century has more clearly charted the direction to be taken by garden style. None has offered more vivid inspiration to the makers of gardens large and small.

Newport, Rhode Island, blessed with stunning ocean vistas and constant sea breezes, is home to some of the most exceptional private residences in America. Its deeply rooted history makes it a perennial destination, with more than 3.5 million visitors each year. Although it is one of the most high profile towns in the country, Newport is also one of the most cloistered. Private Newport: At Home and in the Garden offers an invitation to venture beyond the privet hedges and massive iron gates. It is the first book to step inside the privately owned mansions to reveal a diverse collection of architectural jewels complemented by spectacular gardens. These homes, created by distinguished architects and landscape designers, are stunning examples of Newport's 375-year "old-world" heritage. Eighteen exquisite and unique homes are prominently featured-from the resilient crescent curve of majestic Seafair, which withstood the Hurricane of '38, to the prizewinning Japanese garden at Wildacre, to the nostalgic working farm of heritage breeds at Swiss Village-each contributing its own part to the "Eden of America."

David Allen, son of William Allen and Sarah Purser, lived in Chipping-Campden, Gloucester, England. He married Mary Stanley 15 April 1828 and they had ten children. They emigrated in 1836 and settled in Wayne County, Michigan. David died in 1866. Ancestors, descendants and relatives lived mainly in England and Michigan.

The Times: A Century of Photographs - Gardening combines two of this century's best loved passions - gardening and photography. Over 300 photographs - a mixture of b/w and colour - have been chosen for their humour, charm, aesthetic, curiosity and historical value. Some are hauntingly beautiful, others remarkably rare. Others still depict not only garden history, but social history in the making - snapshots, for example, of gardens in the Second World War when every spare yard of soil (castle moats, royal parks and polo grounds included) was devoted to vegetable production. Arranged chronologically, the photographs are each accompanied by an explanatory caption.