Regionalism has become a much-discussed design issue for landscape architects in recent years. Increased mobility, uprootedness, and the pace of change in an increasingly technological society have all contributed to interest in the concept because it places value on cultural continuity in local areas.

This approach to garden design deliberately takes into account the region and attempts to capture the spirit of the place, the plant material, and symbolic qualities that define its natural and cultural character. The articles in this volume lay a foundation for examining regionalism in American garden design. The organization of the papers is by geographical area: the West Coast, the Midwest, the South, and New England.

1. Wilhelm Miller's seminal essay of 1915, The Prairie Spirit in Landscape Gardening, has been reprinted as an appendix. This essay, which is frequently cited but rarely seen, is often regarded as the "regionalist" manifesto.