Key West Gardens and Their Stories

Rating:
Summary: Take a Peak at Key West Gardens
Review: Key West Gardens and Their Stories embodies author Janis Frawley-Holler's love of Key West's mystery, romance and tropical ambiance as revealed in its public and private gardens. Gardens on this two- by four-mile frost-free island-city are infinite variations on a theme: how one uses fountains and tropical plants (especially palms, crotons, orchids and flowering trees) to create private oases in cramped spaces. Frawley-Holler's 128-page book, lavishly illustrated with 173 color photographs by her husband Darrel Holler, goes well beyond a listing of plants in each of 57 gardens. Into the essays she weaves personal stories of individual gardeners, how and why they planted what they did and historical tidbits about Key West -- the wealthy 19th-century city at the end of the Florida Keys, whose independence, freewheeling ways and Victorian architecture continues to charm writers, artists and visitors. "Restful Respites Open to All" (public gardens) and "Gardens with a Past" (museum gardens) where anyone can wander at will, open the book. Here are not just tropical areas, but also St. Paul's Episcopal Church's rose garden, the Hyatt Resort's Turtle Garden and the Memorial Sculpture Garden. "Awaken unto the Gardens" (the rear gardens of hotels, B&Bs and other lodgings) are tantalizingly hinted at by the streetside landscaping. Here Frawley-Holler shows us the stress-free ambiance lodging owners create through profuse blooms, fountains, pools and shady restful nooks. In "Tiny Gardens and a Grand Collection", Gardens of Old Town", "Truman Annex" and "Gardens Out of [Old] Town" Frawley-Holler takes us into private inner sanctums, rich with textures, riotous colors and unexpected eclectic accents expressing the owners' personalities. Roses raised by a sea captain, jungle murals mimicking the surrounding foliage, whimsical metal sculptures -- even Ernest Hemingway's infamous urinal now a watering dish for the six-toed descendants of his cats. After four months of research, Frawley-Holler knew much more about tropical plants and Key West history than when she began. Even so, her sensory impressions take precedence over Latin names or historical dates. Holler's photos are a treat, for photographing gardens with their variegated sun and shade is an almost impossible task. (He took many photos at sunrise, he reveals). Each photo illustrates a garden's unique features, further emphasizing the infinite variations among tropical gardens. A special treat are the close-up shots of individual blossoms that winter visitors never see. The book is best dipped into, savored a few gardens at a time. Visitors to Key West may want to peruse the chapters on public gardens before mapping a route or setting out, or even take the book along. (A mention of those gardens that charge admission would be a helpful addition.) The rest of us, wherever we garden, will find Key West's Gardens and Their Stories an inspiring and delightful peek behind garden gates for glimpses into the most private, romantic aspects of America's Southernmost City. ##

Rating:
Summary: Enjoy full-page color photos of garden settings
Review: Key West Gardens And Their Stories will appeal to any with a special interest in Key West gardens and their histories. Enjoy full-page color photos of garden settings accompanying descriptions of the gardens and their histories. The result is a fine local history Florida residents will love.

Rating:
Summary: Key West Gardens And Their Stories
Review: Key West is a tropical plant lovers paradise and this book is choke full of color photographs of some of the most fascinating gardens there. Not only is this book full of great photographs but there are many fascinating stories concerning the histories of the ground where the gardens now grow.
If you like history and you like tropical plants this is the book for you. I also found many inspiring ideas for future landscaping and greenhouse design and I am sure you will too.

Rating:
Summary: Key West Gardens And Their Stories
Review: Key West is a tropical plant lovers paradise and this book is choke full of color photographs of some of the most fascinating gardens there. Not only is this book full of great photographs but there are many fascinating stories concerning the histories of the ground where the gardens now grow.
If you like history and you like tropical plants this is the book for you. I also found many inspiring ideas for future landscaping and greenhouse design and I am sure you will too.