The Most Beautiful Gardens in the World

Michel Baridon leads a history and research group for the French National Council of Parks and Gardens. Jacques Bosser, a writer and translator for design and photography books, was a contributor to Abrams' The Most Beautiful Libraries in the World. Alain Le Toquin, a former specialist in ornithology and animal ecology at the Natural History Museum in Paris, has been a photographer specializing in both culture and nature for more than 20 yea

The book’s scope is grand—encompassing such exotic locales as Morocco, Singapore and New Zealand—but perhaps the most breathtaking photographs are of the unexpected garden havens in Iran. Le Toquin displays his love of the more playful side of garden architecture in a stop at the Nymphaeum of Villa Visconti Borromeo Litta outside Milan, a stone pavilion built over a spring and decorated heavily with (what else?) stone nymphs, and makes the unusual choice of capturing the gardens of Versailles in winter; snow blankets the nude statuary and offers a unique view of the gardens’ "bones." With its sumptuous full-color photographs, this visual tour is a necessary indulgence for armchair gardeners. . The prince was carried in his sedan chair to an open pavilion or to the edge of a pool to mediate, hear mus

vanessa vuletic said Picture Perfect Present !. The book arrived within a few days of me placing the order. It was well andsecurely packaged and arrived in excellent condition. This was very importantfor me as I purchased the book as a present for a friend. I briefly looked at thebook before I sent it away as a gift. It looked absolutely stunning - I wish Icould have kept it for myself !. ChrisD said Five Stars. Great publications and beautiful pictures. Thoroughly enjoyed it and keep in my library for reference.. Perfect garden book for the coffee table Baron Von Count Well-composed photos of mostly outstanding gardens in good light. Too many books have lesser quality photos because of the conditions when the photographer was visiting. Obviously a lot more time was spent waiting for decent light and the result is many really great photos. There is also a good balance of text; this is not the book for in depth info, but there is enough to give some background.

With more than 150 images and 12 gatefolds featuring spectacular panoramic photographs, this gorgeous book will captivate travelers and garden admirers alike, and will inspire gardeners themselves with fresh ideas for design, horticulture, and use.. In The Most Beautiful Gardens in the World photographer Alain Le Toquin celebrates the diversity of these manmade landscapes, capturing 31 of the greatest public and private gardens on five continents, including Majorelle in Morocco, the Versailles gardens outside Paris, the Keukenhof flower show park in The Netherlands, and the Huntington Gardens in California. Gardens are unique creations, reflecting not only the landscape, flora, and climate of their environments but also the heritage, the history, architectural styles, and influences, of the cultures that made them. From the fountain gardens of the Iranian desert to the whimsical Garden of Cosmic Speculation in Scotland, from the Zen gardens of Buddhist temples to the Impressionist gardens in Giverny, the huge variety of gardens around the globe is a testament to our age-old desire to tame and refashion nature