Veld The Gardens and Landscapes of Patrick Watson

About this book

Patrick Watson is currently South Africa's most innovative and versatile landscape architect. Known for designing extensive mega-sites, such as Sun City and an entire Indian Ocean Island, he is also the creator of exquisite small home gardens and quiet spaces for reflection, such as at the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. A highly sought-after designer, he has created over 200 gardens in Africa and many others elsewhere.

He seldom works from carefully drawn plans, instead combining artistic intuition with extensive botanical knowledge and a deep concern for the conservation and restoration of nature. His projects are creative, fresh with inspiration, and often bold, and he uses mostly indigenous plants, colours, landforms and space to create visual and emotional experiences. Covering 23 gardens and landscapes, and richly supported by exquisite photographs and specially commissioned artworks, Veld is a beautiful tribute to a remarkable talent and visionary whose work is deeply informed by nature. It recognises and celebrates the combination of knowledge, skill and instinct that make up the man, and the radical influence he has had on his profession, and the landscapes he has restored.

Customer Reviews

Biography

Garreth van Niekerk is a multi-award-winning journalist and curator whose works explore the language of landscape, design and architecture. He has created exhibitions for clients across the globe, and his writing has appeared in numerous publications.

Elsa Young is a Johannesburg-based photographer and a leading voice in landscape photography. Over the course of her 20-year career, her images have been published in titles across the globe.

Heidi Fourie is a full-time artist from Pretoria and an occasional guest lecturer at the University of Pretoria. She has exhibited widely both in South Africa and internationally, and her work is held in several major art collections.