The Quest for Shakespeare's Garden

A lavishly illustrated history of gardens drawing from Shakespeare’s works and garden writing―published to commemorate the 400th anniversary year of his death

Published in association with the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, The Quest for Shakespeare’s Garden traces the origins of garden history and the Elizabethan garden, as well as telling the story of the Bard’s own garden in Stratford-upon-Avon. Beautifully presented, the text is accompanied by quotations from Shakespeare’s works and lush illustrations of his gardens, past and present, plucked from a multitude of sources including embroidered Elizabethan clothing and Victorian gardening books, as well as various gardens around the world.

Roy Strong’s detailed account is inspired by Shakespeare’s works and supplemented by Francis Bacon’s 1625 essay “Of Gardens" which provides Elizabethan-era advice to garden enthusiasts on such topics as topiary, seasonal gardens, scents, aviaries, and more.