Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Gärten der Götter

Rate this book
Gardens of the Gods reveals the symbolic language of garden design, exploring the gardens of China with their moon gates and immortal rocks, the Zen gardens of Japan, and the paradise gardens of Islam. It even looks at Renaissance Italy with its richly mythological imagery, the landscaped parks of England, and the gardens of New Harmony in the US. Striking modern examples include the Tarot Garden of the sculptress Niki de Saint Phalle. Beautifully illustrated, Gardens of the Gods also includes a chapter with suggestions for creating your own "garden of meaning" and a selected catalog of plants with symbolic or mythological associations.


Contents are:

Dedication
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgements
Introduction
01 - The Symbolic Language of Gardens
02 - Balancing The Forces of Nature: Chinese and Japanese Gardens
03 - A Foretaste of Paradise: The Islamic Garden and Its Forebears
04 - Gardens of Gods and Gardens of Saints: Pagan and Christian Motifs in European Gardens
05 - Ancient Mysteries Revived: The Renaissance Garden in Italy
06 - Rosicrucian Marvels and Recreations of Eden: Late Renaissance Gardens in Europe
07 - Theatres of Transformation: Symbolism in Baroque and Rococo Gardens
08 - Visions of A New Elysium: Symbolism and Allegory in Gardens of the Eighteenth Century
09 - The Symbol-Strewn Landscape: Initiative Themes in European Gardens of The Eighteenth, Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries
10 - The Present Age
11 - Connecting with Nature
12 - Creating A Garden of Meaning
Appendix - Some Plants and Their Associations
Notes
General Bibliography
Index

Hardcover

First published October 29, 2004

Loading...
Loading...

About the author

Christopher McIntosh

8 books24 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
4 (21%)
4 stars
9 (47%)
3 stars
6 (31%)
2 stars
0 (0%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 of 1 review
Profile Image for Paul Christensen.
Author 7 books165 followers
May 2, 2018
Good account of gardens with religious/esoteric symbolism and meaning. Pagan, Christian, Rosicrucian, Masonic, Buddhist, as well as idiosyncratic ones like ‘Little Sparta’ in Lanarkshire, Scotland.

A book like this deserves a lavish colour edition, but unfortunately the publishers only saw fit to include a handful of black and white photos. Still, a lot of information in the text.
Displaying 1 of 1 review