Product Description

The exquisite island of Bali regularly inspires such descriptions as "The Garden of Eden" and "The Morning of the World." Created by violent volcanic upheavals, Bali is still in the throes of creation as man and nature continue to transform its landscape. This third edition has been thoroughly updated by photographer Luca Invernizzi Tettoni and author/landscape designer William Warren. Some of the latest ground-breaking gardens designed on the fabled isle have been added and others re-photographed as they have developed. This guided tour of Bali's finest traditional and contemporary gardens is perfect for gardening enthusiasts and professional landscape architects alike, and should appeal especially appeal to visitors who have experienced the charms of one of the world's most beautiful islands. About

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #756512 in Books
• Published on: 2004-06-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

New York Times News Service
"Anyone can enjoy [Bali] through the lush photographs. A visual treat."

About the Author
Luca Invernizzi Tettoni specializes on books on Asia, covering fine art, architecture, and landscaping. William Warren is a passionate, knowledgeable gardener and is the author of The Tropical Garden, Thai Garden Style, and Tropical Garden Plants.

Customer Reviews

Balinese Gardens
This richly illustrated production captures the natural landscape and manmade gardens of Bali in 250 sumptuous color photos by renowned international photographer Luca Invernizzi Tettoni. The first half of the book walks us right through the Garden of Eden, past rushing rivers and volcanic mountains to Bali's flourishing profusion of plants, flowers, fruits, palaces, temples, pavilions, and traditional village gardens. Landscape designer William Warren calls in specialists to provide ecological and cultural information to complement the riotous, full-page photographical/geographical orgies. Bali's natural beauty leaps out at you from every page--exotic hothouse hibiscus, bougainvillea and frangipani flowers, sacred springs, rice paddies, and ornamental sculptures. The book uncovers the Balinese people at home in their lush green environment: we see the deeply engrained Balinese reverence for nature and its role in and impact on their culture. Nature informs and underlies the widespread (animist-based) religious beliefs and practices on Bali: as an example, the waringin or banyan tree, as the sacred abode of spirits, is considered to be an auspicious spot to construct a temple or shrine.
The rest of the book shifts focus to explore contemporary residential, restaurant, and hotel garden construction, plant life, and decoration (the Bali Hyatt at Sanur has its own chapter). The authors also do full justice to the island's naturally spectacular ravines, lotus ponds, waterfalls, and sacred pools. Balinese Gardens gives us a special final treat: a tour of modern horticultural masterpieces in Ubud, the island's center of art and creativity. These new gardens (of wealthy expatriates) exude special charm and beauty with jungle-like plantings of teak, mahogany, tamarind, avocado, mangosteen, durian, and breadfruit. Warren proves that landscape art can successfully imitate (and compete) with nature in a superb Balinese dance of visual perfection

Not the Best Available� Flaws Due Mostly to Design / Editing
There are some very nice glossy photos in here, but once I got it home and started studying it, the disappointment set in. The book heavily features hotel gardens, and I mean the massive gardens like the Bali Hyatt, not the intimate, small hotel gardens like the Tandjung Sari's.

It is good that the editor includes photos of some of Bali's most interesting gardens, such as Tirta Gangga, Walter Spies' Tjampuhan residence, and several sites designed by Made Wijaya, but these photos do not always do the places justice (strange angles, views of the gardens that do not show their best aspects). I concede that the exception to this is the section devoted to the gardens of the Batujimbar estate, which is the second best part of this book. But many of the photos left me wanting more variety, smaller margins (larger actual photos), and better angles.

The best chapter is Traditional Gardens in Bali, but again the photos are often disappointingly small. And, from this chapter, conspicuously absent, were photos of Ubud's Agung Rai Museum gardens and any number of single-family (not sacred, public, or hotel) Balinese gardens.

Somewhat useful is the chapter on Balinese plants, but because it lacks stats like height and shade / sun preferences, it is not great as a reference for the person interested in some serious landscaping or plant identification.

Text does have interesting tidbits about garden history, thanks to contributor Adrian Vickers (and, for the Ubud text, William Warren).

Visually, not as bold as "style" books can and should be. I put other books on my coffee table.

Very authentic book on the Bali Garden.
This is the source of book if u need a good reference of Bali gardens (or any TROPICAL LUSH gardens). Enough for someone who wants to make the garden looks tropical. Plenty of pictures and good text. Anyone interested in the tropical garden style should buy this one.