Using a rich assortment of illustrations and biographical sketches, Peter Martin relates the experiences of colonial gardeners who shaped the natural beauty of Virginia's wilderness into varied displays of elegance. He shows that ornamental gardening was a scientific, aesthetic, and cultural enterprise that thoroughly engaged some of the leading figures of the period, including the British governors at Williamsburg and the great plantation owners George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, William Byrd, and John Custis. In presenting accounts of their gardening efforts, Martin reveals the intricacies of colonial garden design, plant searches, and experimentation, as well as the problems in adapting European landscaping ideas to local climate. The Pleasure Gardens of Virginia also brings to life the social and commercial interaction between Williamsburg and the plantations, and examines early American ideas about gracious living. While placing Virginia's garden tradition within the larger context of that of the colonial South, Martin tells a very human story of how this art both influenced and reflected the quality of colonial life. As Virginia grew economically and culturally, the garden became a projection of the gardener's personal identity, as exemplified by the endeavors of Washington at Mount Vernon and Jefferson at Monticello. Martin draws upon both pictorial representations and the findings of modern archaeological excavations in order to recapture the gardens as they existed in colonial times.

Chanticleer, a forty-eight-acre garden on Philadelphia's historic Main Line, is many things simultaneously: a lush display of verdant intensity and variety, an irreverent and informal setting for inventive plant combinations, a homage to the native trees and horticultural heritage of the mid-Atlantic, a testament to one man's devotion to his family's estate and legacy, and a good spot for a stroll and picnic amid the blooms. In Chanticleer: A Pleasure Garden, Adrian Higgins and photographer Rob Cardillo chronicle the garden's many charms over the course of two growing cycles. Built on the grounds of the Rosengarten estate in Wayne, Pennsylvania, Chanticleer retains a domestic scale, resulting in an intimate, welcoming atmosphere. The structure of the estate has been thoughtfully incorporated into the garden's overall design, such that small gardens created in the footprint of the old tennis court and on the foundation of one of the family homes share space with more traditional landscapes woven around streams and an orchard. Through conversations and rambles with Chanticleer's team of gardeners and artisans, Higgins follows the garden's development and reinvention as it changes from season to season, rejoicing in the hundred thousand daffodils blooming on the Orchard Lawn in spring and marveling at the Serpentine's late summer crop of cotton, planted as a reminder of Pennsylvania's agrarian past. Cardillo's photographs reveal further nuances in Chanticleer's landscape: a rare and venerable black walnut tree near the entrance, pairs of gaily painted chairs along the paths, a backlit arbor draped in mounds of fragrant wisteria. Chanticleer fuses a strenuous devotion to the beauty and health of its plantings with a constant dedication to the mutability and natural energy of a living space. And within the garden, Higgins notes, there is a thread of perfection entwined with whimsy and continuous renewal.

“Delightful!” —The New York Times Book Review Discover a world of beauty and creativity! Chanticleer has been called the most romantic, imaginative, and exciting public garden in America. It is a place of pleasure and learning, relaxing yet filled with ideas to take home. And now those lessons are available for everyone in this stunning book! You’ll learn techniques specific to different conditions and plant palettes; how to use hardscape materials in a fresh way; and how to achieve the perfect union between plant and site. And Rob Cardillo’s exquisite photographs of exciting combinations will be sure to stimulate your own creativity. Whether you’re already under Chanticleer’s spell or have yet to visit, The Art of Gardening will enable you to bring the special magic that pervades this most artful of gardens into your own home landscape.

An illustrated survey of four centuries of gardening in America covers the subject from pre-Columbian Native American designs to the private gardens of America's suburban landscape.

The ancient wanderer Yang Chu's philosophy is published for the first time in modern English in this series of debates about makings of the good life. Yang Chu, known alternately as "the philosopher of pleasure and contentment," has a deep concern with enjoying life to the fullest and argues that true egoism does not center on seeking fame or glory, but rather the development of the individual. By allowing the inner voice and senses to grow, Yang Chu explains, the ability to take pleasure in the simple aspects of life grows as well.

Table of Contents Introduction Important tips For Gardening Planting Shrubs Where Do You Plant Shrubs Choosing the Best Location for Your Garden Perennials Annuals Different Advantages of Annuals and Perennials Fern and wildflower gardens – Planting Vines Bulbs Which Bulbs to Select Preparing Your Garden Planting the Seeds Thinning of Plants Transplanting Cold frames and hotbeds. Cultivating the Soil Enemies of Your Garden Storing Vegetables for the Winter Conclusion Author Bio Publisher Introduction Did you know that even in a small city lot, a large amount of pleasurable and profitable work in growing plants can be possible right where there is some soil available in which to plant things? It does not matter if you just have a pocket handkerchief sized backyard. If you want to know more about gardening for pleasure and gardening for profit, this book is going to give you some easy to implement tips and techniques so that you can start up this relaxing and amusing hobby right now. There is nothing quite so soul satisfying as getting your hands into rich and fertile earth and soil in order to grow something right now. You may make up a flower garden to beautify the outside of your house. A vegetable and fruit garden is going to furnish you with a continuous source of food of the best kind at a low cost. Both of these are going to give you plenty of opportunity for healthy outdoor exercise, while furnishing a source of pleasure to the one who cares for them and watches their development throughout the seasons. If you have a large yard, the vegetable and fruit gardens are going to yield you financial return, as well as keep your home table, kitchen and cellar supplied with fresh vegetables and fruit produce. Before beginning the actual work on planting, it is much more satisfactory to make a paper plan. This can be done in late winter before you intend any work done outdoors. Ask the neighboring nurseries for catalogs. You may also want to ask your neighbors about giving you some seedlings from their own gardens. This plan is going to consist of a map of your grounds drawn to a proper scale. This will show the location of the buildings, boundaries, trees, shrubbery, and other plants which have already been planted there. For example, this illustration can show you the plan of a herb garden. Along with an outer boundary limit, there is going to be an inner square, a center square, and the herbal bed areas. You can make your plan according to your own wish, but it is always sensible to ask the advice of an experienced gardener to look at your land and tell you about the right places where you can plant borders, hedges, beds, walks, and so on.