The Sunday Times Gardening Book of the Year 2019 In Scent Magic, a book which is at once romantic and extremely practical, plantswoman, designer and garden-maker extraordinaire Isabel Bannerman immerses the reader in the luscious smells of the fragrant garden through a warmly written account of her year's gardening; and combines this with an encyclopaedic reference work of the best aromatic plants to grow throughout the seasons. Whether evoking the freshly baked sponge smell emanating from wisteria, describing 'Stanwell Perpetual' as "the kind of rose that would taste of apricot and raspberries swirled together", or championing the magic of the Himalayan cowslip, "scented profoundly and deliciously like the dark vault of a Damascus spice merchant'" the glorious poetry of her descriptions is here joined with personal memories and a lifetime's experience of gardening and plant cultivation.

Humans have long turned to gardens--both real and imaginary--for sanctuary from the frenzy and tumult that surrounds them. Those gardens may be as far away from everyday reality as Gilgamesh's garden of the gods or as near as our own backyard, but in their very conception and the marks they bear of human care and cultivation, gardens stand as restorative, nourishing, necessary havens.

With "Gardens," Robert Pogue Harrison graces readers with a thoughtful, wide-ranging examination of the many ways gardens evoke the human condition. Moving from from the gardens of ancient philosophers to the gardens of homeless people in contemporary New York, he shows how, again and again, the garden has served as a check against the destruction and losses of history. The ancients, explains Harrison, viewed gardens as both a model and a location for the laborious self-cultivation and self-improvement that are essential to serenity and enlightenment, an association that has continued throughout the ages. The Bible and Qur'an; Plato's Academy and Epicurus's Garden School; Zen rock and Islamic carpet gardens; Boccaccio, Rihaku, Capek, Cao Xueqin, Italo Calvino, Ariosto, Michel Tournier, and Hannah Arendt--all come into play as this work explores the ways in which the concept and reality of the garden has informed human thinking about mortality, order, and power.

Alive with the echoes and arguments of Western thought, "Gardens" is a fitting continuation of the intellectual journeys of Harrison's earlier classics, "Forests" and "The Dominion of the Dead." Voltaire famously urged us to cultivate our gardens; with this compelling volume, Robert Pogue Harrison reminds us of the nature of that responsibility--and its enduring importance to humanity.

"I find myself completely besotted by a new book titled "Gardens: An Essay on the Human Condition," by Robert Pogue Harrison. The author . . . is one of the very best cultural critics at work today. He is a man of deep learning, immense generosity of spirit, passionate curiosity and manifold rhetorical gifts."--Julia Keller, "Chicago"" Tribune"

"This book is about gardens as a metaphor for the human condition. . . . Harrison draws freely and with brilliance from 5,000 years of Western literature and criticism, including works on philosophy and garden history. . . . He is a careful as well as an inspiring scholar."--Tom Turner, "Times Higher Education"

"When I was a student, my Cambridge supervisor said, in the Olympian tone characteristic of his kind, that the only living literary critics for whom he would sell his shirt were William Empson and G. Wilson Knight. Having spent the subsequent 30 years in the febrile world of academic Lit. Crit. . . . I'm not sure that I'd sell my shirt for any living critic. But if there had to be one, it would unquestionably be Robert Pogue Harrison, whose study "Forests: The Shadow of Civilization," published in 1992, has the true quality of literature, not of criticism--it stays with you, like an amiable ghost, long after you read it.

"Though more modest in scope, this new book is similarly destined to become a classic. It has two principal heroes: the ancient philosopher Epicurus . . . and the wonderfully witty Czech writer Karel Capek, apropos of whom it is remarked that, whereas most people believe gardening to be a subset of life, 'gardeners, including Capek, understand that life is a subset of gardening.'"--Jonathan Bate, "The Spectator"

