The Authentic Garden: Five Principles for Cultivating A Sense of Place
English cottage borders, Japanese serenity havens, classic Italian vistas: all have been primary sources of inspiration for America's public and private gardens, yet there is no need for homegrown gardeners to look to foreign lands for guidance. To do so is, in Sawyers' view, inauthentic, and she offers a series of core propositions designed to aid gardeners in creating outdoor spaces that are faithful to their native surroundings and embody horticultural reflections of American culture. From evaluating available spaces to incorporating functional elements to utilizing modest materials, adhering to Sawyers' well-considered ground rules will encourage home owners to coordinate indoor and outdoor areas while simultaneously enabling visitors to feel more than a casual sense of attachment to the landscape. Helpfully demonstrating the reality behind such lofty concepts through in-depth analysis of quintessential American public gardens, such as the Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center in Austin, Texas, and noteworthy private gardens from Pennsylvania to Arizona, Sawyers offers a stimulating landscape study. Haggas, Carol