Book excerpt: ‘The Secret Gardeners is a WONDERFUL book. Just beautiful. It will live, page open, on my coffee table.’ Prue Leith (one of the Secret Gardeners) The Secret Gardeners is a captivating photographic portrait of the private gardening passions of 25 of the UKs foremost artists, designers, actors, producers, composers, playwrights, sculptors and musicians. It includes composers Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh; oligarch Evgeny Lebedev; entrepreneur Richard Branson; architect Anish Kapoor; actors Jeremy Irons, Rupert Everett, Griff Rhys Jones and Terry Gilliam; chef Prue Leith; musicians Ozzy Osbourne,Nick Mason and Sting; playwright Julian Fellowes; film director Paul Weiland; and designers Kirstie Allsopp and Cath Kidston. Accompanying meaty essays explaining the owners' inspiration and passion are stunningly-reproduced photographs revealing the beautiful gardens that the public rarely see. Amongst these gardeners you'll find the plantaholics, the scene-changers, the view makers, the weeders, the hot-colour fanatics and those who use their garden to retreat from public life.