Sleightholmedale Half Term is a good time to get some inspiration for your flower patches either by visiting gardens or settling into a hammock with a good gardening book full ofsound advice and LOTS of droolworthy colour pictures of delicious plant combinations. As my holiday had already been hi-jacked for a trip to London to visit the Science Museum and take in as many of our old haunts in North London as possible with the children, I had to be content with the latter. How fortunate then that Frances Lincoln had recently sent us a copy ofFirst Ladies of Gardeningto feed my passion for all things horticultural during a few days away.

Written in an engaging way by Heidi Howcroft and with the most beautiful full colour photographs of the views, vistas and plant combinations found in the inspiringgardens designed and maintained by fourteen female British gardeners …