The Education of a Gardener

This is a classic memoir by one of the most famous landscape gardeners of the 20th century which describes the author's training and the development of his many celebrated gardens. Russell Page was born in 1906 and studied art at the Slade School in London before a love of plants drew him to garden design. In his career he designed gardens all over the world, from Leeds Castle in Kent to the Donald M. Kendall Sculpture Garden at the Pepsi Cola Headquarters in New York, as well as in France, his home for many years. The Education of a Gardener is a fascinating portrait of a master of his craft and has proved an inspirational book for many gardeners since its first publication in 1962. Written in clear and elegant prose, it is illustrated with a substantial number of photographs, including, in this edition, hitherto unpublished pictures from Page's files.

From The Publisher:

Russell Page, one of the legendary garden designers of the twentieth century, designed gardens great and small for clients throughout Europe and the United States. His memoirs, the distillation of a lifetime's work in the garden, are an enchanting combination of personal reminiscence and informed opinion, bringing together a wealth of practical information with fascinating reflections on the fundamental principles of garden design.
The Education of a Gardener offers charming anecdotes about specific gardens and gardeners interspersed with pages on how to use the surrounding landscape in planning a garden, determine which plants will do best in which setting, plant for the seasons, handle color, and introduce trees, shrubs or water to various effect. Russell Page was equally at home with country gardens, town gardens, formal gardens, cottage gardens, roof gardens, public parks and industrial plantings, and to read The Education of a Gardener is to wander happily through a world of different gardens in the company of a wise, knowledgeable, and witty friend. This is a book not only for the dedicated gardener, but for anyone with an interest in questions of design and aesthetics, or who simply enjoys a good book.