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
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.