Gardens of the gods : myth, magic and meaning / Christopher McIntosh

Includes bibliographical references (p. [193]-195) and index.

The symbolic language of gardens -- Balancing the forces of nature : Chinese and Japanese gardens -- A foretaste of paradise : the Islamic garden and its forebears -- Gardens of gods and garden of saints : pagan and Christian motifs in European gardens -- Ancient mysteries revived : the Renaissance garden in Italy -- Rosicrucian marvels and recreations of Eden : late Renaissance gardens in Europe -- Theatres of transformation : symbolism in Baroque and Rococo gardens -- Visions of a new Elysium : symbolism and allegory in gardens of the eighteenth century -- The symbol-strewn landscape : initiatic themes in European gardens of the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries -- The present age -- Connecting with nature -- Creating a garden of meaning.