The Botanical Gardens at the Huntington: Second Edition (The Huntington Library Garden Series) [Paperback]

Don Normark (Photographer)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0873282159 | ISBN-13: 978-0873282154 | Publication Date: June 15, 2006 | Edition: 1

The Huntington Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California, are a remarkable showcase of exotic plants from all over the world, and this lavishly illustrated volume depicts many of the most unusual and beautiful specimens. The introduction tells the fascinating story of Henry E. Huntington's development, during the first two decades of the twentieth century, from railroad and real-estate magnate to one of Southern California's leading philanthropists, and the transformation of his self-supporting working ranch into a world-class botanical garden.
Today the 206-acre estate comprises fifteen specialized gardens filled with 20,000 different kinds of plants, with as many as 1,800 rose species and cultivars, 1,200 camellia cultivars, and 5,000 cacti and succulents. Themed gardens are devoted to roses, camellias, subtropical, Australian, and jungle plants, as well as palms, bamboo, and water lilies. Especially popular with visitors are the desert and Japanese gardens. The book presents a comprehensive look at these astonishingly diverse plantings, from towering landmark trees to minuscule rare desert succulents, many pictured in the book's 270 color photographs.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The Huntington Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California, may well be the most luxuriant landscape on earth. Founded in 1919 by railroad and real estate developer Henry Edwards Huntington, the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, an educational and cultural center, was opened to the public in 1928. The estate is 206 acres, more than half of which are devoted to 15 theme gardens filled with 20,000 varieties of plants. Among the specialized gardens are ones for camellias, roses, herbs, water lilies, palms, bamboo, cacti, and cycads. There's a Japanese garden and an Australian, subtropical, jungle, and Shakespeare garden. Included are a brief but engaging history of the gardens, a discussion of the many trees (some of them rare), and a chapter on the gardens' sculptures and fountains. Houk's lively text is augmented by 225 lavish photographs in full color. George Cohen --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Inside Flap

PRAISE FOR THE FIRST EDITION: "An armchair expedition through one of Southern California's greatest public gardens.... An outstanding tribute."--The Southern California Gardener

"[The Huntington Botanical Gardens are] arguably the finest extant example of Southern California's golden age of horticulture, a period that lasted from the late 19th century through the 1920s."--Horticulture

"In page after page of color photographs by Don Normark, the history of the garden and essays on the theme gardens and special collections come to vivid life. Normark is particularly adept at capturing the moods of the various landscapes, from the serene Japanese Garden to the prickly Desert Garden, which holds the world's largest collection of cactuses."--San Diego Union-Tribune

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Huntington Library Press; 1 edition (June 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873282159
• ISBN-13: 978-0873282154
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,566,549 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great souvenir and resource for the gardens, February 1, 2002

By 

Kevin W. Parker (Greenbelt, MD) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Botanical Gardens at the Huntington (Hardcover)

I visited the Huntington Museum in Pasadena last July not expecting all that much but was most impressed. I particularly enjoyed the scope and variety of their botanical gardens and so bought this book to remind myself of what I'd seen and also to learn more about the background of the gardens and how they came to be.

I was disappointed in no respect. The book provides historical photographs as well as an account of how Henry Huntington both earned his wealth and used it to establish this marvelous place. It goes on to provide sumptuous photographs of all parts of the gardens, covering both what's there and how they were established. Detail on the desert section and the Japanese section (my two favorites) were particularly appreciated. My only quibble is that a chapter on the notable trees is saved for the end, rather than covering the trees along with the location they belong to. This seems rather odd but is a minor note.

All in all, this book is a splendid souvenir and resource for the gardens of Huntington.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is not a review but a correction., June 13, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Botanical Gardens at the Huntington (Hardcover)

As author you have listed the photographer instead of the writer. The author should be Walter Houk, as you will discover on the title page.