Customer Reviews

The Tropical Garden

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
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You will find in this books the kind of articles you read in decoration magazines. Pictures are big but don't expect any artistic originality. A useful book if you plan to plant a tropical garden in your backyard.

I have read this book and own it. It is one I revisit for its lush photographs and to remind me of my vision for my own garden. The work is rich with history and inspiring photos, however the subject tends to be large grounds and commercial developments. It is not intended to be instructional, nor does it really explain the design process when creating a tropical landscape. Some photos label plant materials used, while others just focus on landscape structures. It is worth owning, but is limited in its utility.

Warren and Tettoni pair up again with luscious footage in The Tropical Garden. For those world travelers in whom Bali has inspired a love of tropical flowers, plants, and gardens, this book will bring back the warmth and splendor of the perpetual latitudes of summer. It contains 291 full-color illustrations of the flamboyant diversity of tropical flora in hotel, royal, religious, botanical, museum, palace, water, presidential, and colonial gardens from Bali to Java to Hawaii, Rangoon, Bangkok, Singapore, and Malaysia. Warren's text and Tettoni's photographs show us a paradise of fruitful blooms and eternal abundance, with delightful coverage of well-styled Balinese gardens in Sanur and the posh Four Seasons Resort at Jimbaran Bay. Brilliant, rebellious, downtrodden French artist Paul Gaugin described an equivalent utopia in an 1890 letter penned from Tahiti: "Out there at least, with winterless skies overhead and wonderfully fertile ground underfoot, Tahitians only have to lift their arms to gather their food. . . . Whereas in Europe men and women satisfy their needs only after ceaseless toil, contending all the while with convulsions of cold and hunger, prey to poverty. The Tahitians, blessed inhabitants of Oceania's unknown paradise, know only the sweet things life has to offer. For them, life is singing and loving." Gaugin could just as well have been describing the tropical treasure that is Bali--lying succulent and verdant under the benevolent, life-giving equatorial sun.

The Tropical Garden takes you through historical to modern day tropical gardens. Very nice, informative and beautiful pictures to enjoy as well.

Photographs and descriptions of some of the loveliest gardens in Asia, both traditional and contempory, are featured in this magnificent exposition. The introduction presents a brief history of the interchange of ideas between the tropics of Asia and the exploring nations of Europe as to garden design. The featured gardens are grouped into Religious and Royal, Botanical, Colonial, and Contemporary. A final chapter on garden features showcases a number of path and walkway designs as well as ornamental sculpture, pavilions, fences, stairways, and water elements. Bibliography, index. For additional cultivation information on many of these plants, see Ornamental Plants & Flowers of Tropical Mexico.

A beautiful book. I love the photographs. Very illustrtive and also I liked the first chapter on history. A book you can see again and again. Very relaxing.

Lots of photos, could have been bigger and show more detail.
Lots of plants, but the ususal varities, not very exciting.
I live in Hawaii and most of this stuff is at Home Depot.
Charming tsxt but not helpful to the serious gardener.

Nice coffee table book, will keep the rings off the table top.