The Contemporary Garden - by Phaidon Editors (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

'An immersive look at all manner of verdant dreamscapes.' - Vanity Fair

Celebrate the beauty and creativity of the world's greatest contemporary gardens through this stunning survey highlighting the leading designers of today

The Contemporary Garden showcases 300 outstanding gardens in more than forty countries across the globe. Curated in collaboration with an international team of horticultural experts, this wide-ranging collection includes iconic public gardens such as the High Line and Changi Airport Garden, as well as private gems, such as a dreamy hillside garden in Morocco by Umberto Pasti and Anna Wintour's elegant garden in upstate New York by Miranda Brooks.

Beautifully designed and illustrated, The Contemporary Garden celebrates each garden with a gorgeous large-format image and insightful description. Readers will discover the work of renowned garden designers and landscape architects, such as Fiona Brockhoff, Dan Pearson, Sarah Price, and Bernard Trainor, alongside projects by rising stars and owner-makers.

Organized alphabetically by designer or studio name, the book's pages reveal a striking range of contemporary garden styles - naturalistic, community, wild, urban, botanical, dry, topiary, minimalist, edible, flower, and more - demonstrating how our evolving stylistic and horticultural aesthetic fosters an increasingly strong connection with the natural world.

Both an inspirational resource and an authoritative reference, The Contemporary Garden will delight professional, recreational, and armchair gardeners of all ages.

Garden designers featured include: Marian Boswell, Sam Cox, Erik Dhont, Isabel Duprat, Luciano Giubbilei, Olin, Piet Oudolf, Reed Hilderbrand, Amalia Robredo, and Tom Stuart-Smith

Gardens featured include: African Ancestors Memorial Garden, Chihuly Garden & Glass, Gardens by the Bay, High Line, Hunting Brook Gardens, Jardins d'Étretat, The Native Plant Garden at New York Botanical Garden, The Opera Park, and numerous private gardens

Advisors and contributors include: Richard Aitken, Matthew Biggs, Matt Collins, Sorrel Everton, Joanna Fortnum, Clare Foster, Noel Kingsbury, Stephanie Mahon, Tovah Martin, Michael McCoy, Colleen Morris, Paul Redman, and Tony Spencer

Review Quotes

'Survey[s] the everlasting link between horticulture, nature, and aesthetics.' - Colossal

'Will entertain and inspire.' - Cottages & Gardens

[A] fascinating new home and gardening book to add to your reading list.' - Phoenix Home & Garden

'[A] fascinating look at the future of gardening and those driving it.' - The English Garden

'The Contemporary Garden presents a wide-ranging examination of garden design as a dynamic field of architectural, ecological, and cultural expression.' - Designboom

'Stunning.' - Aspire Design and Home

'A staple on garden book lovers' shelves.' - HortWeek

' From public to private, famous to obscure, and from vast landscapes to tiny urban pocket parks, The Contemporary Garden offers a visually stunning showcase of garden diversity from around the world. It highlights the diverse and creative ways gardens are brought to life. A celebration of groundbreaking garden masterpieces, featuring some of the most innovative garden designers of the last 30 years.' - Kristine Paulus, Collection Development Librarian, LuEsther T. Mertz Library, New York Botanical Garden, USA

'A monumental new book from Phaidon. This masterwork profiles 300 gardens from around the world that have defined the zeitgeist of modern garden design.' - Tony Spencer, The New Perennialist

'An essential chronicle of contemporary garden design, capturing the ideas and visionaries shaping our landscapes today.' - Paul B. Redman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Longwood Gardens

'The Contemporary Garden is a beautifully curated celebration of today's most inspiring gardens, capturing the creativity and diversity shaping landscape design around the world. It was an honour to be included alongside such esteemed company, and to see our craft so diversely represented in this expansive and uplifting compendium.' - Tom Massey, Garden Designer

'A scintillating new book, presenting 300 of the world's finest modern gardens.' - Andrew Salter, gardener and writer

About the Author

Phaidon Editors

Annie Guilfoyle is an award-winning garden designer and international lecturer based in West Sussex, UK. She is cofounder of Garden Masterclass and a judge for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in London.

Sorrel Everton is a garden writer and editor based in Bristol, UK.

Tovah Martin is an author, photographer, lecturer, garden writer, and goatherd based in the United States.