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Rating: 
Summary: Stunning Photography of Natural Gardens Spaces
Review: Photographer Susan Rademacher Fry presents almost two dozen landscape projects by Wolfgang Oehme and James van Sweden in a coffee-table sized book. The photos are technically excellent and effectively communicate the naturalistic language O&vS use in their projects.There is much emphasis on using native plants and plants that make sense in the context of the garden.Large grasses figure prominently in many of the designs. And many feature rudbeckias and sedums. The goal seems to be to knit a building seemlessly into its enviroment using appropriate garden elements. When it's a penthouse terrace, a sculpture or fountain and a single plant may suffice. By the shore it's giant mounds of grass waving in the sea breeze. In a wooded setting by a mountain stream the emphasis is on rocks and water. A number of sites are presented with sketches of the plans. Explanations, though very brief, are clear and helpful. At times one can't help but feel that the book is a very large, expensive, illustrated cirriculum vitae for the landscape architects; but it is clearly much more. Their love of their art comes shining through. Don't miss the compendium of of 'favorite plants' at the end of the book. And remember that fifteen years later one of the principles stated his regret that he'd planted quite so many rudbeckias.
Rating:
Summary: Stunning Photography of Natural Gardens Spaces
Review: Photographer Susan Rademacher Fry presents almost two dozen landscape projects by Wolfgang Oehme and James van Sweden in a coffee-table sized book. The photos are technically excellent and effectively communicate the naturalistic language O&vS use in their projects. There is much emphasis on using native plants and plants that make sense in the context of the garden.Large grasses figure prominently in many of the designs. And many feature rudbeckias and sedums. The goal seems to be to knit a building seemlessly into its enviroment using appropriate garden elements. When it's a penthouse terrace, a sculpture or fountain and a single plant may suffice. By the shore it's giant mounds of grass waving in the sea breeze. In a wooded setting by a mountain stream the emphasis is on rocks and water. A number of sites are presented with sketches of the plans. Explanations, though very brief, are clear and helpful. At times one can't help but feel that the book is a very large, expensive, illustrated cirriculum vitae for the landscape architects; but it is clearly much more. Their love of their art comes shining through. Don't miss the compendium of of 'favorite plants' at the end of the book. And remember that fifteen years later one of the principles stated his regret that he'd planted quite so many rudbeckias.
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