More than 20,000 varieties of plants from all over the world make up the renowned 150-acre gardens at the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens - the former estate of railroad and real-estate developer, Henry Huntington, in San Marino, California. Hundreds of these plants, from towering land-mark trees to minuscule rare desert succulents, are illustrated and described in this introduction to one of America's great gardens, created during a golden age of horticulture. The book explores the sweeping lawns, rare and familiar flowering plants, and breathtaking vistas interspersed with statuary, tempiettos and benches. A series of essays discusses the various theme gardens, including the desert garden and conservatory, which displays one of the world's largest collections of cacti and other succulents, and the rose garden, which depicts the history of the rose over 2000 years. The palm, bamboo, herb and camellia collections are also featured, and there is a description of the Huntington's research and educational programmes, which draw students of all levels, from elementary-school children to taxonomists.
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Book Description
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
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 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
"[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 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great souvenir and resource for the gardens,
By
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.,
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.
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