This inspirational book, with specially commissioned photography by Hugh Palmer, illustrates and discusses grand and small water gardens throughout the world, from the formal Islamic masterpieces of Granada and Kashmir to the tranquil gardens of Kyoto in Japan.
All the principal schools of garden design in America and Europe are also included. The ingenuity of the Italian garden, with its brilliant aquatic engineering and variety of water features—chutes, staircases, fountains, and grottoes—is captured in stunning views, as are the grand vistas of Versailles and other gardens in the French style, the "natural" look of English landscaping, the smaller-scale pleasures of stream and pond gardens, and the profusion of tropical gardens. Present-day instances include Geoffrey Jellicoe's finest gardens and designs by Roberto Burle Marx.
Details and close-ups are included throughout, as are examples of the remarkable variety of water features that have embellished gardens throughout the ages. An important section on the small garden and listings of major water gardens worldwide complete the book.
The Water Garden is not only a work to stimulate the modern gardener but also a sumptuous tribute to a great tradition that unites some of the most lavish and beautiful gardens ever devised. 267 illustrations, 174 in color.
