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The labrynth garden at Chantilly, by French landscape designer André Le Nôtre
Landscape Designers to Know
These are the guys who set the bar for today's landscape architecture.
Frederick Law Olmsted
Gardens of Note
Noteworthy gardens worth traveling for
- Vaux le Vicomte
- Completed in 1661, the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte was purchased by French finance minister Nicolas Fouquet in 1641. Fouquet set out to create a residence fit for a king and hired famed French landscape designer André le Nôtre to frame its gardens. The result is a gorgeous sweep of grounds and fountains. Restored in the late 19th century by then owner Alfred Sommier, the complex of house, outbuildings and grounds is now owned by the Comte de Vogüé and designated a historical monument by the French government. It lies roughly an hour outside of Paris and is well worth the drive or train trip, especially on a day when it's fountains are running, which they do twice a month. The house is also gorgeous, and if you go during the summer, there are fireworks after dark and the house is lit with candles, as it was during its heyday, when it hosted King Louis XIV (with tragic consequences - see the section on that further down the page!).
- Villandry
- Designated a historical monument in 1934, the Renaissance gardens at Villandry are a breathtaking flush of color and considered one of the finest gardens in existence today. Though not so large as those at Vaux-le-Vicomte, they are far more ornate while still being functional. A World Heritage Site, Villandry is located in the Loire Valley and is owned by the Carvallo family, which purchased and restored it in 1906.
- The Gardens of Albert Kahn
- Quite possibly the best-kept secret in Paris, le musee et jardin d'Albert Kahn is one of my very favorite places. Structured rather like a botanical gardens, it hosts surprises and delights around just about every turn. Kahn was a wealthy banker who actually bankrupted himself maintaining his gardens and a photographic history of the disappearing ways of life among the many different peoples and societies around the world at that time, and his garden is a wonderful, sprawling collection of plant life and design styles. Be sure to check it out when you're in Paris.
The formal orchard in Albert Kahn's garden at Boulogne-Billancourt, in the 16e arrondissement, Paris.
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Great Landscape Books on Amazon
Western Garden Book
The landscape designer's bible.
Amazon Price: (as of 12/10/2009) 
List Price: $32.95
California Top 10 Garden Guide: The 10 Best Roses, 10 Best Trees--the 10 Best of Everything You Need - The Plants Most Likely to Thrive in Your Garden ... Important Tasks in the Garden Each Month
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $19.95
Usually ships in 24 hours
Water Gardens (Sunset Series)
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $19.95
Usually ships in 24 hours
Landscaping Southern Gardens
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $19.95
Usually ships in 24 hours
Sunset Garden Pools: Fountains & Waterfalls
Amazon Price: (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $14.95
Theme Gardens (Sunset Series)
Amazon Price: (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $14.95
Western Landscaping Book: Companion to the Best-Selling Western Garden Book
Supplements the Sunset Western Garden Book - good sections on disease and garden pests.
Amazon Price: $19.77 (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $29.95
Usually ships in 24 hours
Sunset Landscaping With Stone
Amazon Price: (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $12.95
Sunset Midwestern Landscaping Book
Amazon Price: (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $29.95
Sunset Landscaping with Stone: Natural-Looking Paths, Steps, Walls, Water Features, and Rock Gardens
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $14.95
Usually ships in 24 hours
Landscaping with Tropical Plants: Design Ideas, Creative Garden Plans, Cold-Climate Solutions
Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $14.95
Usually ships in 24 hours
Sunset Northeastern Landscaping Book
Amazon Price: (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $29.95
Sunset Hillside Landscaping
Amazon Price: (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $14.95
Landscaping Small Spaces
Amazon Price: (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $12.95
Landscaping for Privacy (Gardening & Landscaping)
Amazon Price: $11.01 (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $12.95
Usually ships in 2 to 4 weeks
Home Landscaping: Mid-Atlantic Region (Home Landscaping)
Amazon Price: (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $19.95
How to Build Walks, Walls & Patio Floors
Amazon Price: (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $14.95
Home Landscaping: Northwest Region
Amazon Price: (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $19.95
Home Landscaping: Northeast Region: Including Southeast Canada (Home Landscaping)
Amazon Price: (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $19.95
Sunset Garden & Patio Living Spaces
Amazon Price: (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $12.95
Home Landscaping: California Region
I also find this a very good book and use it to supplement my Sunset books.
Amazon Price: (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $19.95
Taylor's Master Guide to Landscaping
Amazon Price: $26.40 (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $40.00
Usually ships in 24 hours
Natural Landscaping: Gardening with Nature to Create a Backyard Paradise
Amazon Price: (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $19.95
Complete Masonry: Building Techniques, Decorative Concrete, Tools and Materials (Sunset)
Amazon Price: $17.05 (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $19.95
Usually ships in 24 hours
Residential Landscape Architecture: Design Process for the Private Residence (4th Edition)
This was literally one of my textbooks in landscape design class. If you want to learn landscape design, I very much recommend it.
Amazon Price: (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $120.00
Landscape Graphics
Another textbook
Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $24.95
Usually ships in 24 hours
From Concept to Form: In Landscape Design
Amazon Price: (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $49.95
Landscape Design: A Cultural and Architectural History
A history book for those studying landscape design...or anyone really interested. I do not have this book.
Amazon Price: $47.25 (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $75.00
Usually ships in 24 hours
Classic Garden Plans
Amazon Price: $25.60 (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $29.95
Usually ships in 24 hours
Your House, Your Garden: A Foolproof Approach to Garden Design
Amazon Price: $26.37 (as of 12/10/2009)
List Price: $39.95
Usually ships in 24 hours
by Dragonfly
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