Garden People: The Photographs of Valerie Finnis

Decorated boards, 160 pp., $35.00

A talented photographer and respected gardener, Valerie Finnis (1924–2006), recorded British gardens and their gardeners in the second half of the twentieth century. Her remarkable collection of individual profiles and portraits ranged from the famous, such as Vita Sackville-West, to lesser-known garden enthusiasts and professionals. Garden writer Ursula Buchan captures Finnis’ life and times in this description of British gardening interests during the period. She describes the changes in the horticulture profession over the years, pointing out how gardening became a popular hobby, awakening an enduring legacy of horticulture advancement in that nation.

— Marilyn K. Alaimo, garden writer and volunteer, Chicago Botanic Garden