No comments about Stewards of the Land: A Survey of Landscape Architecture and Design in America.

1 comments about Cool Pools and Hot Tubs.

1. This book has some innovative pools -- especially the one under a set of glass stairs in the entryway of a London building. There are indoor pools, outdoor pools, indoor-outdoor pools, the now-ubiquitous "infinite edge" pools and even "rustic" pools that look like natural ponds. Gorgeous! The book also covers Jacuzzis and pool-related structures, such as cabanas, waterfalls, and so on, but the focus here is high-end "cool" pools.

No comments about The Oxford Companion to the Garden.

2 comments about Sermons in Stone: The Stone Walls of New England and New York.

1. If you think that a book on the stone walls of New England might be "dry," you are wrong. This brilliantly written and researched book is as riveting as any thriller. You will gain a new appreciation for the countless anonymous generations that went before us and left their mark-- those beautiful, enduring stone walls. An absolutely fascinating book!



2. This book was truly an unexpected pleasure. Its not a how-to book but rather a history of the stone wall. Surprisingly, that history takes the reader into a wide range of topics: geology, botany, architecture, colonial american history, among others. Because stone walls were so commonplace, their builders left very little discussion of their motives and means. Allport acts almost like a detective, piecing the story together. Additionally, because she clearly loves stone walls (and writes well), she is able to capture the mystery and the beauty of her subject. This is a great read for a wide audience: from the historically curious to anyone who wishes to build a wall of stone.

5 comments about Stone in the Garden: Inspiring Designs and Practical Projects.

1. BEAUTIFUL IN FACT SPECTACULAR PHOTOS. MORE OF A COFFE TABLE BOOK. AUTHOR ASSUMES THAT ONE HAS THE LOWER SKILLS OF CONSTUCTING STONE WALLS, WALK WAYS PATHS. HE GIVE GREAT IDEAS BUT GENERAL DIRECTION IS NOT THERE.



2. Simply put: I checked it out from the library so often it got embarassing! Time to buy the book. It is well written, informative, and the pictures inspire.



3. BEAUTIFUL pictures of projects in asst stages of completion. Great info on building stone projects that will stand the test of time. Even if I can't replicate the exact project, I now have confidence that I can take these ideas and cater them to our environment.



4. Of the half-dozen books I bought to help me with a stone project (old fallen-down stone walls recycled into a new retaining wall) this is the one I look at over and over. The first part of the book, under the heading Inspiring Uses for Stone, is exactly that: a group of beautiful pictures that can set your imagination running. The second part, Working with Stone in the Garden, brings you back to earth with the how-to of stonework. (The second half also includes a nice selection of full-color photos to keep your inspiration going.)

   Like John Vivian's Building Stone Walls and Kevin Gardner's The Granite Kiss, