Garden Retreats :
Creating an Outdoor Sanctuary
by
Barbara Blossom Ashmun, Allan Mandell (Photographer)
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The idea of garden as sanctuary is as old as
the Garden of Eden, as allegorical as man crossing
the desert in search of an oasis. Too often we get so
caught up in landscaping, in making improvements, in
the sheer work of a garden, that we forget to enjoy
what we have created. In today's fast-paced world,
where we wear our public face for more hours than
ever before, the respite offered by a garden can be
life-restoring. If there is one place that begs you
to be unplugged and unwired, to seek refuge from fax
machine and pager, it must be the garden. Garden
Retreats author Barbara Blossom Ashmun and
photographer Allan Mandell have provided instruction
and inspiration to make it so.
Each garden pictured is as individual as the
person who made it, yet there are common elements
throughout the variety of gardens. These are gardens
of the senses, emotion and spirit, offering a
timeless quality that invites repose. Privacy and
seclusion, intimacy and comfort are achieved in
diverse ways, including fencing, lush plantings, art,
and seating. A profusion of perennials encloses a
Victorian-style arbor covered with roses, a
moon-viewing pavilion rests along the shore of a
smooth pond, a swing dangles temptingly from the
branches of a spreading pin oak. These are gardens
that invite you to sit, linger, dangle your hand in
the water, quite literally to sniff the roses. You
can well imagine how it feels to climb the stairs to
the hut-on-stilts, draped in gauzy fabric and nestled
into a natural woodland. Just reading the book lowers
the blood pressure, stirs the senses, makes the
trowel hand twitch. Many thanks to Ashmun, Mandell,
and Chronicle Books for acknowledging the creator of
each garden in photo captions--such beauty deserves
attribution, as well as emulation. --Valerie
Easton
Book
Description
As simple as two chairs beneath a shady tree
or a low bench beside a sheltering tangle of
wildflowers, a garden retreat is a relaxing and
intimate space in which to read a book, enjoy a quiet
conversation, or sip a cup of tea. Author Barbara
Ashmun understands that every outdoor sanctuary is a
soulful expression of its creator, and her book,
Garden Retreats, will help readers define their own
personal style while explaining the elements that can
be used to create a private retreat. Here are tips...
