Jens Jensen: Writings Inspired by Nature

by William H. Tishler (Editor)

Overview

Jens Jensen (1860-1951) was one of America's most distinguished landscape architects and a pioneering conservationist. During his long and productive career, this Danish-born visionary worked for and with some of the country's most prominent citizens and architects, including Henry Ford, Louis Sullivan, and Frank Lloyd Wright. He became internationally renowned for his design of landscapes throughout the Midwest and beyond, his contributions to the American conservation movement, and his philosophy that emphasized the significance of nature in people's lives. He found inspiration in the landscape, particularly the plants native to a region, and was an environmentalist long before the term became popular.

Today, Jensen is perhaps best remembered for establishing The Clearing on Wisconsin's Door County Peninsula. But the outspoken views in his writings—many of which were included in ephemeral planning reports, early newspapers, and out-of-print journals—are now virtually forgotten, with the exception of his two small books. Jens Jensen: Writings Inspired by Nature is a collection of Jensen's most significant yet lesser-known articles. The scope of Jensen's philosophy represented in these writings will further solidify his legacy and rightful place alongside conservation leaders such as John Muir and Aldo Leopold.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780870204906
Publisher:	Wisconsin Historical Society
Publication date:	10/31/2012
Edition description:	1
Pages:	184
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	3 Months to 18 Years

About the Author

William H. Tishler, FASLA, is professor emeritus of landscape architecture at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where his work has focused on historic preservation, landscape architectural history, vernacular architecture, and preservation issues relating to Upper Midwest cultural landscapes. He is a fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects, and has been a senior fellow in landscape studies at Dumbarton Oaks and an Attingham Fellow in England. Tishler is the author of more than 170 publications. Several of his books and articles, as well as his documentary film, Jens Jensen: A Natural History, have won national awards.

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

Extermination of the Oak at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin (1901) 4

Plan for Hospital Grounds (1901) 8

Topiary Gardening (1902) 10

Parks and Politics (1902) 12

Marring the Landscape (1902) 16

Urban and Suburban Landscape Gardening (1903) 17

Soil Conditions and Tree Growth around Lake Michigan, Part II (1904) 21

Hawthorns in the Landscape (1904) 23

Landscape Art-An Inspiration from the Western Plains (1906) 24

Some Gardens of the Middle West (1908) 26

Improving a Small Country Place (1910) 29

Regulating City Building (1911) 37

Testimony Regarding Proposed Sand Dunes National Park (1917) 41

Report of Mr. Jens Jensen, Consulting Landscape Architect, on Landscape Design of Columbus Park (1918) 44

A Greater West Park System (1920) 48

I Like Our Prairie Landscape (1920) 53

Wisconsin Beautiful (1921) 56

Landscape Gardening-An Art (1923) 58

Roadside Planting (1924) 62

Novelty Versus Nature (1924) 64

American Garden Thoughts (1925) 65

The Park Policy (1926) 67

Nature the Source (1927) 70

Landscape Appreciation (1927) 73

The Naturalistic Treatment in a Metropolitan Park (1930) 77

Natural Parks and Gardens (1930) 81

Conservation in the Regional Plan (1934) 95

A Program for School of the Soil (mid-1930s) 97

The "Clearing" (1937) 101

Garden Design: Special Lecture (1939) 104

Protect Devil's Lake Beauty (1940) 119

The Camp Fire or Council Fire (1941) 121

Learning the Lessons of Nature (1942) 123

These Are Days of Rebirth (1943) 126

The "Why" of Parks and Wilderness Areas (1946) 129

The Heat of Many Summers' Sun (1947) 131

Notes 135

Bibliography 142

Index 147

Editorial Reviews

Many of the essays in Jens Jensen: Writings Inspired by Nature are short, perfect for quiet contemplation of the wisdom and emotion held within Jensen’s words. While the landscapes most often examined in his writings are those of the upper Midwest, this collection will be of great interest to readers of conservationists such as Aldo Leopold and John Muir, as well as landscape gardeners alike. (Jennifer Fandel, ForeWord Reviews)


"Jens Jensen: Writings Inspired by Nature" contains three dozen Jensen essays that solidify his position as one of the great naturalists and landscape architects, especially in the upper Midwest. Included are pieces that discuss his best-known projects: Chicago's West Park System, the Indiana Dunes and The Clearing in Door County. (Bobby Tanzilo, On Milwaukee.com)

From the Publisher