The Olmsted Parks of Louisville : A Botanical Field Guide

Frederick Law Olmsted, popularly known as the "Father of American Landscape Architecture," is famous for designing New York City's Central Park, the U.S. Capitol grounds, and the campuses of institutions such as Stanford University and the University of Chicago. His celebrated projects in Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Milwaukee, and other cities led to a commission from the city of Louisville, Kentucky, in 1891. There, he partnered with community leaders to design a network of scenic parks, tree-lined parkways, elegant neighborhoods, and beautifully landscaped estate gardens that thousands of visitors still enjoy today. The Olmsted Parks of Louisville is the first authoritative manual on the 380 species of trees, herbaceous plants, shrubs, and vines populating the nearly 1,900 acres that comprise Cherokee, Seneca, Iroquois, Shawnee, and Chickasaw Parks. Designed for easy reference, this handy field guide includes detailed photos and maps as well as ecological and historical information about each park. Author Patricia Dalton Haragan also includes sections detailing the many species of invasive plants in the parks and discusses the native flora that they displaced. This guide provides readers with a key to Olmsted's vision, revealing how various plant species were arranged to emphasize the beauty and grandeur of nature. It will serve as an essential resource for students, nature enthusiasts, and the more than ten thousand visitors who use the parks. Frederick Law Olmsted is popularly known as the creator of New York City's Central Park, but he had many other celebrated projects. In 1891 he received a commission to design a network of scenic parks, elegant neighborhoods, and gardens in Louisville. The Olmsted Parks of Louisville is the first authoritative manual on the 380 species of trees, herbaceous plants, shrubs, and vines populating the nearly 1,900 acres of Cherokee, Seneca, Iroquois, Shawnee, and Chickasaw Parks. Designed for easy reference, this handy field guide includes detailed photos and maps as well as ecological and historical information about each park. Author Patricia Dalton Haragan also includes sections detailing the many species of invasive plants in the parks and discusses the native flora that they displaced. This guide provides readers with a key to Olmsted's vision, revealing how various plant species were arranged to emphasize the beauty and grandeur of nature. It is an essential resource for students, nature enthusiasts, and the more than ten thousand visitors who use the parks. Book jacket Front Cover Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Contents Foreword Parks Map Introduction About This Book Illustrated Plant Structures Plant Descriptions of 384 Species Plant Descriptions: Ferns and Fern Allies Plant Descriptions: Herbaceous Plants, Woody Vines, and Shrubs Plant Descriptions: Trees Plant Descriptions: Sedges, Rushes, and Grasses Glossary References Acknowledgments Olmsted Parks Conservancy Index