Secrets of Monet's Garden, by Derek Fell

Secrets of Monet's Garden: Bringing The Beauty of Monet's Style to Your Own Garden, by Derek Fell
MetroBooks, 1997/2001
141 pages, chock full of color photos, plus index
Library: 712.6094424 FEL

Description
Monet planted his garden to paint, using plants like brushstrokes, and he declared himself good for only two things in life-painting and gardening. As the garden at Giverny was brought to perfection, its fame spread throughout the art world. The allure of Monet's garden is not only its extraordinary beauty, but also the historical significance of the garden in the world of art, the enigma of Monet himself, and the universal popularity of his glorious paintings.

Premier garden writer and photographer Derek Fell has carefully studied Monet's planting philosophies and practices, and in Secrets of Monet's Garden Fell shares his conclusions, offering insights into the painter's use of color, sense of structure, combinations of form and texture, and favorite flowers. Fell here unveils the mysteries behind Monet's famous water lily platings, cottage garden, vegetable garden, and more, interpreting Monet's distinctive style for the home gardener.

While the scale of Monet's gardens is rather daunting, his favorite themes, garden accents, and flowers can all be adapted to create a lush, imaginative garden that you can easily maintain.

In addition to hundreds of ideas for borrowing Monet's favorite effects, you'll find special boxes labeled Perfect Partners, which suggest Giverny-style plant combinations for the backyard, using just two or three different plants or elements.

With hundreds of full-color photographs of the Giverny gardens, as well as reproductions of many of Monet's garden paintings, Secrets of Monet's Garden is a fascinating look at one of the world's most inspiring gardens as well as a practical guide for bringing the romance of an Impressionist garden to your own backyard.

Table of Contents
Foreword
Introduction
1. Borrowing Monet's Garden Style
2. Monet's Color Harmonies
3. Monet's Favorite Structures
4. The WAter Garden
5. The Clos Normand
6. The Vegetable Garden
7. Trees, Shrubs and Vines
8. Monet's Plant Palette
Conclusion
Visiting Monet's Garden
About the Author
Sources
Index