Irish demesne landscapes, 1660–1740

Vandra Costello

This book charts the history and development of formal gardening in Ireland in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, and in particular the grand geometric style that was fashionable between 1660 and 1740. It examines the people who created these gardens, the influences that affected them, the materials that they employed and the uses of landscapes interventions. Using a wide range of sources, including several previously unpublished, this is the most extensive survey of early Irish gardens to date.

Vandra Costello has taught courses on garden history at University College Dublin, University of Ulster and University of Limerick. She has published articles on topics in Irish garden history between the 17th and 19th centuries and is the garden editor of Image Living & Interiors magazine.