The New Englishwoman's Garden

With characteristic British wit and pluck, 28 English ""ladies'' offer essays that recount the origin, philosophy and upkeep of their gardens in this companion to Lees-Milne and Verey's The Englishwoman's Garden. ``My donkey Benjamin is also my compost heap . . . . Every year I have mulched with Benjy's manure and there is now almost as much soil as there is stone,'' writes Mrs. Jill Cowley. ``Talking of pleasures, there are the delicious moments when wafts of scent stop you in your tracks to sniff the air,'' Mrs. Basil Barlow trills. ``The more I read the more I realise how little I know. I am afraid that I still tend to buy a shrub or plant because I like it, or its smell, rather than because it is the right plant for the right place. I know this is quite wrong, but I cannot resist it,'' confesses Lady FitzWalter. The essays are charming and chock-full of creative ideas about garden design, and the accompanying color photographs offer vivid views of these Englishwomen's gardens. (January 18)