The French Country Garden [Paperback]

Louisa Jones (Author), Joelle Caroline Mayer (Photographer), Giles Le Scanff (Photographer)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0500285209 | ISBN-13: 978-0500285206 | Publication Date: June 26, 2006

"If you are looking for a celebration of life in a small space, turn to the French garden for the answers."—The Evening Standard

French country gardening has experienced a renaissance in recent years. While the great French heritage still thrives, its traditions now provide inspiration for fresh delights and creative expression, as vividly demonstrated in this beautifully photographed volume.

The book reaches into every corner of France, from Normandy to the Riviera, from Picardy to the Pyrenees, revealing in exquisite detail the full extent and exciting diversity of the modern French country garden. A magical and intimate "grandmother's garden" on the ancient Via Aurélia combines fruits, herbs, flowers, and vegetables; "gardens for the five senses" focus on sensual stimulation; "natural" gardens protect local ecosystems; and formal gardens incorporate witty and subversive variations on the traditional pattern. 236 color illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"'Stunning... a beautiful and sensuous book' - Irish Homes"

About the Author

Louisa Jones has lived in France for more than thirty years. Hermany books include Gardens of Provence and Kitchen Gardens of France. Joëlle Caroline Mayer and Gilles Le Scanff are internationally respected garden photographers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson (June 26, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500285209
• ISBN-13: 978-0500285206
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 9.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #781,188 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

For Garden Week in Provence information, see www.susanwornertours.com. For updates on Louisa Jones' books and activities, see the blog at http://louisajones.wordpress.com/

Canadian born Louisa Jones has been gardening in southern France since 1975 when she and her husband bought the old farmhouse they still inhabit. She has written some thirty books about contemporary French gardens, recently specializing in Mediterranean regions. For her first illustrated book, Gardens in Provence (1992) Louisa visited more than two hundred gardens of all styles and sizes. She found that, in the Mediterranean, there is no separation between ornamental and useful or productive gardening. Traditional Mediterranean gardening is "multiple": many pleasures, many uses for all seasons. Like Mediterranean cuisine, it is locally based and economical, but capable of great refinement; pleasure-giving, healthy and accessible to all. It has proven its capacity to maintain a durable partnership with the land. Most recently, Louisa Jones has been exploring vernacular Mediterranean landscapes, worked and fashioned by humankind for millenia, that are today biodiversity hotspots and an inspiration to gifted artists. Louisa has also published two books with leading French ecologist, Gilles Clément. She writes in both English and French, and gardens every day. She also organizes visits to private designer gardens around Avignon in April and October.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The French Country Garden, March 31, 2008

By 

Robert Hopper "garden master" (southeast coastal NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The French Country Garden (Paperback)

This book is worth the investment. Photographs are of high quality and there are plenty of them. Did find the book not an easy read and believe more than a couple of pages could have been devoted to each garden. Just when you want to look around a corner to see what might be next, next was another garden. All-in-all a good book and if I ever get to France will have a better idea of where to start garden touring.

39 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beware-this is a reprint!, July 30, 2006

By 

Gordon Lyn (FL) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The French Country Garden (Paperback)

This is a reprint of a hardbook in softcover form with a new cover photo. The content is wonderful but I already owned the hardcover and thought it was a "new book".

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The French Country Garden, September 6, 2009

By 

Inspired Gardener (Auckland, New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The French Country Garden (Paperback)

I love this book, in particular the in depth views of the gardeners whose gardens are discussed. I found it very appealing that several of the people(I haven't finished the book, preferring to dip in and out of it) are keen in conserving or bringing back traditional plants.

It feels like meeting and talking to people who have a similar enjoyment of gardens for plantsmanship and the pure joy of gardening.