A World of Gardens

A Japanese garden is immediately distinct to the eye from the traditional gardens of an English manor house, just as the manicured topiaries of Versailles contrast with the sharp cacti of the American Southwest. Though gardening is beloved the world over, the style of gardens themselves varies from region to region, determined as much by culture as climate. In this series of illustrated essays, John Dixon Hunt takes us on a world tour of different periods in the making of gardens. Hunt shows here how cultural assumptions and local geography have shaped gardens and their meaning. He explores our continuing responses to land and reworkings of the natural world, encompassing a broad range of gardens, from ancient Roman times to early Islamic and Mughal gardens, from Venetian gardens to Chinese and Japanese gardens, as well as the invention of the public park and modern landscape architecture. A World of Gardens looks at key chapters in garden history, reviewing their significance in past and present and tracing the recurrence of different themes and motifs in the design and reception of gardens throughout the world. A World of Gardens celebrates the idea that similar experiences of gardens can be found in many different times and places, including sacred landscapes, scientific gardens, urban gardens, secluded gardens and symbolic gardens. Well illustrated and wide-ranging, this book is a treasure trove of ideas and inspiration. 'In this fascinating series of illustrated essays, John Dixon Hunt explores the influences behind the design of gardens around the globe and uncovers recurring themes throughout the ages. Ideal for both garden visitors and students of design.' - The English Garden 'Though writing in an accessible and enjoyable style, the author is clearly drawing from an impressively broad and deep base of academic knowledge and personal experience. Recommended.' - Choice 'a comprehensive work of great value; a giant distillation of the author's knowledge; a reference book that makes many earlier histories almost irrelevant.' -- GardenIntroduction: The Garden World and the World of Gardens 1. Sacred Landscapes from Delphi to Yosemite 2. Hunting Parks to Amusement Parks 3. Ancient Roman Gardens and their Types 4. Islamic and Mughal Gardens 5. Western Medieval Gardens: From Cloister to Suburban Backyard 6. The Renaissance Recovery of Antique Garden Forms and Usages 7. The Paragone of Art and Nature in the Renaissance and Later 8. The Botanical Garden, the Arboretum and the Cabinet of Curiosities 9. Garden as Theatre 10. The Garden of 'Betweenity': Between Andre Le Notre and William Kent 11. Leaping the Ha-ha; or, How the Larger Landscape Invaded the Garden 12. The Role of the 'Natural' Garden from 'Capability' Brown to Dan Kiley 13. The Chinese Garden and the Collaboration of the Arts 14. Follies, Fabriques and Picturesque Play 15. The Invention of the Public Park 16. National Parks and International Exhibition Gardens 17. Japanese Gardens and their Legacy to the West 18. Arts and Crafts Gardens: The Artist Back in the Garden 19. The Prose and Poetry of Modern Landscape Architecture 20. The Once and Future Garden References Acknowledgements and Photo Acknowledgements Index