American Gardens: A Tour of the Nation's Finest Private Gardens

by Peter Loewer

Book Overview

A tour of thirty of the nation's finest private gardens is accompanied by more than two hundred color photographs that cover such varieties as rock gardens, woodland gardens, desert gardens, and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0671662678
• ISBN13: 9780671662677
• Release Date: January 1988
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 193 Pages
• Weight: 2.65 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Master American Gardening

"American Gardens: A Tour of the Nation's Finest Private Gardens," by Peter Loewer brilliantly captures the horticultural genius of master gardeners across the United States. Moreover, the diverse photography on nearly every page of this beautiful book allows it to double as a coffee table selection. But be diligent...because your guests may decide to take it home with them. The author provides an extensive menu of gardens. It includes perennial gardens, rock gardens, woodland gardens, desert gardens, shrub gardens, city townhouse gardens and even rooftop gardens. The gardens also include a broad rande of climates, terrains, styles and sizes. For pure artistry the "Garden of Roses," by Bruce Krasberg in suberban Winnetka, Illinois, a city north of Chicago, on Lake Michigan is a beautiful testimony to our national flower. However, my favorite garden is that of Elsa Bakalar in northwestern Massachusetts, not too far from Brattleboro, Vermont. Her garden is actually a patchwork of individual gardens, pieces here and there that add up to an acre on a property of about five acres that includes a pond, a big meadow, and some woods. Bakalar designed giant beds with blends of color schemes mixed in with natural backgrounds. Still and all, the true value of this book for gardeners is "Part Two: Great Ideas for Your Garden." It includes a section on seasonal specialties, gardens in containers, statuary and ornaments and finally paths and paving. The author also provides an outstanding index of sources of supply from plant societies, regional gardening resources, commerical seed companies and mail order nurseries. And finally the text also has a detailed bibliography. This book would make a great gift for the gardener in the family. Highly recommended.Bert Ruiz