‘How fair is a garden amid the trials and passions of existence.’ What wise comment from Benjamin Disraeli. Our deep African skies, abundant sunshine and balmy climate lure us outdoors for much longer than the time devoted to indoor pursuits. Spending time in our own gardens or outdoor areas should be a singularly pleasurable pastime. Nicola Hadfield realises that harmoniously designed spaces do not have ‘to be defined by four solid walls, and transforming the nooks and corners of a garden into places of beauty has moved way beyond the practical’. She has travelled the length and breadth of South Africa to showcase gardens of every description, from the grandest to the tiniest, from classical to contemporary, to inspire you to design your own outdoor space in which to create, to recreate, to rejuvenate, or simply to find peace. A follow-up to Nicola Hadfield’s Beautiful Homes, Nicola Hadfield’s Beautiful Outdoors is filled with gorgeous colour photographs, not just of the main gardens, verandahs and patios, but also the nuances and surprises, as well as some interiors because outside designs are often extensions of the interior, or vice versa!