A handsome edition of Sitwell's 1909 meditation on the Renaissance gardens of Tuscany, Rome and the Lake District. It's not a handbook but rather an inspiring analysis of the transformation -- and magic -- of gardens. Sitwell's 1909 title captures the spirit of this enduring (and beautifully written) book: An Essay On the Making of Gardens: Being a study of old Italian gardens, of the nature of beauty, and the principles involved in garden design." With period photogaphs.  (ITL499, $16.95)