Product Description

France's most beautiful public and private gardens open their gates to us in every season of the year: from the classical French palace gardens at Vaux-le-Vicomte down to humble domestic gardens in Normandy, from stylized Zen gardens in Provence to cactus displays on the Cote d'Azur. The typical plants of each climatic region are represented - delphiniums, roses and irises in the North, and California poppies, santolinas, and lavender in the Midi. This book is a source of inspiration for all lovers of gardens and nature as well as anyone travelling to France. Most of these gardens are open to the public and provide an astonishing feast for the eyes.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #567101 in Books
• Published on: 2008-03-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 339 pages

From Library Journal
Von Schaewen, a freelance photographer, has a remarkable eye for capturing the gardens of France. Her color images exhibit the same refined sense for artful arrangements as do the gardens she photographs. But the lack of any commentary or history beyond the brief introductory paragraph to each garden, provided by Valery, makes this title little more than another beautiful coffee-table book in three languages. The appendix includes tiny ground plans, hours, and brief directions to the 40 gardens covered. There is a short bibliography. Not recommended.?Daniel Starr, Museum of Modern Art, New York
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author
Angelika Taschen studied art history and German literature in Heidelberg, gaining her doctorate in 1986. Working for Taschen since 1987, she has published numerous titles on the themes of architecture, photography, design, contemporary art, interiors, and travel.

Customer Reviews

A stunning source of inspiration
After leafing through this most gorgeous of gardening books, your heart will ache with an overwhelming desire to visit the "Gardens in France". 340 pages of divine photographs, showcasing more than 40 glorious gardens. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, for if a picture tells a thousand words, then the words will speak for themselves. From topiary, to palaces, to potagers... there's an idea on every page, inspiration at every turn. Gardens in France is an absolute must for any gardener. The presentation is immaculate, and the authors have avoided the temptation to tell all about the gardens, preferring to let the reader see it all instead, with huge, clear, panoramic photographs! At the back you'll also find site plans and directions to get to many of the gardens. Who could resist?

An Essential Resource for Visiting the Best French Gardens
As Marie-Francoise Valery says in her text about Giverny, "Every gardener is a painter." And she has the photographs to prove this statement in the amazingly vivid colors of Deidi von Schaewen's powerful panoramas and intimate peeks. Never have gardens looked so good.

The text for this outstanding book is printed in French, English, and German so you can choose whichever language is the easiest for you. I found the French versions to be the most engaging. The texts are quite brief to allow more room for the amazing photographs!

As someone who loves gardens and often visits France, I was impressed by how many gardens I had missed. Well, no longer! My next visit will be quite different as a result of encountering this beautiful catalogue of gorgeous greenery.

Naturally, you have seen Versailles and Giverny. But have you been to the Chateau d'Apremont, Chateau d'Hautefort, and Vaux-le-Vicomte?

The French have long excelled at formal gardens, and you surely know Le Notre's work (lovingly displayed here). But you will also see many modern and informal gardens, as well. In fact, you will encounter humble, noble, ancient, and abstract gardens among others. These are drawn from a cross-section of France so you get the benefit of seeing what the different growing conditions permit. On the Riviera, you will see cacti while dense shrubbery in intricate designs are featured in the northern gardens.

The continuity of this book is in capturing each garden at its absolute best color. Some of these gardens may only look this wonderful for five minutes, but von Schaewen succeeded in capturing those right five minutes.

With over 40 gardens to examine, you will surely find some that match your tastes and mood.

After you have finished examining these remarkable oases of human sensibility, I suggest that you begin inquiring about great gardens near where you live which you have never seen. Then inquire as to when is the best time to visit. Chances are, if you are like me, you have been missing great gardens not only in France, but everywhere you go.

Stop and smell the roses!

A disappointemnt.
As a dedicated gardener, I really looked forward to this book for inspiration and enjoyment. Somehow the publishers got the colours wrong and the whole book is a nauseating green colour in all the gardens. There should have been better quality control. However because the price is right, it still has value for learning about the different kinds of gardens in France.