Synopses & Reviews
The authors trace the evolution of the Western garden from the first plots cultivated for pleasure in the Middle East to todayandrsquo;s diverse green spaces that challenge traditional ideas about what constitutes a garden. They examine the changing attitude toward natureandmdash;as something to be dominated or embraced, ordered or allowed to range freely, exploited or conserved.
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Examples of the highly prescribed hortus conclusus or enclosed spaces of the Middle Ages are found in the Italian Renaissance gardens and the symmetries of Versailles and Les Tuileries. After the rise of Romanticism in the late eighteenth century, English gardeners such as William Kent and andldquo;Capabilityandrdquo; Brown embraced the concept that nature should prevail over manandrsquo;s manipulation of it and created gardens that broke through traditional enclosures. A century later, while the American West witnessed both the conquering spirit of the homesteaders and the first stirrings of the conservation movement, urban parks and gardens were created as oases to which all people had access.
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The book concludes with a look at contemporary gardens, where efforts to reclaim landscapes and repurpose crumbling infrastructure are taking place within an atmosphere of ecological sensitivityandmdash;appreciating the idea that the whole planet is a garden and all who live in it are gardeners.and#160;
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Review
andldquo;A reader, running a finger along one of the winding garden paths in this volume, can get lost in reverie.andrdquo;andmdash;The Wall Street Journal
Review
andldquo;For the authors, gardens are never merely collections of plants. They are lenses through which we can perceive the aesthetics, intellectual fashions, and prevailing politics of the day.andrdquo;andmdash;Publishers Weekly
Review
“Highly recommended.”—Choice
Review
andldquo;Highly recommended.andrdquo;andmdash;Choice
Review
and#147;A lush history of the garden in Western culture. . . . An absorbing narrative and a rich treasure chest of images.and#8221;and#151;Books and Culture
About the Author
Matteo Vercelloni has created designs for innovative land management and is the author of Il paradiso terrestre: Viaggio traand#160;i manufatti del giardino dellandrsquo;uomo (Jaca, 1986). Virgilio Vercelloni (1930andndash;1995) was an architect and landscape gardener and the author of European Gardens (Rizzoli, 1990).