"Jo Thompson's The New Romantic Garden: A Contemporary Take on Traditional Garden Aesthetics"
In the latest book from publisher Rizzoli, hailed UK garden designer Jo Thompson - winner of four Chelsea Gold medals and five Silver Gilts - showcases her romantic creations that blend thoughtful design with loose and environmentally friendly planting. With 30 years of garden design experience, Jo Thompson's generous and inspiring prose makes The New Romantic Garden an enriching reading experience.
Whether you're a seasoned gardener or a humble amateur, you'll find something to appreciate in this stunning coffee table book, featuring dreamy photography, elegant layout, and top-notch production. Thompson takes you on a journey through 30 individual gardens she has worked on, each with its unique location, size, theme, and design outcome. From Victorian walled gardens to urban backyards, this book demonstrates Thompson's process with clarity and honesty.
Embracing the spirit of the Arts and Crafts movement, Thompson's designs are rooted in a place’s past and locality, creating emotion-inducing plant harmonies and emphasizing biodiversity and sustainability. This approach is somewhat reminiscent of British horticultural heroine Gertrude Jekyll, who played a crucial role in defining the quintessential English garden style a century ago.
Aside from the main text, the book features panels on topics dear to Thompson's heart, such as ancient celebrations rooted in nature and the seasons, the Celtic festivals of Beltane and Samhain, and the summer solstice and spring equinox. Some readers might question the necessity of these elements, but they reinforce Thompson’s fascination with our history, myths, and memories. Thompson believes that creating romance is about leaning into a world where memories, past inhabitants, and even spirits inspire you.
The New Romantic Garden: Classic Inspiration, Modern Mood provides a fresh and modern reinterpretation of classic English garden styles, blending history with a contemporary sensibility that emphasizes comfort and personal expression. If you're inspired to create your own romantic garden, this book is a must-read.
You might also enjoy:
- Get to know designer Jo Thompson
- An early spring plant pot using hellebores
- Jo Thompson's five favorite color combinations
- A guide to Jo Thompson's RHS Chelsea Flower Show Glasshouse Garden
Jo Thompson's must-read books:
- The New Romantic Garden: Classic Inspiration, Modern Mood by Jo Thompson (£40, Rizzoli, ISBN 978-0847846757)
- The Garden Thinker: Inspiration from 50 Favorite Plants by Rodney Bennett
- Designing with Plants: A New Philosophy for CreatingLiving Architecture byThompson and Naylor
- The English Garden: The Classic Book by Adrian Bloom (Thames & Hudson)
- Jo Thompson's romantic garden designs, showcased in her book 'The New Romantic Garden', feature garden designs that combine thoughtful design with loose and environmentally friendly planting.
- Thompson's design approach, as seen in her book, embraces the spirit of the Arts and Crafts movement, focusing on biodiversity, sustainability, and plant harmonies.
- For gardening enthusiasts, Thompson's book offers a journey through 30 individual gardens she's worked on, each with its unique location, size, theme, and design outcome.
- Thompson's book is not only about gardening but also delves into topics such as ancient celebrations rooted in nature and the seasons, reinforcing her fascination with our history, myths, and memories.
- If you're interested in fashion and beauty, you might also enjoy 'The Garden Thinker' by Rodney Bennett, a book that offers inspiration from 50 favorite plants.
- For those who want to dive deeper into gardening, Thompson's other recommended books include 'Designing with Plants' by Thompson and Naylor, and 'The English Garden' by Adrian Bloom, which is published by Thames & Hudson.
