A rich and inspiring look at gardens! | The Meaning of Gardens

book: The Meaning of Gardens

books:


	• The Meaning of Gardens The MIT Press, 1992 - 293 pages average customer review:based on 2 reviews view larger image
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generally good but a bit esoteric and queer at times

This book was very theoretical, not very practical. It had a lot of examples, some of which were very interesting. But some of the examples were quite strange and weird which makes the book sometimes a bit nonsensical. I would recommend it if you are looking for examples of overly-spiritual gardens not for normal everyday gardening.

A rich and inspiring look at gardens!

I found this an excellent and far-reaching book, beautifully organized into six "metaphors"--faith, power, ordering, cultural expression, personal expression and healing. This is a book for someone interested in exploring the deeper meaning and symbolism of gardens throughout history and in a variety of cultures, as well as the contemporary art of the garden and the exciting trend in community gardening. I found the section on healing particularly moving.

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Gardens reveal the relationship between culture and nature, yet in the vast library of garden literature few books focus on what the garden means - on the ecology of garden as idea, place, and action. The Meaning of Gardens maps out how the garden is perceived, designed, used, and valued. Essays from a variety of disciplines are organized around six metaphors special to our time - the garden muses of Faith, Power, Ordering, Cultural Expression, Personal Expression, and Healing. Each muse suggests specific inspirations for garden and landscape design.

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