Breaking Ground: Portraits of Ten Garden Designers

Not since Marina Schinz's masterful Visions of Paradise, published in 1984, has there been such an important survey of garden design and style as Breaking Ground. Whereas Visions of Paradise featured classic European garden design, Breaking Ground takes an in-depth look at the work of ten contemporary garden designers living and working in America and Europe today.

The 200 glorious full-color photographs by Erica Lennard and the engaging text by garden writer and designer Page Dickey capture the spirit and genius of these ten designers. A chapter is devoted to each designer--his or her sources of inspiration, style, philosophy, and method of creation. From the bold Southern California designs of Nancy Power to the urban geometries of Madison Cox to the updated French formal style of Louis Benech to the romantic country gardens of Nancy McCabe, Breaking Ground profiles the artists who are redefining garden design categories.

In addition to the stunning photographs, sketches and garden plans by the designers are also included. An unusual and practical feature of the book is the afterword by Dickey in which she describes how she is applying what she has learned from each designer to her own garden in New York State. Photographs of her garden show the canvas she is reworking.

Inspirational, informative, contemporary, and beautiful, Breaking Ground is a spectacularly crafted object in itself--sure to be one of the major garden style books for many years to come.

Now, for the first time in paperback, award-winning garden writer Page Dickey and acclaimed photographer Erica Lennard take an in-depth look at the work of ten master garden designers living and working in America and Europe today.

Filled with glorious full-color photographs, sketches, and garden plans, BREAKING GROUND provides innovative design solutions for a range of gardens to help inspire adaptions for the home gardener. From the bold Southern California designs of Nancy Power to the urban geometries of Madison Cox to the updated French formal style of Louis Benech to the romantic country gardens of Nancy McCabe, Breaking Ground profiles the artists who are redefining garden design categories.

Not since Martha Schinz's masterful Visions of Paradise, published in 1984, has there been such an important survey of garden design and style as Breaking Ground. Whereas Visions of Paradise featured classic European garden design, Breaking Ground takes an in-depth look at the work of ten contemporary garden designers living and working in America and Europe today.

The two hundred glorious full-color photographs by Erica Lennard and the lucid text by garden writer and designer Page Dickey capture the spirit and genius of the ten designers. A chapter is devoted to each designer--his or her sources of inspiration, style, philosophy, and method of creation. From the bold Southern California designs of Nancy Power to the urban geometries of Madison Cox to the updated French formal style of Louis Benech to the romantic country gardens of Nancy McCabe, Breaking Ground profiles the artists who are redefining garden design categories.

Inspirational, informative, contemporary, and beautiful, Breaking Ground is a spectacularly crafted object in itself--sure to be one of the major garden gift books of the season.

Whether it's introducing the soothing sound of water to your garden or choosing plants for graceful winter silhouettes; whether you are landscaping a brownstone backyard or a dry desert retreat, there are lessons to learn from these contemporary garden masters that will forever enhance where you live.

The two hundred glorious full-color photographs by Erica Lennard and the engaging text by garden writer and designer Page Dickey capture the spirit and genius of each artist, his or her sources, inspiration, style, philosophy, and method of creation. From the bold southern California designs of Nancy Power to the urban geometries of Maddison Cox to the romantic country gardens of Nancy McCabe, Breaking Groundprofiles ten artists who are redefining garden design categories.

In addition to the stunning photographs, sketches and garden plans that include ideas for walls, alcoves, borders, planters, ponds, paths, courtyards, and rooftops help inspire ideas and adaptations for the home gardener. In an unusual and practical afterword, Page Dickey describes how she is applying what she learned to her own garden in New York State.

Page Dickey is a garden writer, lecturer, and designer. A book about her own garden--Duck Hill Journal: A Year in a Country Garden--was published by Houghton Mifflin in 1991. She has written on garden design for House and Garden, House Beautiful, and Elle Decor. She lectures regularly on garden design and teaches classes at the New York Botanical Garden and the Horticultural Society of New York. Her garden was featured in HG in 1993.Erica Lennard is a photographer based in France who specializes in gardens and interiors. She is the photographer for Classic Gardens (Lustrum Press, 1982), Artists' Gardens (Abrams, 1993), and Writers' Houses (The Vendome Press, 1995). She also participated in the photographing of Gardens of the World(Macmillan, 1991). Lennard contributes regularly to international magazines such as Elle, Elle Decoration, French Vogue, and House Beautiful.

INTRODUCTION

Dan Pearson

A COLORIST IN THE ENGLISH GARDEN

Nancy Goslee Power

BOLD DESIGN IN THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GARDEN

Madison Cox

URBAN GEOMETRY

Patrick Chasse

EAST MEETS WEST: ORIENTAL INFLUENCES IN THE GARDEN

Alain David Idoux

LAND ART IN PROVENCE

Steve Martino

DESERT GARDENING

Ron Lutsko

NATIVE PLANTS AND PATTERNS IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Nancy McCabe

NEW ENGLAND COTTAGE TRADITION UPDATED

Piet Oudolf

THE PLANTSMAN'S GARDEN IN HOLLAND

Louis Benech

RETHINKING THE FRENCH FORMAL GARDEN

AFTERWORD

INDEX