The last 30 years have seen a surge in temporary gardens. The flexibility and new challenges invested in non-permanent landscapes has made them a creative and stimulating testing ground for professionals and impromptu designers. Raffaella Sini examines the historical evolution of the genre, exploring theory, narratives, and strategies informing 80 temporary gardens built in France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Italy, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Switzerland, Sweden, New Zealand, Canada, Singapore, and the United States. Key topics include: * temporary gardens in 1970s avant-garde art and 1980s public art; * temporary gardens as opportunities to work with live processes, practice inclusion, and explore concepts of social justice and ecology; * temporary gardens to redefine the vocabulary of garden design; and * temporary gardens in tactical urbanism. The book comprehensively decodifies the full range of ephemeral gardens: uprooted, mobile, itinerant, movable, postmodern, installation, exhibited, conceptual, theme, pop-up, guerrilla, grassroots, meanwhile, interim, provisional, activist, community, and parklet. Beyond physical duration, time-focused design in gardens affects the entire process of conceiving, building, experiencing, and managing green spaces; using short-term formats, anyone can invent, trial, and experiment in a condensed experience of landscape. The temporary garden emerges as critical cultural ground for the discourse in landscape architecture, art, ephemeral urbanism, and in urban, landscape, and garden design. It is inspirational reading for designers and students alike.

This survey, and fascinating history, of the public green spaces of London was published in 1898. Its author, John J. Sexby, the Chief Officer of Parks of the London County Council, is described as a lieutenant-colonel and a professional associate of the Surveyors' Institution, from which it can be deduced that he probably worked as a surveyor in the army. His skills as a horticulturalist and garden designer cannot be doubted, and he left his mark on many of the municipal parks and gardens about which he writes with such enthusiasm. Sexby focuses on the municipal parks (those maintained by local authorities) rather than the nationally managed parks in central London. He describes large open spaces such as Hampstead Heath as well as small, disused churchyards like that of St Dunstan's in Stepney, providing details of their former owners and use as well as their present condition.

Marie Luise Gothein (1863 1931) published this scholarly two-volume history of garden design in German in 1913. Its second edition of 1925 was translated into English by Laura Archer-Hind, edited by gardening author Walter P. Wright (1864 1940), and published in 1928. The highly illustrated work is still regarded as among the most thorough and important surveys of its kind. It begins by examining evidence from both archaeology and literature, as well as climate and soil conditions, to discuss the gardens of ancient Egypt and Assyria, and continues to survey developments worldwide until the twentieth century. Individual gardens, technical innovations, and fashions in horticulture are all discussed in detail. Volume 2 considers northern European gardens of the Renaissance, the cultural importance of Louis XIV's France, the impact of the introduction of foreign plants, and gardening in Europe, the Far East and North America up to the early twentieth century."

Marie Luise Gothein (1863 1931) published this scholarly two-volume history of garden design in German in 1913. Its second edition of 1925 was translated into English by Laura Archer-Hind, edited by gardening author Walter P. Wright (1864 1940), and published in 1928. The highly illustrated work is still regarded as among the most thorough and important surveys of its kind. It begins by examining evidence from both archaeology and literature, as well as climate and soil conditions, to discuss the gardens of ancient Egypt and Assyria, and continues to survey developments worldwide until the twentieth century. Individual gardens, technical innovations, and fashions in horticulture are all discussed in detail. Volume 1 surveys the ancient civilisations of the Near East, Greece and Rome, discusses Byzantine and Islamic gardens, and the importance of monastery gardens in western Europe, and ends with a review of gardening in Europe during the Renaissance."

Gardens take many forms, and have a variety of functions. They can serve as spaces of peace and tranquilty, a way to cultivate wildlife, or as places to develop agricultural resources. Globally, gardens have inspired, comforted, and sustained people from all walks of life, and since the Garden of Eden many iconic gardens have inspired great artists, poets, musicians, and writers. In this Very Short Introduction, Gordon Campbell embraces gardens in all their splendour, from parks, and fruit and vegetable gardens to ornamental gardens, and takes the reader on a globe-trotting historical journey through iconic and cultural signposts of gardens from different regions and traditions. Ranging from the gardens of ancient Persia to modern day allotments, he concludes by looking to the future of the garden in the age of global warming, and the adaptive spirit of human innovation. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

