Garden Mania: The Ardent Gardener's Compendium of Design and Decoration

Comprised of historic illustrations from rare books of the 17th, 18th, 19th, and early 20th century, this is a very good reference in the history of garden design. Colored engravings are reproduced as such and most that were originally black & white are printed in one color such as red, blue, green, purple, magenta, etc., which gives additional visual stimulation. Sometimes the images are a two-page spread, but otherwise there are one or two per page. Every image has a brief identifying caption and each chapter begins with about 2 pages of text. The chapters are Shaping Nature, A Paradise on Earth; Building the Garden, Temples of Delight; The Garden Divided, Gateways and Enclosures; Furnishing the Garden, Ornament in Many Materials; A Place of Pleasure, Amusements and Entertainments; Water, the Most Vital Element; and The Garden at Work, Providing and Protecting. Recommended for both professionals and serious amateurs, in addition to those who just enjoy attractive historic views of gardens.

Dover Publishing meets Monty Python - A magical, quirky little treasure trove of drawings, pleasing etchings, engravings, and mainly re-colored intaglio depictions that look back on the garden through the eyes of artists. Just as Versailles mania spread across Europe, no prince or princeling worthy of his title was content until he too had structured his garden in an imitation of Le Notre. In Vienna, the Hapsburgs rebuilt Schonbrunn deliberately to rival Versailles. In Germany, Schwetzinger boasted a vast circular parterre with curved trellis arches. Garden Mania thrives on the interplay and alternation of formal and informal. The highly styled late Seventeenth, and Early Eighteenth Century parterres, sculpture, arbors, and bosquets were bound to provoke a reaction - the revolt against formality and Classicism first began in England. Garden Mania is an inclusive compendium of garden fantasy, design and ornament that will especially charm artists familiar with Dover stylebooks. Noting however, Clarkson Potter of New York published this book. Thames & Hudson Ltd., London, originally published Garden Mania.