Gardens of Italy and the Western Provinces of the Roman Empire (British Archaeological Reports (BAR) International)

A study of aspects of urban and rural Roman horticulture. Limited by the available evidence, most of the discussion relates to decorative gardens, making use of literary sources and depicions on wall paintings. It is a particularly refreshing subject as gardens are frequently overshadowed by archaeological emphasis on recovering architectural structures. Farrar looks at common types of plants, ornamentation, layout and the evolution of design.