This anonymous work (the name of H. P. D., the author of the preface, is not known) was probably compiled by Samuel Orchart Beeton (1831 77), the publishing entrepreneur who made his wife's Book of Household Management one of the best-selling titles of the century. Published in 1871, it is a complete guide to gardening for the enthusiastic middle-class amateur, with instructions on everything from choosing the site to garden design, plants and cultivation, 'fountains, fish-ponds, and ornamental waters' to the use of colour, interspersed with a detailed calendar of tasks to be carried out each month. It is illustrated with line engravings and twelve plates (which can be viewed in colour online at http: www.cambridge.org/9781108049399), providing both practical information and a fascinating insight into the plants available to the Victorian gardener, the techniques for cultivating flowers, fruit and vegetables, and the then current trends in design and display.

An Irish-born gardener and writer, William Robinson (1838 1935) travelled widely to study gardens and gardening in Europe and America. He founded a weekly illustrated periodical, The Garden, in 1871, which he owned until 1919, and published numerous books on different aspects of horticulture. Topics included annuals, hardy perennials, alpines and sub-tropical plants, as well as accounts of his travels. This book, his most famous work, was first published in 1883, and fifteen editions were issued in his lifetime. It has been described as 'the most widely read and influential gardening book ever written'. Aimed at both amateurs and experienced gardeners, it sets out clearly the different types of plant suitable for each type of situation, and how to grow them. Robinson advocated a revolution in garden design, rejecting the more formal flower-beds which had long been popular in favour of a more natural and individual style.

Topiary, knots and parterres come in many guises, from the grand and imposing to the humble and folksy. In this book Caroline Foley with the aid of diarists, writers, wits, designers, gardeners and garden owners traces their story through the centuries and across the world. Starting from the topiary of patrician Rome, she moves through the paradise gardens of Islam and the medieval hortus conclusus to the formal parterres of Renaissance Italy, the more elaborate broderies of the royal French gardens, the complicated conceits of the Tudors and the geometry of the Dutch school. She takes a wry look at the eighteenth century, when many fine formal gardens were scrapped in favour of the English landscape movement (which, in fact, was no less artificial). In the nineteenth century there was a revival of parterres filled with tender bedding plants. Green architecture returned with the Arts and Crafts movement, and the twentieth century saw a joyful resurgence of the topiary peacock and other such conceits, the arrival of the Japanese minimalist school, the cult of the venerable sagging hedge, cloud pruning and the emergence of the cool crisp lines of modernism. German perennial planting, juxtaposed with sharply cut linear hedges, has provided a clever solution to the modern requirements of high style, low maintenance and attention to the environment and to labour costs. Of late a new type of formality has emerged among designers and landscape architects, involving wild-looking prairie planting set off by large-scale sculptural topiary. As Caroline Foley points out, 'Serious or frivolous . . . topiary always has character and presence. While wonderfully impressive when it takes the form of an immaculate battlemented bastion, it has poetry and possibly even greater charm when it is overblown and blowsy with age. Either way, it will always be a win-win proposition.'

China is renowned for its enchanting, tranquil gardens, designed to reflect both the charm of nature and the ancient Chinese view of life. Chinese Gardens explores the creation of classical gardens through history, discussing the theories and artistic conception behind these gardens and the development of diverse regional styles. Lou Qingxi provides a comprehensive introduction to the distinctive combination of nature, philosophy and art that is unique to Chinese gardens, complemented with full color illustrations throughout.

The productive garden at Lord Rothschild's private house, Eythrope in Buckinghamshire, is legendary in the garden world for the excellence of the gardening and as a haven for traditional techniques that might otherwise be lost. Under the leadership of the renowned head gardener, Sue Dickinson, now retired, and the current head gardener, Suzie Hanson, this garden works on a scale that is now rare, producing, year-round, all the fruit, vegetables and flowers for a country house where entertaining still happens on a grand scale and where everything is done to the highest standards. Paradise and Plenty opens a window on a garden that has, until now, been kept intensely private, and on a world beyond most gardeners' dreams. But in this book everything shown is useful as well as beautiful. Gregory Long points out in his introduction that as more and more people turn to growing their own, books are needed that show the techniques of dedicated cultivation, as well as the results. Many of the techniques used at Eythrope are old and tried, but have fallen out of use almost everywhere else. Others have been adopted more recently, as careful trials have proved their worth. If you want techniques for preparing soil, growing herbs, pruning apple trees, training roses, planting bulbs in pots or propagating many different plants, or which are the best tried and tested tomatoes, snowdrops or chrysanthemums to plant, you'll find out here. In the words of the author herself, 'This book has to be how as well as wow.'

