Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn
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Gardens of the World with Audrey Hepburn was a nine-episode documentary television series first broadcast in 1993, debuting on January 21, 1993. It was the last project completed by actress Audrey Hepburn, who died the day before the first episode of the series aired on PBS in the United States.
The series features Hepburn visiting extravagant and elegant gardens both private and public in various locations around the world, occasionally featuring her doing dramatic readings or making environmental statements. Interspersed with these sequences are historical background segments narrated by Michael York.
The first six episodes aired in 1993, however the final two instalments were not broadcast until 1996. In all, there are eight episodes, themed to a particular type of garden. These are:
- Episode 1. Roses 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 Gardens: An exploration the earthly country garden
- Episode 4. Public Gardens and Trees: The story of how Mt. Vernon and the greening of Paris led to a trend of trees and natural gardens
- Episode 5. Flower Gardens: An exploration of Monet’s gardens at Giverny and classic English perennial border styles
- Episode 6. Tropical Gardens: A wide ranging affirmation of nature’s floral diversity
- Episode 7. Japanese Gardens: 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 used in the show include: Claude Monet's gardens at Giverny, George Washington's estate at Mount Vernon, and Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris.
The complete series was released on home video in North America in the late 1990s. In September 2006, an extended DVD edition was released.
According to several biographies, Hepburn donated her salary for the project to UNICEF.[citation needed]
