Take an excursion through the English countryside in summer, from small cottage plots where old-fashioned flowers bloom in harmony with vegetables and fruit, and to the more spacious gardens of the manor house, where collections of plants are carefully arranged to create a personal vision of Eden."...enchanting...No gardener, however grand, will turn these pages and not come away with a headful of new ideas to ponder."--Sunday Times Magazine. 9 7/8 X 7 1/2.
In the second half of the twentieth century, outdoor living was born. Even
modest homes were open plan with large picture windows that brought the
outside in - and a deck or platform was the perfect answer to extending living
outdoors. These lived-in spaces were easy to maintain with their limited plant
palette and focus on structure and hard landscaping. They offered a space in
which to relax and enjoy valuable leisure time, a pursuit that is as relevant
now as it was then. Contrast was the design dynamic - a response to the energy
that was fuelled by people's hope for a bright future after the Second World
War. Outdoors this translated into a lively interplay of textures and colours
between hardscaping materials, pieces of outdoor art and striking specimen
plants. The first part of this seminal book charts the evolution of the MCM
aesthetic starting with Frank Lloyd Wright's 'Usonion' houses and finishing
with Cliff May's ranch houses looking at spaces outside and within and design
influences from Europe. The second part focuses on classic and contemporary
interpretations of the style in exceptional gardens from all over the world.
It offers a unique insight into this period of seismic shift in garden design
and will be a rich source of inspiration for garden makers today.