Using evocative text and delightful imagery, Tony Russell brings to life each of the fifty gardens featured, covering their history, plants, architecture and personalities along the way. The diversity of gardens to be found within the Cotswolds and within this book is quite astonishing. Here you will find grand landscapes such as Blenheim Palace and Dyrham Park, influential pioneers at Iford Manor and Rousham, historical gems such as Prior Park and Painswick Rococo Garden, national icons at Westonbirt Arboretum and Hidcote Manor, contemporary masterpieces at Througham Court and Abbey House and an abundance of English gardens in all their beauty, overflowing with roses, herbaceous borders and pastel shades. All the gardens featured allow public access at some time during the year. The Cotswolds' Finest Gardens is undoubtedly set to become a classic in its genre, a book that will appeal to gardeners and non-gardeners alike, those who live within the region as well as those who visit.

Explore the riches of London's historic gardens as well as the city's most exciting contemporary gardens and meet the people who tend them. Uncover a world of intrepid guerrilla gardeners and vibrant community initiatives, of soothing therapeutic gardens, and roof gardens that thrive high above street level. There's coverage of London's world-famous RHS flower shows too, as well as its ever-popular Open Garden Squares Weekend, and a hand-picked selection of remarkable private gardens that open for the National Gardens Scheme.

'Smit's vision of Eden is the eighth wonder of the world' Independent 'Inspiring... An invaluable guide to how a large project can exceed against all odds' The Sunday Times - An updated edition of the bestselling story of the Eden Project featuring stunning new photography. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the impossible was delivered. From the sterile depths of a disused china clay pit in Cornwall rose one of the most remarkable and ambitious ventures in recent memory. The Eden Project's Biomes, the world's largest conservatories, are the symbol of a living theatre of plants and people and their interdependence, of regeneration and of a pioneering forum for the exploration of possible futures. This is the extraordinary story of the Eden Project, of its conception, design and construction, of the larger-than-life personalities who made it happen and of all that has happened since its doors were first opened to the public in 2001. It is now undisputedly one of the world's great gardens with more than 17 million visitors flocking there and projects and partnerships all over the world.

A steep hillside garden in Singapore. A garden defined by shape and light in Marrakech. A haunting tree museum in Switzerland. These are just a few of the outstanding gardens featured in Gardenlust, a sumptuous exploration of the world's best new gardens. Intrepid plant expert Christopher Woods explores the best modern gardens from around the world, introducing us to private and public spaces that offer unparalleled innovation and beauty. Traveling from the Americas and Europe to Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, from Asia to Australia and New Zealand, readers will discover the people and plants that bring these gardens to life and the stories that make them memorable. Featuring fifty gardens and packed with hundreds of stunning photographs, Gardenlust is a remarkable and unforgettable botanical tour.

Anyone who loves their garden knows that there's something happening in nature every day of the year. Whether it's the first crocus of spring, summer's explosion of colors, fall's abundant harvest, or the renewing dormancy of winter these outdoor sanctuaries offer daily opportunities for investigation, contemplation, and appreciation. This stunning daybook offers 365 elegant photos of some of the world's most exquisite gardens, following the yearly cycle of growth and rebirth. Each photo is accompanied by engaging texts such as planting tips, design techniques, natural history, and botanical facts that provide both ideas and helpful information. In addition, there is room on each spread for gardeners to record and preserve their own daily observations and reflections. The perfect keepsake for gardeners of all levels of expertise, this beautiful daybook deepens the rewards of gardening all year round.

