This work on knot gardens and parterres is written in two parts. The first unravels the tangled story of the knot garden as it transforms itself from the "curious knot" of Tudor times into the great embroidered layouts of the 17th century. The English landscape all but obliterated formal patterns but they emerge again with the flamboyance of the Victorian parterre. Here, fully illustrated, is the alternative history of British gardening; a story that embraces all the decorative arts. At last it is possible to see how the designs used in weaving, embroidery, carpentry, glazing and plasterwork appear again and again mirrored in the garden. The second part of the book takes the story from history to practice. It is for the gardener and shows how the concept of the knot garden is ideal for today. The choices and opportunities are set out with enthusiasm by an expert and practical gardener who takes the reader through every stage from initial planning, design and choice of plants to the nitty gritty of care and maintenance.