About the Book
After a Foreword by John Brookes himself and a brief introduction, The Story of John Brookes reveals all the influences that have come to bear on John s work plotting the major stages of his career. The chapter plots his growth as a garden designer, from his apprenticeship with the Nottingham Corporation Parks Department in 1954, through his work with Brenda Colvin and Sylvia Crowe in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and his setting up of his own garden and landscape design practice. His first successes in London town gardens in the 1960s are charted, as well as his key designs and educational achievements around the globe throughout his career, right up to his current position as the doyen of contemporary garden designers.
The second chapter provides a fascinating insight into John Brookes s garden and landscape design work, by analysing 18 of his most significant designs and their execution. Written after extensive research, Barbara Simms summarises the history of each commission, the challenges John Brookes faced, and describes his design approach in meeting the brief. Some of John s original design sketches are reproduced and contemporary and recent photographs capture the development of each garden.
Table of Contents:
Foreword by John Brookes; Introduction; The John Brookes Story; Early Influences; New Thinking In Garden Design; From Garden To Landscape; The Cultural Context of Landscape; Mature Work; The Gardens: Case Studies (in chronological order) 1. Penguin Books Courtyard, Middlesex, England, 1961, Office Courtyard 2. Bryanston Square, London, England, 1965, Communal Garden Square 3. La Napoule, Cannes, France,1965, Private Garden 4. Toddington House, West Sussex, England, 1981, Private Garden 5. Samares Manor, Jersey, 1982, Private Garden 6. Chicago Botanic Garden, Chicago, United States,1986, Botanic Garden 7. Englewood Place,Albany, United States, 1988, Private Garden 8. Barakura,Tateshina, Japan, 1989, Private Garden 9. Ecclesden Manor, West Sussex, England, 1992, Private Garden 10. College Garden, Westminster Abbey, London, England, 1993, Abbey Garden 11. The Old Rectory, West Sussex, England, 1994, Private Garden 12. Pine Cottage, West Sussex, England, 1995, Private Garden 13. The Saltings, West Sussex, England, 1997, Private Garden 14. Casa de Campo en Oleiros, La Coruna, Spain, 1998, Private Garden 15. Altamont, New YorkState, United States, 1998, Private Estate 16. Zespol Palace Park, Kikole Poland, 1998, Private Garden 17. Whitelocks, West Sussex, England, 1999, Private Garden 18. Van Lierde, San Ecedre, Argentina, 2001, Private Garden; Index
About the Author :
Dr Barbara Simms is a garden and landscape historian with a particular interest in gardens of the post-war era. Barbara is a lecturer in garden history at Birkbeck College (London University), Cambridge University Institute of Continuing Education and the Inchbald School of Garden Design. In addition to her teaching commitments, Barbara continues to be involved in research, writing and speaking on garden history and is involved with the London Parks & Gardens Trust (chairman 2001-2007), the Museum of Garden History (trustee) and the Garden History Society (editor of the Society s journal, Garden History).