Kitchen gardens are a long-standing Amish tradition, characterised by their eclectic mix of vegetables, fruit, herbs, and colourful flowers. Planned by the women of the household, they are used not only to feed their families but as an artistic outlet. This book explores the family gardens as a portrait of the women who design, tend, and harvest them. Colour photographs of more than 18 gardens capture their trademark mix of orderliness and ornamentation: marigolds tucked among the melons, cockscombs with the cabbage, and a whimsically painted chair, iron gate, or old balustrade. Included are 32 family recipes straight from the garden: hot-pepper jam, fried green tomatoes, sweet dill pickles, sauerkraut for a crowd, corn fritters, and creamed celery. Like the resourceful women who tend them, each garden has its own personality and beauty.

Foreword by Alan Titchmarsh For more than 45 years Hugh Johnson has written Trad's Diary, delighting in recording his observations of his own garden, as well as many others, and of the wider natural world. Free to turn his attention to whatever is happening in that season, or simply something that piques his interest, his subjects are as diverse as the sounds of water, forest walks, the names of roses, the taste for shade he shares with Handel, the colours of autumn, the smell of rain, the private garden discovered within Beijing's Forbidden City or the first crocuses of spring. Month by month, Hugh shares with the reader through his easy, evocative writing an eclectic mix of thoughtful, topical and whimsical insights that will delight not only gardeners but anyone with an interest in nature in all its costumes.

The Tropical Hothouse describes over 50 tropical plants, telling the intriguing stories of their origins and compelling features. Sourced exclusively from the archives at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, each accompanying illustration presses out of the page, transforming your book into a work of art. The Tropical Hothouse contains a botanical paradise, where tropical trees are festooned with vines, orchids and bromeliads, lurid blossoms perfume the air, and leafy ferns and palms jostle for the light. From exotic-looking potted orchids and motley assortments of succulents, to luxuriant, leafy greenery, house plants and terraria are more popular than ever as additions to stylish interiors. This beautifully presented and fascinating collection includes perennial favourites and unusual specimens, transporting this world of extraordinary plants into your hands and home.

Graduate of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Chartered Landscape Architect, MBA and Barrister, Gordon Rowland Fraser draws upon 30 years of project management, professional practice and teaching experience to provide an uncomplicated and intuitive guide to the business aspects of the landscape profession. An indispensable reference for seasoned professionals, the book will enable the student or novice practitioner to turn their drawing board inspiration into reality without being overwhelmed or afraid of overseeing the implementation of their proposals. Guided by the Landscape Institute's 2013 Pathway to Chartership syllabus, this structured, step-by-step, narrative guide sets out the documentation commonly used within the landscape profession and makes accessible a logical and sequential understanding of contractual relationships; procurement strategies; processes of preparing client estimates and obtaining competitive quotations; of preparing contract documentation and administering formal contracts; general concepts of law as they relate to land management and the landscape profession; of business administration, market appraisal and positioning; and of the landscape consultant's appointment. As an understanding of professional practice is intrinsic to all Landscape Institute accredited courses, this is an essential text for every landscape architecture student during their education and their subsequent journey into professional practice. Those undertaking Garden Design Diplomas will similarly find the book invaluable as they venture into the world of creativity and commerce, while the seasoned practitioner will find it a comprehensive point of reference to add to their bookshelf.

In the past two years Frederik Meijer and his curator Joe Becherer have assembled a significant private collection of large outdoor sculpture, which is available for public viewing at the Frederik Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids. This beautiful book presents more than 100 color illustrations, with details of many of the sculptures within the collection.

Recognized by both the art world and the general public, this garden has a diverse landscape of artwork from sculptors such as Rodin, Fredericks, Haring, di Suvero, Moore, Maillol, Hepworth, Dine, Haring, and others. Using more well known materials such as bronze and stainless steel as well as unusual materials like industrial porcelain, the artists provide the garden with many exciting visuals that the book will allow readers to bring home.

A brief history describes the development of the sculpture park. Biographies of the artists whose art grace this private collection are included, which serves to broaden the viewer's understanding of the pieces. Attention is given both to the artists' development of their craft and to the part each sculpture plays in the garden as a whole.