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Rachel Weaving
Author
Gardens of Corfu
Armchair travelers and those mulling a re-design of their own gardens will love this sumptuously illustrated first-ever book on the gardens of this greenest of Greek islands. Focused entirely on private gardens, it gives a unique entrée to a secret world that ranges from romantic old estates through highly personal artists’ gardens to stunning contemporary works by international designers. Rich with stories about the gardens and their creation, the text brims with insights into Corfu’s social and natural history. Portraits of individual gardens show how design ideals have evolved, influenced by global and Mediterranean design trends but respecting the local spirit of place and drawing on local craft traditions. The contemporary gardens are designed for sustainability; they conserve water and draw inspiration from the wild landscape to achieve great emotive power. Tracing the roots of their inspiration, the last chapter explores the wild landscape; it follows the procession of wildflowers through the seasons and illustrates local culinary and medicinal uses of wild plants. The book's magnificent illustrations are by Marianne Majerus, who won the 2018 IGPOTY European Garden Photography award for one of the photographs in the book. Keywords: garden design, garden history, landscape design, Greece, Greek style, dry gardening, waterwise garden, Mediterranean garden, drought-resistant garden, wildflowers, medicinal plants, garden photography, landscape photography, Mediterranean landscape, sustainable garden, village gardens, Corfu history, contemporary landscape design, native plants
Reviews
Christina Lambert, Head, Athens Branch, Mediterranean Garden Society

“…This is a must-have book for anyone interested in beautiful gardens, from those who appreciate just looking at them through to garden designers.”

Christopher Grey Wilson, author of Wild Flowers of the Mediterranean: A Complete

“I am most impressed and the photos are glorious. A great production and a feast for the eyes.”

Diana Farr-Louis, The Mediterranean Garden, October 2018

"...I cannot praise this book enough. This is no ordinary volume to leave neglected on a table. Read it, study it, and look at it again and again. There is much to learn from it and much to treasure….Guides the reader through the gates of gardens most of us could only dream about visiting…both the texts and the photographs ensure that we do not merely visit these places, we explore them."

Stephanie Mahon, Gardens Illustrated, April 2018

“A coffee-table topper that explores the unexpected gardens of Corfu and will leave you yearning for your own island retreat.

Reading Rachel Weaving’s book on Corfu gardens in a cold British spring is a marvelously cruel experience. …her descriptions and Marianne Majerus’s images transport you instantly to lush, rocky hillsides bathed in Mediterranean sunlight, and a selection of gardens, both old and recently created…The chapter on contemporary gardens highlights some of the recent superstars of mediterranean garden design, including Alithea Johns, Jennifer Gay, and Thomas Doxiadis—many of whom use local plants and naturalistic effects from the surrounding landscape to create sustainable gardens….Weaving finishes with a wider look at the landscapes and plants of the island, including information on the beautiful wildflowers…The overall effect is that you develop a bad habit of regularly checking for flights online, in the hope that as soon as possible you will find yourself sitting under one of the beautiful pergolas she features, draped in blooming wisteria.”

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