1 comments about Visions of Paradise.

1. This is pure garden porn. I bought it solely because of one picture of a garden seldom shown, Castello Balduino in the hills outside Pavia. The concept of the book is to assemble great photos gathered through the career of the photographer. They are then presented chapter-wise under headlines like Italian Style and Potager. Take an armchair journey to some of the most fantastic gardens of the world presented in glorious photos.

No comments about Water Spaces of the World Vol.3 (Water Spaces).

1 comments about An Arcadian Landscape. The California Gardens of A.E. Hanson.

1. I love this book. The writing is totally conversational, effortless to read, yet full of insight and humor. A.E. Hanson practiced landscape architecture for many years in southern California, and during the 20s he became very successful creating gardens for wealthy clients. His biggest and most notable commission was the Harold Lloyd estate which he created (including hiring and directing the architect) over the course of several years before the depression.

   Every landscape architect and landscape contractor will enjoy this book. His descriptions of the problems he faced, and the way he dealt with them, are amusing and inspiring. He describes, for instance, walking through a gulley in Benedict Canyon, a miserable eroded dry wash, and telling Harold Lloyd (who has just purchased it) that, "sure, no problem, we can put a golf course here" then going back to his car and sitting with his head in his hands for half an hour wondering how in the hell he was ever going to deliver on his promise. Needless to say, he delivered, and the story of how he did what he did makes a great story.

   Everyone who has ever built anything big knows the huge effort required to carve beauty out of inanimate and uncooperative materials ( and dealing with clients, architects, and builders) . You will relate to A.E.'s story, and you will learn something.

   A great book. Lots of black-and-white illustrations, many (if not most) from the period, illustrate the text very well. Like all Hennessy & Ingalls publications, it suffers a bit from mediocre printing, but it is a nice looking paper-back book and that's a small quibble. Well worth the price.

No comments about Daisen-in a 16th Century Zen-Temple in KyoTo.

No comments about Overland Partners: Building on Value.

1 comments about Historic Landscapes of Florida.

1. "Florida's historic landscapes are vivid mosaics of our cultural heritage. They remind us of where we have been and help to create a sense of place. From Indian Key (1823) to the Harry P. Leu House and Gardens in Orlando (1961), Lombard surveys Florida's most significant historic landscapes, both cultural and designed." (review by Florida Humanities Council)

No comments about The World of Andre Le Notre (Penn Studies in Landscape Architecture).

1 comments about 20 Best Garden Designs.

1. This is a good book to generate ideas for your garden. There are a few color photos, and a lot of colored drawings and sketches of garden plans. They give several angles of view for one plan. Each design comes with a planting list. I think it is a nice addition to the gardening library.

No comments about The Olmsted National Historic Site and the Growth of Historic Landscape Preservation.

No comments about Secret Gardens Of Venice.