Why do interiors of houses mimic nature the wallpapers and curtains, fl owers in vases, a vaporizer in the bathroom? Why do we so often connect our childhoods with gardens? Why has the myth of a lost Eden been so ubiquitous and so formative?

The Green Fuse: Essays in Making Sense of Gardens explores our deep-rooted impulses to create gardens, examining them through the lenses of history, religion, nostalgia and myth. It connects gardens with the other arts painting, music, literature and theatre and contemplates their intellectual and philosophical significance. Blending lyrical reflections with research, it o ers an unusually wide-ranging and thoughtful perspective on gardens and why we make them. It will be ideal for all readers interested in gardening and its cultural implications.