The Garden Liberated: An Evolution of Italian Garden Design

Ten gardens made in Italy by the most respected Italian garden architect: this is a book for lovers of greenery and the Italian landscape.

The ten gardens brought together in this book — located in different regions of Italy, from the wetlands of Piedmont to the gentle hills of Tuscany, from the lush Riviera to the sunny coasts of the South — reflect the variety of the Italian territory and its extraordinary biodiversity.

In his gardens, Paolo Pejrone tackles the task of designing greenery with great humility, placing himself at the service of nature and never vice versa. He respects the genius loci, plans seasonal blooms, prioritizes native plants, and studies exposure to sun and shade to minimize watering needs and make the most of the land's resources. In full harmony with the rhythm of nature, Pejrone's gardens are a manifesto of sobriety and sustainability.

The book offers the opportunity to see places not open to the public, including private gardens, some of which are new and previously unseen.

The partnership between Pejrone and the photographer Dario Fusaro started many years ago but still continues today. In addition to documenting the transformations of the ever-changing gardens over time, Fusaro photographs every new intervention by Pejrone. In this book he presents the most recent works by Pejrone, some of them completely new, with sweeping views and unexpected glimpses, taken from above with a drone or as macro photographs of flowers and plants.

Paolo Pejrone is the most important Italian garden designer. As a young student, he worked with Russell Page in the United Kingdom and Roberto Burle-Marx in Brazil, who left a profound mark on his approach to garden and nature. Pejrone has worked throughout Italy but also abroad in France, Germany, Spain, the UK, and Saudi Arabia.

Dario Fusaro is a photographer specialized in gardens, architecture, and landscape, both natural and urban.