Encyclopedia of Gardens: History and Design

Rating:
Summary: garden design
Review: I actually read this encyclopedia from cover to cover as part of a project that I was working on. Most people will not use the books that way. (though it makes good bedtime reading) Most will go to the encyclopedia looking for information on specific gardens, garden designers, or styles and the history of gardening by country. It is a very impressive collection of articles discussing the world history of gardens and garden design. This encyclopdia makes it possible to track ideas and designs across centuries and across nations. You can see, for example, how the travels of one collector influenced collectors and designers across the world. You can learn how design elements used in early Japanese gardens were incorporated into British or American garden designs or what influenced monastic garden designs. Its a wonderful reference book for garden designers or those who love gardens. The alphabetical arrangement of the encyclopedia is supplemented with cross-references for each article, bibliographies and the whole thing is tied together with a good, useful index.