How many of us really understand what we are looking at when strolling through a beautiful garden? Is the style of terracing Italianate or Arts and Crafts? Is it an original landscaped site or a re-creation? Many of today's gardens are an amalgam of changing fashions and circumstance, and often have fascinating histories, from Sissinghurst Castle and the Palace of Versailles to the Alhambra's Court of the Lions and New York's Central Park. With color photos or drawings on every page, Lorraine Harrison leads a brisk tour through some of the world's greatest gardens, explaining the horticultural and architectural principles that underlie their appeal, and the book includes an essential glossary.