In Setting the Scene leading garden designer George Carter describes his own work over the past thirty years and puts it in the context of the teachings of the great eighteenth-century landscaper Humphry Repton. The result is a series of pithy lesson that will be invaluable to any garden designer, or garden owner.

Rich in both inspiring ideas and practical advice, Setting the Scene shows how successful gardens are designed and made. Following the pattern set by Repton in his revered Red Books, Carter takes us through the process in meticulous detail, leading us from the initial site plan to the glory of the finished garden, and illustrating each chapter with photographs and plans of gardens from his own portfolio, ranging from small urban gardens to large country estates, the world over.