MBR: The Gardening Shelf

The Gardening Shelf

Japanese Gardens
Geeta K. Mehta & Kimie Tada
Tuttle Publishing
364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436
9784805309421, $34.95, www (dot) tuttlepublishing (dot) com

Japanese gardens are legendary for their natural tranquility and
artistically elegant use of space and topography. Co-compiled and
written by Geeta K. Mehta and Kimie Tada, "Japanese Gardens:
Tranquility, Simplicity, Harmony" visually showcases an impressive and
memorable series of Japanese temple gardens, private gardens, and
public gardens. Profusely illustrated throughout in full color
photography by Noboru Murata, "Japanese Gardens" is an informed and
informative tour through the best examples of Japanese gardening
techniques and philosophy extant today. An elegant, beautiful,
inspired and inspiring compilation, "Japanese Gardens" is a welcome
and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, professional,
academic, and community library Gardening & Landscape Design reference
collections and supplemental reading lists.

The Vertical Garden: From Nature to the City
Patrick Blanc
W.W. Norton
500 - 5th Avenue, New York NY 10010
9780393752597, $60.00 www (dot) wwnorton (dot) com

Author Patrick Blanc is the creator of vertical gardens and over a
hundred of his creations appear in public and private placers around
the world, from museums and showrooms to private homes, hotels and
restaurants. This exquisite survey of his best works offers both
visual display of the 'plant walls' he has created and written
science, nature and architectural insights into how they are
maintained. From hazardous impacts to unique requirements and positive
results, THE VERTICAL GARDEN is filled with gorgeous photos and plenty
of practical insights, and is recommended both for general-interest
libraries strong in home and garden design and for college-level art
collections strong in architecture.

Vanished Gardens: Finding Nature in Philadelphia
Sharon White
University of Georgia Press
330 Research Drive, Athens, GA 30602-4901
0820331562, $28.95 www (dot) ugapress (dot) org

While VANISHED GARDENS would be a likely pick for Pennsylvania
libraries in general, it offers stories, histories of people and
plants, and surveys of wider-ranging issues making it a powerful
consideration of an urban area's evolving gardens. From the gardens of
a colonial botanist to a large 18th century farmer's diary to modern
times, VANISHED GARDENS is an excellent pick for any gardening
library.

Great Gardens of the Berkshires
Virginia Small & Rich Pomerantz
Down East Books
PO Box 679, Camden, ME 04843
www (dot) downeastbooks (dot) com
9780892727483, $35.00, pgs. 144, 1-800-685-7962

Breathtaking gardens have been an integral part of domestic American
landscapes and have long provided healing effects on the mind, body
and soul of those that grew and tended them as well as those who
merely enjoyed their beauty and diversity. "Great Garden of the
Berkshires" showcases both public and private gardens in a beautifully
illustrated and informative compendium. Author Virginia Small
integrates the stories behind the creation of each of these unique
places, enhanced throughout with stunningly presented photos as
captured by Rich Pomerantz. "Great Gardens of the Berkshires" will
inspire the gardener in you with ideas about texture, color schemes,
plant combinations and more. Featuring heartwarming and charming
explorations of the richness such great public gardens as The Mount,
Naumkeag, Chesterwood, Ashintully and the Berkshire Botanical Garden,
"Great Gardens of the Berkshires" is the next best thing to personally
exploring these personal floral paradises and discovering just what
inspired their creation. Recommended for gardeners, or anyone with an
interest in landscape and design, "Great Gardens of the Berkshires" is
especially suitable for all public and private library Gardening/
Landscaping reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to
promoting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We
accept no funds from authors or publishers. Full permission is given
to post any of these reviews on thematically appropriate websites,
newsgroups, listserves, internet discussion groups, organizational
newsletters, or to interested individuals. Please give the Midwest
Book Review a credit line when doing so.

The Midwest Book Review publishes the monthly book review magazines
"California Bookwatch", "Internet Bookwatch", "Children's Bookwatch",
"MBR Bookwatch", "Reviewer's Bookwatch", and "Small Press Bookwatch".
All are available for free on the Midwest Book Review website at www
(dot) midwestbookreview (dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them
to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to
Frugalmuse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title,
author, publisher, publisher address, publisher website/phone number,
13-digit ISBN number, and list price).

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review