Woods has been immersed in the worlds of horticulture, design, and garden-making for over 30 years. He honed his eye for innovative design while developing the Pennsylvania estate Chanticleer into one of the most revered and inspiring public gardens in the world. In the Introduction he writes, “Several themes run through the stories that follow, threads that make an interwoven pattern. No garden touches on just one—most have all of them.” With five criteria as his compass points—Beauty, Nature, People and Plants, Nativity, and Urbanization—Woods shows us a global vision for modern garden excellence.

To pair with these lust-worthy gardens, the book itself is a work of art. The artful photographs illuminate the magnificence of some of today’s biggest public gardens, like China’s Xi’an Expo Park, while capturing even the tiniest details of the pendulous bleeding hearts growing in Carrie Preston’s home garden in the Netherlands.

Gardens beyond one’s wildest dreams are out there, beckoning to be found. Gardenlust grants an all-access pass to that wild world, where artists’ chosen medium are plants and the art is an absolutely immersive experience. A word of warning—once caught, this case of botanical wanderlust may take you on an international adventure of epic proportions. Let Gardenlust be your guide.

Christopher Woods began his gardening life at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. He was director and chief designer of Chanticleer and has served as vice president for horticulture at the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden; director of the Van Dusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver, Canada; executive director of the Mendocino Coast Botanical Garden; and director of both the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and Meadowbrook Farm. He lives in California.