With its wealth of original historical research; marvelous illustrations, including many that are not available elsewhere; and Denise Otis's fascinating new insights about her subject, Grounds for Pleasure will immediately win recognition as the definitive book about the private garden in America, from pre-Columbian times to the present.From the United States' oldest landscaped gardens -- such as Middleton Place in South Carolina -- to such 20th-century masterpieces as Thomas Church's Donnell Garden in Sonoma, described in the Oxford Companion to Gardens as "one of the most significant gardens of the 20th century" -- here are gardens of great historical importance and spectacular beauty. Rare archival images, drawings based on archaeological excavations and old maps, and stunning photographs taken especially for this book make this as much of a visual delight as Otis's engaging, very personal, and anecdotal text is a joy to read.