Nature's Kaleidoscope: The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden [Hardcover]

Robert Glenn Ketchum (Author), Theodore Roosevelt Gardner II (Author), Stephen G. Schott (Photographer)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1888310022 | ISBN-13: 978-1888310023 | Publication Date: January 1999

Nestled in the foothills of idyllic Santa Barbara, California, this native plant garden has breathtaking views, majestic redwoods, spectacular wildflowers and much more. This gorgeous book, chock-full with more than 150 spectacular color photographs, captures the uniqueness of nature at its finest in the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A photographic feast highlighting some of the many beautiful vistas and eye-catching plant groupings to be seen around the garden." -- Water Garden Journal

Nature's Kaleidoscope is principally a photographic tribute to one of California's crown jewels: the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, and it is extremely successful in conveying the beauty and diversity of the native plants in the Garden's collection. One of the most unusual aspects of this book is that nearly all of the plants photographed are identifieda lovely book that I have welcomed into my own library. -- Southern California Gardener, July/August 1999

The book captures the uniqueness of nature at its finest in the Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens. This popular spot attracts more than 130,000 visitors each year. -- Santa Barbara News Press, March 7, 1999

This new 48-page picture book from Allen A. Knoll, Publishers features stunning color photographs by Robert Glenn Ketchum, Stephen Schott, and others. The text (including a history of the Garden) is by local Santa Barbara author Theodore Roosevelt Gardner II. This book is a gorgeous example of how horticultural landmarks can be displayed--especially to those at a distance. NATURE'S KALEIDOSCOPE is being sold at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden gift shop, allowing visitors to take home an attractive and informative remembrance. Such publications deserve consideration by other public gardens and arboreta. -- HortIdeas, February, 1999

From the Author

An Interview with Theodore Roosevelt Gardner II Author of NATURE'S KALEIDOSCOPE: THE SANTA BARBARA BOTANIC GARDEN How did you decide to write this book? Sandy Schneider, wife of the executive director, Ed Schneider suggested it in a bus in France. She and Ed and my wife, Virginia, were on--are you sitting down? a water lily tour. My wife had suggested (I won't say nagged) that I do a Lotusland book, and that had been very successful, which only proves the women have all the good ideas. Also, there seemed to be a need to gather in one place outstanding images of the native flora showcased at the garden. Its dedication to preserving the plants all around us is of great significance to the community, especially since they are not always visible and many are threatened. The garden is a rich resource and a community treasure. How did you conduct the research for the book? By reading widely--from works specifically about the garden, to geological history to place the garden in historical context. There is an extensive bibliography in the book. Perhaps I learned most from the enthusiastic, intelligent staff and the dedicated volunteers as well as delighted visitors. Dieter Wilken generously identified many of the plants for the photo captions. What is special about Nature's Kaleidoscope? The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is a treasure trove of native plants unique in the world. Most of these plats bloom for a brief period and can only be seen by making numerous visits to the garden. In Nature's Kaleidoscope, these botanical curiosities can be enjoyed all year long. We were fortunate to benefit from the work of so many outstanding photographers including RobertGlenn Ketchum, Stephen G. Schott, Alan Weisskopf, Steve Junak, Carol Bornstein and many others. Their art has made Nature's Kaleidoscope a kaleidoscope of stunning photographs. What was the most surprising thing you encountered in your research? All the hidden facets of the garden, like the research and education and the astonishing herbarium with 110,000 species documented and tens of thousands more awaiting classification.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Allen a Knoll Pubs (January 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1888310022
• ISBN-13: 978-1888310023
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,974,541 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Book for Nature Lovers and Non-Nature Lovers Alike, March 16, 2009

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Athalia Stoneback (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nature's Kaleidoscope: The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden (Hardcover)

"Nature's Kaleidoscope The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden" is a fantastic read! Theodore Roosevelt Gardner II provides interesting text on the history of the garden and what plants you can expect to see there, and Robert Glenn Ketchum, Stephen Schott and others collaborate on breathtakingly beautiful photographs. Any nature lover will want to visit the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden after reading this book and even a non-nature lover would want to visit it.

Some fascinating facts: the Washingtonia filifera, or California fan palm, and the Washingtonia robusta were named after the first president of the United States (31), a cultivar is two plants combined into one, and provide the potential for providing a cure for some deadly disease (40) and more people visit botanic gardens each year than go to sporting events (44).