Gardens of the gods : myth, magic and meaning in horticulture

"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, the paradise gardens of Islam, those of Renaissance Italy with their richly mythological imagery, the landscaped parks of England, the gardens of New Harmony in the US and some striking, modern examples of symbolic gardens, including the Tarot Garden of the sculptress Niki de Saint Phalle in Italy. This illustrated book also includes a chapter with suggestions for creating a "garden of meaning" and a selected catalogue of plants with symbolic or mythological associations. Based on ten years of research, travel and curiostiy, this text is also the result of a personal quest - to reveal the mystical codes written in the astonishing worlds of gardens worldwide. 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 Centurie s 10 - The Present Age 11 - Connecting with Nature 12 - Creating A Garden of Meaning Appendix - Some Plants and Their Associations Notes General Bibliography Index Gardens of the Gods is an invitation to look at and create gardens in a new way - or rather a very old way that has been widely forgotten. Its theme is the garden as a sacred space, an outdoor temple carrying an intentional message: religious, mystical, poetic or philosophical.Christopher McIntosh reveals the basic elements of the visual language used to convey meaning in a garden: its form and proportions; the decorative features in it; and the plants with their symbolic or mythological associations. He gives examples of motifs most frequently used and most pregnant with meaning, such as labyrinths, grottoes, fountains, monoliths and sacred groves. The reader is then taken on a fascinating tour of the great gardening traditions of different periods and regions. These include the gardens of China with their moon gates and immortal rocks, the Zen gardens of Japan, the paradise gardens of Islam, those of Renaissance Italy, the landscaped parks of England, and some striking modern examples of symbolic gardens, such as the Tarot Garden of the sculptress Niki de Saint Phalle in Italy.A chapter gives some practical ideas for creating one's own sacred or symbolic gardens, whether in a space of many acres or merely a shelf for a few potted plants. An appendix provides a selected list of plants and their symbolic meanings, and the illustrations include some of the most beautiful and richly symbolic gardens in the world. Gardens of the Gods - Myth, Magic and Meaning......Page 1 Picture credits......Page 3 Title Page ......Page 4 ISBN 1860647405 EAN 9781860647406......Page 5 Dedication......Page 6 Contents ......Page 8 List of Illustrations......Page 12 Acknowledgements......Page 14 Introduction......Page 16 1 - The Symbolic Language of Gardens......Page 20 2 - Balancing The Forces of Nature: Chinese and Japanese Gardens......Page 37 3 - A Foretaste of Paradise: The Islamic Garden and Its Forebears......Page 54 4 - Gardens of Gods and Gardens of Saints: Pagan and Christian Motifs in European Gardens......Page 65 5 - Ancient Mysteries Revived: The Renaissance Garden in Italy......Page 75 6 - Rosicrucian Marvels and Recreations of Eden: Late Renaissance Gardens in Europe......Page 88 7 - Theatres of Transformation: Symbolism in Baroque and Rococo Gardens......Page 95 8 - Visions of A New Elysium: Symbolism and Allegory in Gardens of the Eighteenth Century......Page 103 9 - The Symbol-Strewn Landscape: Initiatic Themes in European Gardens of The Eighteenth, Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries......Page 110 10 - The Present Age......Page 132 11 - Connecting with Nature......Page 155 12 - Creating A Garden of Meaning......Page 167 Appendix - Some Plants and Their Associations......Page 184 Notes......Page 203 General Bibliography......Page 212 Index......Page 215 A verandah in Kyoto overlooking an expanse of white sand, its carefully raked parallel lines broken only by a few rocks; the mysterious recesses of a Chinese garden glimpsed through a circular opening in a high wall; the dried-up fountains and watercourses of a once sumptuous Mughal garden in India; a flight of terraces in Tuscany peopled by satyrs, dwarves, monkeys and gods; the surrealistic rock sculptures of Bomarzo; the throng of deities around the Fountain of Apollo at Versailles; a grotto in England with a nymph sleeping by murmuring waters; a Scottish hillside with the golden head of a Greek god half hidden in the shrubbery - these places, disparate geographically and culturally, are linked together. This work reveals the symbolic language of garden design, exploring the gardens of China with their moon gates and immortal rocks, the paradise gardens of Islam, the landscaped parks of England and many more

an Exciting Revelation Of The Mystical Codes Written In The Astonishing Realms Of Gardens Worldwide