Description
Book SynopsisThis beautifully illustrated book presents a history of our relationship with nature, beginning with the civilisations of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, when gardens served as 'the dwelling place of the gods'. Tracing this history through subsequent epochs, the author shows how human awareness of the divine presence in nature was gradually eclipsed. As nature came to be viewed primarily as a physical resource to be controlled and exploited by us, this was reflected in the ordered, rational designs imposed on such gardens as Versailles. More recently, gardening has come to be seen less as an instrument of control than as an art in its own right, enhancing nature's inherent beauty. Jeremy Naydler suggests that the future of gardening lies not simply in its being regarded as an art but as a sacred art, which once again honours and works with the spiritual dimension intrinsic to nature.
Trade Review'The main thrust of this profound and inspiring volume is to remind us that gardens are essentially sacred spaces in which we may work together with Nature in order that we may help her - and ourselves in the process - express more fully the divine presence hidden within the heart of her outward beauty.' (Resurgence)
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments - Introduction: A Tension Unresolved - Chapter 1: The Garden in Antiquity - Chapter 2: The Garden in the Middle Ages - Chapter 3: From the Renaissance to the Eighteenth Century - Chapter 4: The Gardener as Artist - Chapter 5: Gardening as a Sacred Art - Illustration Sources - Bibliography - Notes - Index
