Gardens of the Roman World
Inspired by the ancient traditions of Near Eastern, Greek, and Egyptian gardens, Roman gardens are to this day an important influence upon garden and landscape design. Bowe looks to the breathtaking accomplishments of Pompeii, Hadrian's Villa, and Herculaneum, using these archaeological sites to set the stage for his discussion of the development of Roman gardens. A lavish array of photographs helps to illustrate Bowe's finely detailed history, producing a reverie where one can feel the heat radiating from the sun-drenched ruins and imagine the resinous fragrance of Mediterranean plants. Images of reconstructed frescoes depict the elaborate architectural devices and ornamentation that characterized Roman gardens, in which trelliswork and mosaic floors, along with grand belvederes, fountains, and colonnades, shape the space. Flora like Madonna lilies, morning glories, and citrus trees appear as examples of specimens cultivated at the time. Bowe has escorted dozens of garden tours, and here he invites readers to traipse across continents from Turkey's Ephesus to England's Stourhead to the Getty Villa in Malibu, California, for an unforgettable journey.Alice JoyceCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved