In this book there are simple farmhouses, Palladian mansions, cottages, modern timber A-frames, 60s brick-built and many manor houses, so you've masses of choice. And that's just the houses. A special garden is part of the package – but not just a garden that is perfect and cared for by a team of gardeners: the owners must be garden lovers. There are huge estates, parklands, policies, tiny courtyards and town gardens in the book; there are alpine gardens, clematis gardens, bog gardens and no end of herbaceousness – many of which are good enough to open for the National Gardens Scheme. Our criteria for choosing them have been that the owners love them, are knowledgeable about them and want to share that joy with guests.