Country Life frontispiece May 16 2012
Country Life's frontispiece for May 16 2012

Miss Frédérique Dale
Freddie, elder daughter of Mr and Mrs Maurice Dale of Burnham, Buckinghamshire,is engaged to be married to Andrew Messum, second son of Mr and Mrs David Messum of Marlow, Buckinghamshire. They will be married at St Mary the Virgin Church, Hambleden, Oxfordshire, on June 9. Freddie represents a major sponsor in Formula 1, managing its hospitality programme.
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Country Life is unlike any other magazine: the only glossy weekly on the newsstand and the only magazine that has been guest-edited by His Majesty The King not once, but twice. It is a celebration of modern rural life and all its diverse joys and pleasures — that was first published in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year. Our eclectic mixture of witty and informative content — from the most up-to-date property news and commentary and a coveted glimpse inside some of the UK's best houses and gardens, to gardening, the arts and interior design, written by experts in their field — still cannot be found in print or online, anywhere else.
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What Britain's top garden designers are planting now to create dazzling spring meadows around their homes
Non Morris reveals the techniques behind the contemporary take on William Robinson’s original idea of naturalising bulbs in long grass, creating an effect even more dazzling than a meadow.
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Medieval Italian? 19th century French? 16th century German? You're spoilt for choice if you're looking to buy a gorgeous continental castle
From hills of Italy to a Bavarian palace, Toby Keel takes a look at three of the finest castles for sale across Europe today.