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The good garden blog is about sharing garden inspiration and ideas from historic gardens around the world and some right next door. Garden stories explore garden history, design, and the garden people behind famous and not-so-famous gardens. My garden photographs span dozens of places across 5 continents. Please join me in celebrating good garden design.
In 1772, William Chambers wrote of Chinese gardens, ”Their scenes of terror are composed of gloomy woods, … The trees are ill formed..., and seemingly torn to pieces by the violence of tempests.” Perhaps no where are these scenes of “ill formed” trees more present than in the ancient art of penjing. If you enjoy Penjing, a scholar garden is the place for you and this collection is dazzling....
Read MoreI learn something new every time I visit a garden. What struck me the most about Russel Wright’s home and studio, Manitoga, was how he used garden paths as his organizing principle for the landscape. Everything is selected and arranged so that the visitor has a deliberate experience...
Read MoreLooking for inspiration for your parterre garden? In 1722 Antoine-Joseph Dezallier d'Argenville offered advice to aspiring parterre designers in his book La Theorie et la Pratique du Jardinage. “The broderie of a parterre should be neither too heavy nor too light.” Here's an example of what he meant...
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