The Rockefeller Family Gardens

Description

A privileged tour through the magnificent Rockefeller family gardens in the Hudson Valley and Maine. Virtual American aristocracy, the Rockefeller family is synonymous with great wealth, extraordinary philanthropy, and exceptional stewardship of unspoiled landscapes. In their private world, the Rockefellers have created extraordinary gardens, two at Kykuit in the Hudson Valley and a third in Seal Harbor, Maine. At Kykuit, built by John D. Rockefeller Sr., are the expansive Italian-style garden, now enhanced with a collection of modern sculpture installed by Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller, and the little-known walled Japanese garden, also brought to life by Governor Rockefeller. His mother, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, was the force behind the garden at the Eyrie, the family summer retreat in Maine. She collaborated with noted designer Beatrix Farrand to design a walled garden inspired by Asian aesthetics at the perimeter but filled with traditional perennials and borders.Photographer Larry Lederman has captured the beauty of these gardens in all seasons, focusing on the geometry of the designs and the processional approach and tour through the space and capturing the color and light that animates it.Text by Todd Forrest of the New York Botanical Garden and Cynthia Altman of Kykuit provides expert commentary on the design and plant materials.

Larry Lederman has been photographing landscapes for the past ten years, with a focus on The New York Botanical Garden, where he is a member of the Board of Advisors. His work has been exhibited at the Mertz Gallery at the Garden and at the Four Seasons Restaurant in New York.Todd Forrest, Vice President for Horticulture and Living Collections, is responsible for all the gardens, grounds, and exhibitions at the New York Botanical Garden. Mr. Forrest was a principal contributor to The New York Botanical Garden (Abrams, 2016).Former editor of House & Garden, Dominique Browning now contributes to multiple publications in the design and landscape fields and writes a monthly column about environmental issues for the Environmental Defense Fund website. She is the author of Slow Love and Around the House and In the Garden, both of which chronicle her life after Conde Nast.

"The Rockefeller Family Gardens: An American Legacy, with lush photographs by Larry Lederman, captures how gloriously each generation expressed its personal character on a monumental canvas." - The New York Times "Lederman captures moments in nature imbued with atmospheric light, reminiscent of the impressionist style. A delight for garden historians and botanical photographers." - Library Journal "The new book features the photographs of Larry Lederman, a man apparently undeterred by inhospitable weather conditions, who seems to have discovered every tiny nook and cranny of the place. He shows us Rockefeller's creation over a period of years in all seasons and in all kinds of light. We see it early in the morning and at dusk, under gray skies and gleaming in the sun, bursting into bloom in spring, blazing with hot fall color and serenely quiet after a snow fall." - Gardenista "We may not care to admit it, but the gardens of the rich and famous hold a special allure for most of us. Now, thanks to photographer Larry Lederman's discerning eye, we get a whole-book look at two gardens belonging to the Rockefeller family - both designed in the early 20th century and both of great historical interest.... We should be grateful for Lederman's patience: It means we can now experience each garden in its full glory." - 1st Dibs "Photographer Larry Lederman shot the retreats over five years, adding yet another contribution - this time, serene beauty - to the Rockefeller dynasty's long list." - Manhattan magazine "What Lederman's photographs of the gardens at Kykuit and Eyrie display is a fascinating study of one family's sustained devotion to place, manifested in each generation's evolving philosophy and approach to space." - Flower magazine "In sumptuous photographs, this book documents the progress of the seasons through two gardens: Kykuit (Dutch for 'look-out'), perched high above the Hudson River in the countryside near New York, and Eyrie, the garden in Maine of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, John D.'s art-collecting daughter-in-law and the driving force behind MOMA in New York... The short essays are strong on historical detail, sparking interest in further research. But the meat of this book lies in Lederman's splendid images." - Historic Garden Review