Wednesday, April 12, 2017

English Country Gardens.




                                                                                                                          “How many kinds of sweet flowers grow in an English Country Garden? We’ll tell you now of some that we know. Those we miss, you’ll surely pardon. Daffodils, heart’s ease and phlox, gentian, lupine and tall hollyhocks, meadowsweet and lady smocks, roses, foxgloves, snowdrops, blue forget-me-nots. In an English Country Garden.” – Lyrics by Jimmie Rodgers.

This was one of my favorite children’s songs.

The opening scene in my next release, a Regency, takes place in the heroine’s enclosed garden, so naturally I want to have one on the cover.

As you can tell from my research pictures, there are many flowers growing in an English garden. Too many for a book cover. As beautiful as those flowers are, they can’t compete with the subjects.


You’ll notice that the gardens of great estates were quite formal, laid out with precision and detail. The country garden, however, were less formal. The flowers seem artlessly placed, as if they’d just sprung up where nature put them. Nothing could be further from the truth, though.

I know. My mother had such a garden with meandering paths. Pansies, phlox and lilies competed with each other in front of azalea, bride’s wreath, and roses. Some places were sparse, others crowded. Flowering shrubs and small trees were allowed to spread out. They provided wonderful hiding places for a little girl to play house.


Of all these English garden pictures, which would you say I should choose for my book cover?
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6 comments:

  1. I've always admired English gardens and well kept sculptured lawns with stone paths among the flowers. I've notice my some of my lillies are coming up outside of the rocks that surrounds their beds this year---they'll be hard to dig up in their new location, thus I'm leaving them. I was drawn to the last picture first but really like the first picture, too. I look forward to reading your next book with one of these English garden scenes.

    Easter Blessings, Elaine.

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    1. Thanks Marilyn. I found a new picture of a park in St James, London. The colors are more muted, so I might use it. I'll see what the cover designer says. Happy Easter to you.

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  2. They are all very interesting and pretty. But I think I would like to hide in the first one! And I think it lends itself better to a cover , if you are going to place the title and Author across the picture.

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    1. Hi Paula. I love gardens, so it's hard to make up my mind. I'm hoping the designer can give me several mock-ups to choose from. Have a blessed Easter weekend.

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  3. I think they are all very pretty but I am drawn to the second picture. The straight patch surrounded by flowers that leads to a cozy cottage makes me feel that love and a safe environment awaits me!
    Have a wonderful Easter!

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