Private Edens: Beautiful Country Gardens Hardcover – March 1, 2013

I own just about every garden photography book published in the last 20 years, and "Private Edens" is the absolute best. First, I have never seen such consistently magnificent photos, with stunning clarity, color, composition. It is clear that the photographer himself has a highly developed garden aesthetic and is able to capture the textures, colors, panoramas, and intricate details of these gardens with great insight, originality, and technical photographic precision. For each and every garden, there is a PERFECT photographic balance of scale and perspective--from wide views to narrow details--and each garden is SUBSTANTIALLY represented in photos. (So many of the books have an inadequate representation of many gardens--one or two mediocre photos.) I virtually gasp with sensual and aesthetic pleasure as I turn each page; for the first time ever, looking at a garden photography books parallels the actual pleasure and delight I experience when meandering through a fabulous garden. There is wonder, surprise, and gratification around every turn and every page. Also, the text in "Private Edens" is eloquent, insightful, and just the right amount. The author informs and inspires without over-indulging in minutia that might bore a reader. If you are looking for the "best ever" garden photography book, or are buying your first garden photography book, look no further: "Private Edens" sets a new bar for quality.

This is a very beautiful book about exclusive gardens of the North Atlantic states. It will delight any garden-lover to have a peek at these hidden outdoor pleasure-scapes.Having said that, some of the text borders on self-conscious entitlement if not snobbery. Do we really need to know that an anonymous owner is "a former partner at one of Manhattan's most prestigious law firms, where he brokered a slew of headline-making deals"? We're talking about gardens here! It is quite obvious from the scale and magnificence of most of the subject landscapes that they are enormously expensive to create and maintain. It is inspiring that some people have the means and desire to create such Edens. They deserve to be thanked for sharing their private retreats in this publication.One further note: Some of the plates exhibit over-saturated colors, a printing style sometimes found in other picture-books printed in China. But this is a matter of taste, and should not ruin the genuine pleasures of the book. It must be said that the photography and layouts are simply superb.

I had seen the book I ordered at the home of the owner of one of the gardens in the book. The gardens and the book were so beautiful that I had to have a copy for myself. I have read thru the book at least three times since I received and leave it on the coffee table to guests to see.The delivery time was exactly as promised and I will shop on Amazon.com again, for sure.

I'm a very avid gardener who loves both how-to and inspirational gardening books somewhat indiscriminately. I purchased this particular volume with the primary intention of using it for photographic ideas and inspiration. This objective softened my reading expectations a great deal but I do agree with reviews that focus on the light-weight nature of the book's written content. As an alternative I'd like to suggest Earth on Her Hands by Starr Ockenga. The 18 American gardens and their gardeners are profiled with great care that includes garden maps and lists of the gardeners' recommended plants. The gardens are well-explored photographically and many images include informational and satisfying captions. Additionally the main blocks of text are thoughtful and meaty enough to inspire readers who value words as much (or more) than images.To bring my review back to the topic at hand the composition of the images included in Private Edens is very much on point. Nonetheless I am quite disappointed in the over-saturated nature of the printing. For me it's simply too much visual overkill that's distracting enough to lose a rating star. On the plus side many of the close-up images seem tailor-made to serve as drawing references although the book's size makes it awkward to position well on my drawing desk. I can work with this book in that context but it's nowhere close to being a stand-out as either a practical gardening inspiration or for dreaming over during our long cold New England winters. I don't consider it worth its price as a new book so I'm very glad I bought my copy from an Amazon used bookseller. Would I buy it again? Probably not. Am I sufficiently disenchanted to add it to my pile of donations for the town library's book sale? Not quite yet.

We found this book during a recent trip to the Philadelphia Flower show. Unfortunately, the show did not inspire me at all, but this book did!! It contains many pictures of gardens around where I live and some that you can actually visit. It told of the history of the gardens, etc... very beautifully done! I have been very anxious to finish my garden since reading this book.

I haven't read it yet but the pictures are amazing. I order quite a few gardening books and this is a favorite at first glance.

The gardens featured in this book are remarkable and the information provided is interesting. I do have a problem with the editing as there are several misused words, i.e., further instead of the correct farther, than used instead of than...It does make a nice coffee table book and I enjoy having it.

The photographs speak for themselves - gorgeous compositions of beautiful landscapes. What I really love is Mr. Staub's writing - the gardens are so personal and he captures and is able to share with the reader the particular relationship that each gardener has with their garden. It's a great picture book, and a delicious read!