Master of the Naturalistic Planting Style - Jens Jensen

In this video, I dive into the intriguing world of landscape architect Jens Jensen. A man whose views on nature and conservation were ahead of their time. Jensen Jensen was a master of what we now call the naturalistic style of gardening. Jens Jensen’s journey is a tale of transformation, vision, and resilience. Starting as a laborer in Chicago, Jensen rose to become one of America’s most influential landscape architects, shaping spaces for industrial leaders and communities alike. His work not only helped establish urban parks and green spaces but also popularized the Prairie Style, emphasizing native plants and sustainable, ecologically harmonious designs. In this video, I explore Jensen’s incredible legacy, his partnership with Henry Ford, and the bold stands he took to preserve the natural beauty of America’s landscapes. Discover the design features of the Henry Ford Estate, Jensen’s innovative approach to meadows, rock gardens, and naturalistic stonework, and hear about the unexpected drama with Clara Ford that shaped his later career. Today, Jensen’s philosophy reminds us that access to nature is essential for human well-being. Thanks for watching. -------------------------------------------------------- Credit for images and video clips used in this video Historical film clips provided by the library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/resource/ Images of Jens Jensen used with the kind permission of The Clearing Folk School. Thank you. https://theclearing.org/wp/ Images of Henry and Clara Ford are in public domain and taken from Wiki Commons. Images of Jensen's landscape plans from the Henry Ford website and the Jens Jensen archive at the University of Michigan https://findingaids.lib.umich.edu/cat... https://www.thehenryford.org/collecti... Misc images from wiki commons as referenced below: Bayview, MI railroad https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... West Atlas oil spill image https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Dead fish image public domain wiki https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Steel plant along coast – public domain Photo archive Chicago parks https://cdm16818.contentdm.oclc.org/d... Columbus Park Lily Pond https://digitalcollections.iu.edu/con... South Chicago empty lot near steel mill https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... Dam at the Henry Ford Estate – Wiki free use license https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?i... Reference materials used to understand the life and work of Jens Jensen: Jensen article Haiti Trust – Jensen: Landscape architect by Ragna Bergliot Eskil in American Scandinavian Review https://cdm16818.contentdm.oclc.org/d... Article written by Jensen about his work from the archives of Saturday Evening Post dated March 8, 1930. Grese, Robert E. "Jens Jensen: Maker of Natural Parks and Gardens (Creating the North American Landscape)." Paperback edition, published on June 25, 1998. Jens Jensen memoir Jensen, Jens. "Siftings." Johns Hopkins University Press, 1990. 🌿 Blog: https://gardenmoxie.com/ 🌿 Instagram:   / gardenmoxie   🌿 Pinterest:   / gardenmoxie   📩 [email protected] #JensJensen #PrairieStyle #LandscapeArchitecture #HistoricGardens #UrbanParks #GreenSpaces #NativePlants #HenryFordEstate #NatureInspired #AmericanHistory #gardendesign