The Gardens of Russell Page

Russell Page was perhaps the most successful garden designer of the twentieth century yet sadly many of his masterpieces are no longer in existence. The author and photographer Marina Schinz sought to remedy this after his death by preserving his gardens in photographs and writing this book. First published over fifteen years ago, the book has been reprinted. Page designed gardens in England, France, Italy and the United States for many famous clients. He was a genius at composing the elements of a landscape, sometimes redirecting waterways and changing elevations to achieve his visions. The gardens featured here are divided by style and place, such as "The Moorish Influence" which discusses the important influence that Islam gardens played on Page's work. The photographs are sumptuous, perfectly capturing the beautiful creations of this master landscape architect.

I had a glance at this book some fithteen years ago in o book-store and... I didn't buy it! My interest in garden design was fairly recent I thought "I can't buy every book on the topic". But the name and the images keept haunting me as other writers referred to Mr Page and pictures of some of his gardens flickered by. By then the book was out of print and unavailable alas. So one snowy day I went to a second-hand book-seller and there it was in the window! I got it instantly and spent the next weeks travelling to England, Italy, USA and his other places of work over and over again, slowly turning the pages of this book. If you have an interest in classical gardens of the Renaissance and Baroque - here is the modern version of their ideals to make you gasp. But it doesn't stop there; wood-lands, ponds and pools, Arab-style and more are to be found in excellent photos. The Italian projects (La Landriana, Villa Silvio Pellico, La Mortella e.g.) are perhaps the most famous ones. They are showed of course, along with the best kept of the many places he designed (far from all his gardens have survived to the present). This is actually the only book on a single designer that I've felt I've had to own. But then I am a lover of classical art and design...

No words to describe this genius!.How as a landscape gardener,could I have taken ten years to discover his works!!.He is obviously and sadly unknown for his contribution to timeless gardening.This is the "Bible" of landscape gardening,and he is the Van Gogh of gardeners.How can such a valuble and essential book be unavailable!?

I hadn't even heard of Russell page until I perchanced upon this book in my local bookstore some 5 years ago. I was moved to tears by some of the photographs, and that doesn't happen easily to me. The man was a genius, clear and simple, and his designs reached out and spoke to me in a way very few designers ever have. In my own landscapes, I have been immensely influenced by Russell Page, both through this wonderful book, and his own 'Education of a gardener'. This book is superbly illustrated with colour photographs throughout. The photography is excellent, and the written descriptions are well penned, informative, decriptive but not too long-winded. My copy of this book would be on my list of my top ten material possessions.