American gardeners have tended to turn to other national traditions—such as Italy's, Japan's, or England's—for inspiration. The unhappy result of this piecemeal sytlistic borrowing has been the creation of gardens that bear no relationship to local landscapes and history, and that have no connection with our daily lives. In this cogently reasoned and persuasively argued volume, Claire Sawyers aims to show how this tendency can be reversed: how we can create gardens that are both deeply rooted in their surroundings and deeply satisfying to their creators and owners.
Drawing upon her knowledge of a vast array of American and foreign gardens, Sawyers explores five principles that help instill a sense of authenticity:
- Capture the sense of place
- Derive beauty from function
- Use humble or indigenous materials
- Marry the inside to the outside
- Involve the visitor
She begins by explaining how careful observation of a site's unique characteristics enables the gardener to shape the garden appropriately and how the essential, functional features associated with gardens—driveways, mailboxes, fences, and the like—can, if treated simply and elegantly, be a visual asset rather than a liability. Later, she demonstrates the American version of the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi: the use of indigenous, natural, or even recycled materials to create a mood of casualness and intimacy, and discusses the many ways—including paths, the presence of inviting furniture, and the use of tactile elements—of drawing the visitor into the garden. A final chapter profiles outstanding American gardens that epitomize the five principles of authentic garden making.
Practical and inspiring,
The Authentic Garden will enable the reader to make a garden that is true to a specific time, place, and culture; to capture and reflect an authentic spirit so that the garden, in turn, will nurture the spirit of those who cherish and dwell in it.
