Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn
Encyclopedia
Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn is an acclaimed documentary
television series that debuted in the United States
on PBS
on January 21, 1993. It is Audrey Hepburn
's final performance before the camera, filmed on location in seven countries in the spring and summer of 1990. Hepburn was awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement posthumously.
The series features Hepburn visiting exemplary and elegant gardens both private and public; each episode sets forth a different garden theme, as well as aesthetic, environmental, historical or horticultural concepts. Interspersed with Hepburn's on-camera performances are expository and historical background segments narrated both by Audrey Hepburn and Michael York
.
The first six episodes aired in 1993, however the final two installments were not broadcast until 1996. In all, there are eight episodes: These are:
Some of the gardens featured in the show include: Claude Monet's
gardens at Giverny
, George Washington's
estate at Mount Vernon
, and Jardin du Luxembourg
in Paris
.
Audrey Hepburn wrote the foreword to the hardcover companion book, Gardens of the World: The Art & Practice of Gardening. A DVD of all 8 programs was released in 1999; in September 2006, an extended DVD
edition was released.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
television series that debuted in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
on January 21, 1993. It is Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn was a British actress and humanitarian. Although modest about her acting ability, Hepburn remains one of the world's most famous actresses of all time, remembered as a film and fashion icon of the twentieth century...
's final performance before the camera, filmed on location in seven countries in the spring and summer of 1990. Hepburn was awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Individual Achievement posthumously.
The series features Hepburn visiting exemplary and elegant gardens both private and public; each episode sets forth a different garden theme, as well as aesthetic, environmental, historical or horticultural concepts. Interspersed with Hepburn's on-camera performances are expository and historical background segments narrated both by Audrey Hepburn and Michael York
Michael York (actor)
Michael York, OBE is an English actor.-Early life:York was born in Fulmer, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, the son of Florence Edith May , a musician; and Joseph Gwynne Johnson, a Llandovery born Welsh ex-Royal Artillery British Army officer and executive with Marks and Spencer department stores...
.
The first six episodes aired in 1993, however the final two installments were not broadcast until 1996. In all, there are eight episodes: These are:
- Episode 1. "RoseRoseA rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
s and Rose Gardens": An adventure with the flower of legend, romance and beauty - Episode 2. "Formal Gardens": A journey through the evolution of formal garden design
- Episode 3. "Country GardenCountry GardenCountry Garden is a property development company based in Guangdong Province, China, owned by Yang Guoqiang's family...
s": An exploration of the earthly country garden - Episode 4. "Public GardensParkA park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
and TreeTreeA tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s": The stories of Mt. Vernon and the greening of Paris, concluding with Hepburn's tribute to trees and nature - Episode 5." Flower GardenFlower gardenA flower garden is any garden where flowers are grown for decorative purposes. Because flowers bloom at varying times of the year, and some plants are annual, dying each winter, the design of flower gardens can take into consideration to maintain a sequence of bloom and even of consistent color...
s": An exploration of Monet’s gardens at Giverny and classic English perennial border styles - Episode 6. "Tropical GardensTropical gardenA tropical garden features tropical plants and requires good rainfall or a decent irrigation or sprinkler system for watering. These gardens typically need fertilizer and heavy mulching....
": A wide ranging affirmation of nature’s floral diversity - Episode 7. "Japanese GardenJapanese garden, that is, gardens in traditional Japanese style, can be found at private homes, in neighborhood or city parks, and at historical landmarks such as Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and old castles....
s": A journey reflecting centuries of Japanese cultural reverence for nature - Episode 8. "Tulips and Spring Bulbs": A focus on spring blossoms and their inspiration as art and in the garden
Some of the gardens featured in the show include: Claude Monet's
Claude Monet
Claude Monet was a founder of French impressionist painting, and the most consistent and prolific practitioner of the movement's philosophy of expressing one's perceptions before nature, especially as applied to plein-air landscape painting. . Retrieved 6 January 2007...
gardens at Giverny
Giverny
Giverny is a commune in the Eure department in north-western France. It is best known as the location of Claude Monet's garden and home.-Location:Giverny sits on the "right bank" of the River Seine where the river Epte meets the Seine...
, George Washington's
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
estate at Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon
The name Mount Vernon is a dedication to the English Vice-Admiral Edward Vernon. It was first applied to Mount Vernon, the Virginia estate of George Washington, the first President of the United States...
, and Jardin du Luxembourg
Jardin du Luxembourg
The Jardin du Luxembourg, or the Luxembourg Gardens, is the second largest public park in Paris The Jardin du Luxembourg, or the Luxembourg Gardens, is the second largest public park in Paris The Jardin du Luxembourg, or the Luxembourg Gardens, is the second largest public park in Paris (224,500 m²...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Audrey Hepburn wrote the foreword to the hardcover companion book, Gardens of the World: The Art & Practice of Gardening. A DVD of all 8 programs was released in 1999; in September 2006, an extended DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
edition was released.