Program Overview

Modernism and Gardens

Course Description

Post-war modernism sought to rethink and redesign almost every aspect of domestic life, from furniture and fabrics to houses and gardens. This course focuses primarily on the house and garden, and the overwhelming influence the movement had on garden making. It explores the contemporary garden in all its variety and forms, discussing themes and forms of the modern garden as it is now, and how it may evolve.

Learning and Teaching

The course will include lectures, case studies, and group discussions.

Coursework and Assessment

To award credits, evidence of the knowledge and skills gained or improved is required. The assessment methods are designed to increase confidence and are enjoyable and suitable for adults with busy lives.

Reading Suggestions

• Jane Brown, The English Garden Through the Twentieth Century (Garden Art Press, 1999)
• Jane Brown, The Modern Garden (Thames and Hudson, 2000)
• Katie Campbell, Icons of 20th Century Landscape Design (Frances Lincoln, 2006)
• Guy Cooper, Paradise Transformed: The Private Garden for the Twenty-first Century (Monacelli Press, 1996)
• Piet Oudolf, Noel Kingsbury, Planting: A New Perspective (Timber Press, 2013)
• Thomas Rainer and Claudia West, Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes (Timber Press, 2016)
• Rory Stuart, What are Gardens for? (Frances Lincoln, 2012)
• Penelope Hill, Contemporary History of Garden Design: European Gardens between Art and Architecture (Birkhauser, 2004)
• Penelope Hobhouse, In Search of Paradise: Great Gardens of the World (Frances Lincoln, 2006)
• Piet Oudolf, Noel Kingsbury, Planting: A New Perspective (Timber Press, 2013)
• Tim Richardson, Futurescapes (Thames and Hudson, 2011)
• Andrew Wilson, Influential Gardens: the designers who shaped 20th-century garden style (Mitchell Beazley, 2002)
• The Gardens of Bunny Mellon (Vendome Press)

Library and Computing Facilities

Students on this course are entitled to join and use the University's library and computing facilities.

Accessibility

The University aims to provide access for all, offering a confidential advice and support service for students with long-term medical conditions, disabilities, or specific learning difficulties.

Part-time Courses for Adults

The University offers a range of part-time courses in humanities, languages, business, computing, politics and law, science and environment, and social studies.