Art Lovers Book Club: Artists Gardens: From Claude Monet to Jennifer Bartlett by Madison Cox, Free

More than 20 splendid gardens in far-flung locales are featured; among them, Monet's Giverny is perhaps the most acclaimed artist's garden worldwide. Other striking examples, if less well known, are found in Marrakech, Madrid, and even on a rooftop in Manhattan. But from "the humble refinement" of Charleston Farmhouse in the English countryside, home of Bloomsbury notables Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, to the serene majesty of sculptor Isamu Noguchi's retreat on the Japanese island of Mure, these pages give the viewer an impressive experience. Cox provides interesting, if brief, background information on the aesthetic style and meaning of each artist's work. He also joyously celebrates each particular garden landscape with fluent descriptions of light, color, texture, and structure. Photographer Erica Lennard's contribution is one of surprising contrasts. Although some of her color photographs dramatically fill two-page spreads, others apparently float within large white bordered spaces. This would be a heavenly addition for gardening collections. Alice Joyce