While this book is primarily devoted to the historical reconstruction of the formal and horticultural characteristics of "theatrical" shrubberies and flower beds, it also aims to animate the world of the eighteenth-century pleasure ground.

Mark Laird shows how the unwritten lore of planting design was passed down by generation after generation of gardeners and discusses the interaction of landscape designer, client, nurseryman, land agent, and gardener in modifying and transforming the geometric layouts of previous generations.

He traces the development of planting design theory and practice from Batty Langley to Capability Brown and William Chambers, and demonstrates how an English mania for flowering shrubs and conifers from eastern North America helped create the distinctive planting forms of the Georgian pleasure ground.

Laird offers readers a wealth of visual and literary materials - from contemporary paintings, engravings, poetry, essays, and letters to more prosaic household accounts and nursery bills - to revolutionize our understanding of the English landscape garden as a powerful cultural expression.