40: Landscapes

Rating:
Summary: Inspiring and Dynamite Coffee Table Book
Review: This impressive book brings together 40 different gardens designed by leading architects. It is a plethora of imaginative ideas brought to reality and just waiting to spark your own outdoor design ideas. Gardens aren't as popular these days as they once were. Perhaps the reason for this is the current trend in building houses so close together one can lean out their window and touch the neighbour's. A garden was once a delightful sanctuary from the world and its troubles, now it is little more than a small bed beside the path leading from the garage to the house, or under the front window.

The stunning gardens depicted in 40: Landscapes are based more upon the older style, where one has property enough to make a haven of their own. We begin the journey in California, and end in Massachusetts, having been introduced to marvels of ingenuity and imagination around the world on our way from point A to point B. Each landscape is different from the others, the only thing they have in common is their unique beauty, and the sense of calm they deliver.

Stamper Garden held many wonders within its borders, and I was disappointed that the designer neglected to share an overall design with us. The photos showed a tranquil and appealing garden with many different facets. A stunning view is the backdrop for some perception reversals. Slabs of granite come together in a parody of Stonehenge, while another set of photos takes us away from the mountain and plunges the viewer into the forest. There is a wall with a small arched opening made entirely of firewood. It's stunning in its simplicity, and fires the imagination.

I have a strong desire to go and stay at the Hotel Kohjimachi Kaikan, now. This hotel in Chiyoda, Tokyo, features stunning gardening delights, from a traditional koi pond to a gorgeous waterfall. This garden was designed to have numerous small internal gardens within its borders. Bamboo fencing, rock ledges and stone pathways break up the vast amount of greenery, and numerous ponds and fountains offer up tranquility in abundance. It is one of the most beautiful gardens I have ever laid eyes on - in any format. I would like to see it in reality now, and experience the "zen" in person.

UBC's (University of British Columbia, Canada) was in need of having it's Nitobe Garden renovated. It had been laid out in 1960 and the original concepts and design had been lost. This was a major undertaking, but it was completed with mastery. The pond is the main focal point, and a meandering path that follows its borders. Its tranquil depths are spanned by four bridges, and there is a small island that can be reached. It is a simplistic design, yet captivating and contains possibility for an admirer to attain great serenity while walking through out this tiny realm of the orient on Canada's west coast.

Numerous ideas may be found in 40: Landscapes, for your own small backyard garden, or for a larger project should you have the property to experiment upon. This is a delightful diversion and a dynamite coffee table book. I'd have to highly recommend this one, as well!

Review Originally Posted at http://www.linearreflection.com