About the Author

"Richard Hartlage and Sandy Fischer are the principals of Land Morphology. Their award-winning, innovative designs are renowned as emotive, immersive spaces that incorporate sophisticated horticulture, artful detailing, and historical knowledge that heighten the experience of the natural world. Their Chihuly Garden in Seattle is visited by over 1.5 million people each year. Richard's passion for horticulture, cultivated over 15 years working in public gardens and estates, is applied to each design from conceptual phase through development and maintenance protocol. Their designs have been featured in the New York Times, Architectural Digest, Garden Design, Pacific Horticulture, Metropolitan Home, Fine Gardening, and the Seattle Times, in addition to many other publications in the United States, Japan, and Europe. An avid writer and teacher, Richard has given over 350 lectures worldwide, and has written over 60 articles for national and international publications. He has contributed to five books on horticulture and design, including Bold Visions for the Garden, a collection of his essays and photography."

Reviews

“While lavish collections of gardens proliferate in this publishing category, it is rare to find one that foregrounds the importance of planting design. Richard Hartlage and Sandy Fischer, the principals of Seattle-based Land Morphology, have selected projects from all over the world in which 'plants, rather than hardscape elements, lead design.' The work of landscape architects, some well-known for their planting design, others less so, is prominently featured and discussed in each project, another layer that sets this book apart from the typical garden coffee table book. Although the prose is pitched at knowledgeable amateurs rather than design professionals, this beautifully photographed book succeeds in placing the projects in the context of design history.” - Landscape Architecture “The push toward naturalistic landscapes can be traced to Europe’s emphasis on meadow, matrix, and graphic planting design. The history of landscape architecture and its influence on contemporary trends are explored in a new book The Authentic Garden.” - Architectural Digest online