The Story of Gardening - Hardcover

Hobhouse, Penelope

4.29

42 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0751333905 ISBN 13: 9780751333909

Publisher: DK, 2002

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Describes the rich cultural and historical influences that have shaped today's gardens and continue to inspire modern garden designers. Beautifully illustrated with magnificent photographs and lyrical text.

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Review:

English queen of garden writing and world famous garden designer, Penelope Hobhouse, presents the history of gardening in an ambitious work charting garden history from the Ancient World through to the present day. From excavations at the pyramids it is clear the pharaohs cherished their gardens and despite water shortages spent small fortunes on building mini oasis' for their enjoyment. The Romans and Ancient Greeks created gardens, cultivating most importantly, medicinal plants, assiduously chronicled by Diosciorades. From the enclosed pleasure gardens of the Medieval Age, tulipomania, the discovery of the Americas and its botanical importance, the rolling landscapes of the 1800s, the great plant-hunters and explosion of botanical knowledge during Victoria's reign through to today's gardens with their fusion of modern and past, Hobhouse paints a vivid picture of the garden's development through the ages. With an incredible number of colour illustrations and photographs, this is both a visual and literal history of world gardening, cleverly pulled together by Penelope Hobhouse to present the definitive guide on the subject. - Lucy Watson

Synopsis:

This illustrated history charts the evoution of gardening over thousands of years, bringing to life the world's most beautiful and magnificent gardens. Penelope Hobhouse shows how an appreciation of style and techniques from all over the world helps us to understand how modern gardens have developed. She also considers how the availability of plant species from around the world has influenced garden design. From the cooling fountains of the Alhambra to the imposing palace grounds of Chinese emporers and the clean lines of the formal French parteer, this text explains the origins of the most influential gardening styles. In the course of the book we are introduced to the world's principal gardeners, horticulturalists and designers, find out which plants were considered the most valuable or fashionable of their day, and marvel at pleasure gardens, parks and grottoes. In addition to describing the rich historical context from which today's gardens have evolved, Penelope Hobhouse draws on her life's work as a gardener to give an insight into the influences that have inspired her own designs and shaped her gardening philosophy.

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