It all began when Simon Griffiths decided that he and his whippet couldn't live in his tiny but gorgeous one-up one-down shopfront in Albert Park any more. He had a yearning for open spaces, country air and, most importantly, a garden of his own.

On finding his cottage in Meadowbank, and trialling different plants, he gradually became part of the secret gardening network. The one where cuttings are exchanged between friends and planting successes and failures are recounted over neighbourhood fences.

Simon is a brilliant photographer, bringing warmth and joy to all his subjects, but he is also a very knowledgeable plantsman. In this book he has captured his favourite 20 country-style gardens and shares the knowledge he has gleaned from fellow garden lovers.