In this volume Robert E. Grese gathers together writings on nature-based
landscape design and conservation by some of the country's most
significant practitioners, horticulturists, botanists, and
conservationists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Written with a strong conservation ethic, these essays often originally
appeared in obscure, short-lived publications and are difficult to
locate today, comprising a rich but hidden literature.Over many years of
pioneering research into the work of Jens Jensen, O. C. Simonds, and
other early landscape architects who advocated for the use of native
plants and conservation, Grese encountered and began collecting these
pieces. With this volume, he offers readers his trove. Purposely
avoiding literature that is widely available, Grese shares as well his
experience of discovery. His introduction provides perspective on the
context of these writings and the principles they espouse, and his
conclusion illuminates their relevance today with the emerging emphasis
on sustainable design. This collection will appeal to general readers
interested in the issues of sustainability, horticulture and gardening,
and landscape design and preservation, as well as to historians,
practitioners, and specialists. "The relevance of these writings to the
current issues of biodiversity, native plants, and sustainability cannot
be overemphasized. . . . This extensive collection is a valuable
addition to landscape scholarship and practice."--Robert L. Ryan,
coauthor of With People in Mind: Design and Management of Everyday
Nature
