Gardens of Inspiration [Hardcover]

DK Publishing (Author), Erica Hunningher (Author), Vivian Russell (Author)

Book Description

Series: American Horticultural Society Practical Guides | Publication Date: February 1, 2002

Fifteen gardeners of distinction reveal the gardens that have inspired their lives and work.

Gardens of Inspiration is an invitation to join fifteen celebrated gardeners on a series of personal journeys to the gardens that inspire their lives and work. These experts describe the stories of their lives in gardening and share the personal connections that have fostered their passion for plants and gardens. Each has chosen one garden, as well as their own, to be photographed especially for this book. The photographer Vivian Russell, drawn to gardens that resonate with the art of their creators, reveals the hidden meaning of a conductor's garden in France. Stephen Anderton finds inspiration in the rollicking shapes and simplicity of design at Levens Hall in Cumbria. For John Brookes, Thomas Church's Sonoma garden in California represents "one of life's great highs." With Beth Chatto we go back in time to meet Cedric Morris, the painter-gardener who turned her world upside down and whose influence lives on in her world-famous Essex garden. Nigel Colborn describes the originality of a Norfolk garden full of "delicious surprises." For Penelope Hobhouse, an Italian Renaissance garden in a unique hillside setting is an enduring source of inspiration. Mary Keen seeks otherworldliness and describes "peace beyond belief" at Beckley in Oxfordshire. Stephen Lacey loves gardens where nature appears to be running the show and finds "near Nirvana" at Portmeirion in Gwynedd, Wales. Christopher Lloyd is excited by the energy and creativity of a plantsman's garden in Brittany. Mirabel Osler is inspired by a garden that merges into the landscape of the Napa Valley. Anna Pavord's passion is for the hidden, then suddenly revealed, formal garden at Mapperton in Dorset. Dan Pearson focuses on gardens that capture a sense of place, and finds romantic fantasy at Ninfa, near Rome. David Stevens is drawn to gardens with underlying geometry. Travels to the Caribbean have inspired Anne Swithinbank but she is drawn back to visit her first love, Kew Gardens in Surrey. Rosemary Verey explores the subtle difference between influential gardeners and inspirational gardens, and explains why the interior design David Hicks inspired her to seek exciting solutions to design problems. Eloquent writing enhanced by outstanding photographs makes Gardens of Inspiration a unique and revealing walk through a wealth of great gardens that have inspired great gardening.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Vivian Russell's artistry as a photographer -- of people and landscapes as well as plants and gardens -- is matched by a gift for writing. She won the Garden Writers' Guild Award for Monet's Garden: Through the Seasons at Giverny, described by the Sunday Times (UK) as "a splendidly atmospheric photographic memoir and a perceptive and profoundly researched text." She is also the author and photographer of Dream Gardens: Discovering the Gardens of the Lake District, Gardens of the Riviera, Edith Wharton's Italian Gardens, Monet's Water Lilies, and Monet's Landscapes. Erica Hunningher is an editor and editorial consultant, with more than fourteen years' experience of working with top gardening writers, many of whom are contributors to Gardens of Inspiration. she has been the creative force behind a host of gardening classics by such authors as Beth Chatto, Penelope Hobhouse, Christopher Lloyd, Vivian Russell, and Rosemary Verey. The most recent is Colour for Adventurous Gardeners by Christopher Lloyd, who describes Erica as "the most meticulous and devoted editor imaginable."

Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: DK ADULT (February 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078947834X
• ISBN-13: 978-0789478344
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,314,364 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Boring Photos, April 26, 2006

By 

Bill Noon (Daly City, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Gardens of Inspiration (Hardcover)

The photos did not inspire me at all. Too many individual plant pics, too many boring or small pics. Better to just get a free plant catalogue.

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully enhanced with the photography of Vivian Russell, August 8, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gardens of Inspiration (Hardcover)

Beautifully enhanced with the photography of Vivian Russell and deftly edited by Erica Hunningher, Gardens Of Inspiration is a gorgeously illustrated showcase of lush and memorable gardens that serve as personal inspiration for fifteen of the greatest gardeners and horticulturalists from around the world. Thoughtful, informative, and occasionally inspiring narrative text, combined with insights for garden aesthetics and beauty, and truly dazzling color photography mark Gardens Of Inspiration a superb choice as a giftbook for gardening and plant enthusiasts, and an outstanding Memorial Fund acquisition selection for community libraries.