The Gardens of Mien Ruys
Strong Design, Lush Planting, and the Origins of the Modernist Garden
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- $36.99
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- $36.99
Publisher Description
A celebration of 100 years of the Mien Ruys Gardens, where legendary designer Mien Ruys conducted her lifetime of experimentations and innovations that have deeply informed today's naturalistic gardening movement.
Widely considered the Mother of the Modernist garden, Mien Ruys (1904-1999) is one of the most influential gardeners and landscape architects of the 20th Century. The Gardens of Mien Ruys is the first authorized book in English to discuss her life, influence, process, and designs, written by the head of the Mien Ruys Gardens who continues to steward Ruys's horticultural legacy.
Part illustrated biography and part garden case study, this book is an important link to history that can help us put into context a future of gardening in line with nature, as informed by a strong, feminist leader. Ruys worked hard to break down the elitism of gardening, and was a woman far ahead of her time.
She is known best for her use of small spaces, designing gardens without large lawns, and using materials like concrete, railroad ties, and exposed gravel long before they were in style. She was influential in bringing a modernist garden design into cities and public places where they could be enjoyed by all, rather than just behind the walls of the private estate.
Ruys had an extensive knowledge of plants, especially perennials, and included in the book are some of her iconic planting plans.
Also featured in the book are tips on how to design a small garden in the Ruys style, and a list of Mien's 100 favorite plants.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Den Hollander, head of the Mien Ruys Gardens in the Netherlands, delivers a comprehensive debut survey of the work of Dutch landscape and garden architect Mien Ruys (1904–1999). Often considered the "Mother of the Modernist garden," Ruys popularized the use of modernist aesthetics in landscape design, employing clean lines, geometric shapes, and lush vegetation that brought people close to nature without trying to duplicate the chaotic experience of wild growth. She made innovative use of industrial materials like concrete and railroad ties and emphasized the inclusion of perennials, which brought dynamic, natural elements to her designs. Den Hollander illustrates how Ruys's designs were brought to life by including her schematics alongside photos of their execution. In addition to exploring her contributions to garden design, the author sheds light on Ruys the person, demonstrating that she was a woman ahead of her time who pioneered her way in a male-dominated field. A socialist, she worked to make gardens more accessible to the public, challenging elitist traditions of the time. Throughout, vibrant full-page photos reveal the artistry of Ruys's work. Garden aficionados will be inspired.
