Customer Reviews

Jens Jensen: Maker of Natural Parks and Gardens (Creating the North American Landscape)

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One of the rare works on this American master. Essential for any gardener who wants to understand the nature of natural plantings. Excellent photos of Jensen's works.

Jens Jensen was an influential, though little remembered today, landscape architect and this book explains his place in our civic history. Small part biography, large part professional analysis: Grese has constructed an admirable case for caring about Jensen's career. His role in the prarie landscaping movement, his growing adoption of naturalistic and native plantings, and his insights into the role that urban parks (and their character) play in the living of urban life are all revelatory. The book is well-written, and held my interest throughout. The subject is admittedly a bit dry, but it significantly increased my understanding of Chicago's park system and improved the way I look at modern landscapes. I highly recommend to the book to students of native plants and landscape design.