Gardenlust by Christopher Woods

Today's book recommendation: Gardenlust by Christopher Woods

The subtitle to this book is A Botanical Tour of the World’s Best New Gardens, and it is a fascinating and glorious armchair read to the most incredible gardens of our lifetime.

The cover of this 416-page book shows a garden that's at the Golden Rock Inn in Nevis. Miami-based designer Raymond Jungles designed the gardens under the stewardship of New York artists Helen and Brice Marden, the owners of Golden Rock. 

After a long career in public horticulture, Chris Woods spent three years traveling the world seeking out contemporary gardens, and he found fifty of the best.  His book is a botanical tour of the world's best new gardens - public, private, and corporate. Chris focuses on the gardens around the world that had been created or significantly altered -this century, the 21st century. 

Chris views the gardens through a variety of themes, including beauty, conservation, architecture - plant and landscape, as well as urban spaces. Chris's book was published in late September, and it's such a great reminder for us to get out of our own gardens and see and learn from other gardens - especially public gardens.

Gardens Illustrated called this book,
"An extraordinary collection of 21st-century gardens that will arouse wanderlust… Whether you are a garden globetrotter or an armchair explorer, this book is definitely one to add to your collection. With wit and humor, Chris describes the most arresting features in public parks in exotic locations like New Delhi and Dubai, mission-redefining botanic gardens in Chile and Australia, and the most enviable details of lavish private estates and gemlike city yards. Throughout, he reveals the fascinating people, plants, and stories that make these gardens so lust-worthy."