"The Gardener's Garden"

Book review by Carlo Balistrieri, Vice President of Preservation

Just when you thought you couldn’t possibly add one more garden book to shelves that are already groaning under the weight of your collection, along come a merry band of garden provocateurs to disabuse you of concern.

The Gardener’s Garden is Phaidon’s thinly veiled attempt to publish the last garden book you’ll ever need, and they nearly succeed. Approaching 500 pages, with more than 1200 photographs of 250 gardens – historical and contemporary, public and private – in 45 countries across five continents, this monster book features a dizzying range of garden styles and designs. It is virtually eight pounds of horticultural caviar, an embarras de richesses.

While many of these gardens are familiar, at least visually, others are revelations. The high-quality photography is amazingly uniform, given the number of different photographers and locations involved. It is the raison d’être of the book, and the chief joy of perusing its pages.

There is no learned text here, no philosophical treatise on “the garden.” After reading Madison Cox’s introduction, we’re off and running. Like opening a set of matryoshka dolls, flipping anywhere in the book yields new delights. Each garden is given at least a page or two, occasionally more. The written profiles clearly play second fiddle to each entry’s photograph yet they do provide essential information that enriches the visual experience.

Quibbling about missing favorites will get you nowhere. There is truly something in these pages for every taste and style. The most traveled reader will not fail to make remarkable discoveries – even professionals in the field will meet gardens they’ve never seen before.

Fear not. The Gardener’s Garden will not replace your favorite garden books, nor will it take the place of next year’s crop. What it will do is open your eyes to the diversity of horticultural expression across the globe. It will encourage further exploration, and additional book purchases, like the best ones do.

However, be forewarned: hefting this book onto your lap and cracking the cover will lead you down a path from which you may not return for some time. Even the most jaded, worn-out-husk-of-a-gardener will lose themselves in the amazing passion on display in this sedentary tour of the world’s gardens.

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The Gardener's Garden released in October 2014 from Phaidon. For more information, please visit the publisher's website.

Eight of our Preservation partners are featured in The Gardener's Garden, including Chase Garden (WA), Ruth Bancroft Garden (CA), Peckerwood Garden (TX), Hollister House Garden (CT), LongHouse Reserve (NY), Montrose (NC), Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden (SC), and Longue Vue House & Gardens (LA).