More Hidden Gardens

Every garden has its mysteries, even the newest. The ground, after all, is as old as time - what grew here before? Who trod the soil, decided what to plant and what to change? And when a piece of land has been gardened for perhaps a century and more, it will contain countless layers of hidden history - the imprint of lost garden features, and the planting passions of forgotten gardeners.

Now, 'More Hidden Gardens' follows Chris Beardshaw and his BBC TV team as they explore a further six fascinating gardens, uncovering evidence about their previous incarnations. Medieval skeletons shed light on a monastic garden; a pile of plant bills reveals unknown details of a Capability Brown design; diaries and notebooks, photographs and plans all help to build up pictures of the past.

It takes detective work and forensic skills of many kinds to find out about the details of a garden's heyday, and the question of deciding how - and whether - to undertake restoration is also challenging, and often highly controversial. Should you remove attractive features to get back to historical accuracy? Dare you cut down fully grown trees in order to return a design to its original proportions? Can you enter the mind of a long-dead garden-maker and presume to make decisions on their behalf? How do you reconcile today's concerns with a vision conceived centuries ago? In this entertaining and perceptive account, Penny David accompanies the people who wrestle with these issues, and watches as they themselves create a further layer of garden history.