The Garden Book

The Garden Book presents a diverse range of designers responsible for some of the most interesting and iconic gardens and landscapes of all time from around the world. Gardens of Ancient Persia, the Moguls of India, and the palaces of Chinese Emperors sit side by side with contemporary gardens from the United States and Europe. Like The Art Book, this book presents 500 designers in an A-Z format that departs from the usual emphasis on genres and time periods.

The gardens are carefully selected, on the basis of key figures in landscape architecture, to illustrate the influence of each on the various traditions of gardening around the globe. They range, therefore, from the palaces of kings to the all-consuming passions - often bordering on obsession - of amateur enthusiasts. Written in an accessible way, the text explains the role of each chosen figure in the development of the garden, as well as the important changes to the garden over time.

Each designer is represented by a full-page illustration, mostly in colour, of their most significant garden. Long-vanished wonders, such as the mythical gardens of Babylon, are illustrated by artists' impressions and engravings.

Each page includes meticulous cross-references to other designers working in a similar style, movement or time period, as well as biographical information about the designer. The book also includes an easy-to-use glossary of terms and movements, as well as an extensive directory of gardens.

'Small but perfectly informed ... True to horticultural ideals, the tiny size entails no loss of elegance or variety: it's a bonsai version of the original.' (Independent) 'You get more beauty here for GBP5.95 than most eyes are ever likely to see.' (Ink) 'Read it and relax.' (The Times) 'A good introduction to the pioneers who defined modern gardening.' (Garden Answers) 'This highly accessible overview of 500 garden designers covers gardens and landscapes as diverse as ancient Persia, classical Europe and the contemporary United States.' (The Indianapolis Star) 'A truly sumptuous encyclopeida ... its range is magnificent - from ancient China and India to Renaissance Italy to modern Los Angeles.' (Sunday Telegraph Magazine)