Paradise Through the Seasons

Author(s): Alan Trott

Gardening & Garden Design

Paradise Through the Seasons: A Year in the Life of Trotts Garden is a unique book, beautifully illustrated with over 330 photographs of the Trott garden as it develops through each season of a year. Originally a 4-hectare block of bare land with an old house, horse stable and thirteen trees, the Trott’s Ashburton property was a blank canvas on which Alan could fulfill his dreams. His work has earned the property the title A Garden of International Significance, which is graded by the New Zealand Gardens Trust.


In this, his second book, Alan guides us through the unique attributes of each season as it plays out in the Woodland Garden, the Red Garden, the Pond and Damp Garden, the Formal Garden – comprising knot gardens that have been described as some of the most sensational in the world – the Border Garden and, finally, the Brantwood Chapel. From an elegantly snow-dusted winter wonderland through to the splendidly bold foliage of the Red Garden that Alan is renowned for, this year-long portrayal of a spectacular garden is both enchanting and instructive. The plant portraits and stunning vistas, all photographed by Alan, show the beauty of the garden through each of the four seasons.


This is Alan’s second book on his garden, the first being From Pasture to Paradise: The Story of Trotts Garden, which focuses on each garden in turn. The garden is open most days of the week during spring, summer and autumn, but telephoning or emailing for an appointment is always advisable.

$39.99 NZD

RRP $65.00 NZD (38% off)

Stock: 6

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Product Information

Review from Julian Matthews, Garden Writer & Photographer, retired editor of NZ Gardener.

“Ashburton horticulturist Alan Trott is renowned for a masterful use of plants in his country garden. He's also a fine photographer and his record of the garden's highlights on the pages of Paradise Through the Seasons is a delight. It would be worth buying so one can linger over the inspired red garden alone, or to leave it open on the coffee table at the scene of the knot garden under snow, but there's so much more as Alan tantalises us with scenes of the traditional and the modern which he has combined so successfully in this very special garden.”

Liz Legge, for Touchwood Books

A beautiful garden and equally beautiful book.  Alan has a true eye for colour, form, contrast and scale and is a superb photographer to boot. This garden and book are equal to many of their international counterparts.

ALAN TROTT has been gardening from a very early age. He is also a keen photographer and all the photographs in this book have been taken by him. Alan has written for magazines and newspapers throughout New Zealand and speaks often about his garden on radio. He has also been a speaker at The Ellerslie International Flower Show. Alan and Catherine travelled to Europe looking at the world’s great gardens. Now, their garden in Ashburton is visited by people from around the world. It has featured on television, in magazines and books, both within New Zealand and internationally.

General Fields

  • : 9780473342562
  • : Trotts Garden Publishing
  • : Trotts Garden Publishing
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : 260 x 230mm (Portrait)
  • : Alan Trott
  • : Hardback
  • : Hardback
  • : 288
  • : 288
  • : Colour Photographs
  • : Colour Photographs