Creating a Garden for the Senses. [Introduction; Sight; Smell; Touch; Sound; Taste; The Sixth Sense; Chart of Plants by Sensuous Qualities]

Filled with photographs from some of the most beautiful gardens in America and Europe, this sensual celebration of gardening also offers practical garden tips.

Here Cox ( Plant Marriages ) considers "both the sensuous and sensual aspects of plants," hoping to "bring . . . unconscious sensory experiences into the bright light of full consciousness." Lest this sound too Freudian, what he really wants to do is to simplify, not to complicate, a gardener's pleasure, returning us to a child-like state of harmony with nature. Reasonably, the book is divided into chapters that address each sense (sight, smell, touch, sound, taste) in turn, before finally taking on "the sixth sense," meaning one that "perceives a reality beyond the material world" of plants. Under "Sound," for instance, Cox discusses wind chimes and piped-in music for garden settings, as well as the music donated by nature. Under "Scent," herbs receive a good deal of attention, and color, of course, looms large in "Sight." And, continually encouraging the development or the reawakening of an "aesthetic sense," the book prods gently with color photos. But, like his previous Plant Marriages , Cox offers more gimmick than genius, and quite a few commonplaces mixed in. "A strong and trusted intuition is a particularly great help in gardening," he notes, and, "sitting in a garden, it is not hard to believe that we and the plants are part of a greater whole." People have been saying this for centuries.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

A good deal of recent gardening literature focuses on fragrant flowers and foliage, and Cox takes the notion of scented plants a step further by including plants that appeal to each of the senses. In his opinionated guide, Cox offers unflinching advice on garden design, assisted by Jerry Pavia's gorgeous photographic images that capture tableaux of color and form. Cox explores the garden as an art form and defines plant groupings according to such elements as tactile qualities and visual balance created by shape, line, and mass. All gardeners, whether they possess small spaces or acres of land, will appreciate this offering and its tantalizing mix of aesthetic concerns, philosophical musings, and scientific theories (such as the optical effects of color). A chart lists the "sensuous qualities" of selected shrubs, trees, and flowers. Alice Joyce

Providing 160 visually delightful color photos from gardens in the United States, Canada, England, and France, photographer Pavia joins garden writer Cox in issuing an invitation to gardeners to sample appealing gardens that stimulate our senses of sight, smell, touch, sound, and taste. Devoting a chapter to each sense, Cox describes ways specific plants appeal to the senses and shows how gardeners can develop a greater awareness of color, form, texture, fragrance, and other sensuous qualities. An appendix includes a listing of annuals, bulbs and corms, vines, perennials, shrubs, and trees, specifying their sensuous appeal. This handsome book will interest readers who are hunting for ideas for new plants in their home landscape.
- Dale Luchsinger, Athens Area Technical Inst., Ga.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.