The Oxford Companion to Gardens

About this book

This new Oxford Companion covers the history and design of gardens all over the world from the earliest recorded known examples to the present day encompassing everything from small private gardens to the vast public park at Versailles from the secret gardens of Arab princes to legendary gardens that no longer exist. Some 250 halftone illustrations of gardens feature contemporary paintings and engravings recent and early photographs garden plans and sketches. In addition 24 pages of color plates illustrate the rich variety and scope of the garden. The Companion is neither a practical manual on how to select and grow plants nor a garden visitors handbook. Rather the 1500 entries include over 700 on individual gardens selected for their historical significance and originality of design. In addition the Companion brings together for the first time in a single convenient reference work information on modern garden designers such as Church Baragan Burle Marx Frederick Law Olmsted and Jens Jenson and on principal patrons illustrators and nurserymen and plant collectors--information heretofore available if at all only in specialist periodicals and in a few rare books. There are also entries on features such as fountains mazes serpentine walls and moon doors; and on garden terms like jie jing tang and casino. Gardens for special purposes are included--for disabled people hospitals and prisons roof gardens rock gardens and water gardens. Longer articles cover garden design in major countries and specialist topics such as botanical illustration Islam public parks and landscape architecture as an academic subject. As in other Oxford Companions the entries are arranged alphabetically with comprehensive cross-referencing.