Cooper & Taylor Lectures

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GUY COOPER & GORDON TAYLOR International Landscape Designers, Authors and Television Presenters We have been lecturing in Great Britain, the United States & internationally for over 20 years, giving stimulating talks based mainly on our books. All the lectures are illustrated with slides and usually last for one hour. Fees vary according to location. Below is a Sample of the Lectures we Offer: OBSESSION and DIVERSITY in 45 BRITISH GARDENS SIX ELEMENTS of GARDEN DESIGN GARDENS for the FUTURE - Gestures Against the Wild PARADISE TRANSFORMED - Private Gardens for the 21st Century GARDENS of OBSESSION - Eccentric and Extravagant Visions The first two lectures are based on the pair of Curious Gardeners Television Series we created and presented for BBC 2 television.
Lecture: OBSESSION and DIVERSITY in 45 BRITISH GARDENS Back ´In their book introduction Cooper and Taylor make recognition of the fact that the most interesting gardens arise out of passion and obsession. The book´s subtitle Obsession and Diversity in 45 British Gardens, ought to have been its real title.´ Stephen Anderton, London Times The series, book and lecture concern what drove these people to make their extraordinary gardens and benefit greatly from incorporating the view of the garden owners.
Lecture: SIX ELEMENTS of GARDEN DESIGN Back The Curious Gardeners focus on six essential elements of successful garden-making in England through the centuries: Time, Form, Materials, Water, Sculpture - and last but by no means least - Plants. The lecture explores these themes in gardens both small and simple and magnificently grand.
Lecture: GARDENS for the FUTURE - Gestures Against the Wild Back Moving away from gardens that adhere strictly to a historical and traditional aesthetic, Gardens for the Future looks at contemporary gardens which have re-defined both public and private garden space at the turn of the 21st century. 20 international case studies illustrate these themes; photography, plans, sketches and architectural models reveal the structure of the gardens and thought processes behind their creation. ´More minimalism here, but also quirks, eccentricity and fun. Their third wonderful book on contemporary gardens offered as models for the future, with a capacious list of influences that takes in kitsch, drought resistance and ecological awareness.´ Dr. Brent Elliot, Librarian, The Royal Horticultural Society
Lecture: PARADISE TRANSFORMED: Private Gardens for the 21^st Century Back Book published in November 1996 in the US and the UK (Book Award: Best Gardening Book in Great Britain, 1996). The lecture is about contemporary private gardens in the USA, Japan, Australia, Scotland, France, Belgium, Germany and Spain (50 gardens by 27 Designers). There was the most pleasing accolade in the Spring of 2000: ´Taylor and Cooper wrote the classic Paradise Transformed on modern private gardens, in which they proved good writing and analytic rigour much enhances the accompanying illustrations.´ Jennifer Potter, leading UK garden writer, Times Literary Supplement
Lecture: GARDENS of OBSESSION: Eccentric and Extravagant Visions Back Gardens of obsession lie in the jungles of Mexico, in dew-swept lawns of Great Britain, in Neo-Realist gardens in France and Italy, extravagant topiaries of Ecuador, Maryland, Rhode Island and Thailand, trees lovingly fashioned into seats and other fantastic shapes in Pennsylvania and California, and a garden of 1,500 roses in Somerset planted in date order of their introduction to western Europe. ´The word bizarre is probably the best one to describe these gardens of obsession conceived by gardeners driven by their dreams and fantasies´ Chicago Sun Times

However, we will lecture on almost any garden design subject, but there would necessarily be an additional cost.