The Gardens of Mien Ruys by Conny den Hollander is a fascinating book that completely surprised me. Well-written with plenty of photographs, this is an attractive and informative volume.

I should explain what I meant by being surprised. I have read and enjoyed a number of books, mostly coffee table type books that tend toward being informative as well as attractive, on gardens and various landscaping topics. I am not a gardener and don't foresee becoming even a casual gardener but am endlessly fascinated with how people manage to make space so pleasing to the eye and, hopefully, to nature as well. I requested a review copy of this because it looked like a similar book to the others and because I have a friend who I thought might enjoy it and I wanted to look through it before I ordered a copy. Now I may well have to order two copies, I want one for myself.

I fully expected to enjoy the photographs and was a little skeptical about the drawings and plans that would be included. Well, the photographs were what I expected but I spent so much time looking at the plans and the diagrams, going back and forth between the explanations of what plants were where and why, what types of plants can serve different functions, and how to coordinate all of this information into something that would look amazing. I may not have a desire to go work in a garden but this book made me want to draw up plans of my own and put them into some sort of gardening simulated reality program and see how they look. Short of that, I want to go back and go over these plans again and just marvel at the ingenuity it took to come up with them.

I have to assume that if this book could make someone with a casual interest in visually appreciating gardens and even less of an interest in actually gardening want o better understand how to create something like these gardens, it will appeal to someone with a real interest in gardens, gardening, and landscaping. So I highly recommend this for those who have such an interest as well as anyone who might be getting ready to work on their own property and don't want simply an expanse of green grass with maybe a few patches around the perimeter. Or people like me who are wondering what to get a friend or family member who is into this.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

The Gardens of Mien Ruys by Conny den Hollander is a breathtaking book about Mien Ruys, a Dutch landscape and garden architect who lived in the 1900s. Her contributions to the gardening world are tremendous and more impactful than I had realized. Amongst her many endeavors were to create order out of chaos, develop materials and designs, and to make gardens for her entire life. The text, photography (some aerial!) and illustrations in this book are pure magic. I hungrily pored over this fabulous book like it was the key to a fantastical land. And it was.

Arranged by decade including the World War II era when victory gardens were crucial, the chapters fed my brain and heart. Included in the book are Mien's perennial borders, herb gardens, rose gardens, helenium border, "cauliflower estates", natural flower meadow gardens, roof gardens, experimental gardens and the yellow garden. In the present day, thirty different areas, both old and new can be explored. Other information highlights the use of colour and shapes, how fallen trees change soil, Mien's 1977 garden booklet detailing models to use in one's own plans, Moerheim Nursery catalog covers, features such as the yew and water balls, and Mien's favourite 100 plants. She emphasized the most invaluable information I learned as a master gardener which is to grow what suits the conditions; plants forced to grow in inappropriate climate and soil aren't happy and fail. I used to push the limits of my then gardening zone 2a to a 4b and my poor plants suffered.

In addition to gardens, it was a joy to learn more about Mien's adventures in gardening and otherwise, personality and passions, bringing her to life. The Mother of Modernist Gardens is a treat to learn from and I am now armed with more information to add to my personal store of knowledge and practical use. I appreciate the accessible layout of the book and the use of Mien's own notations, musings and ideas. What a privilege to be privy to her life's work!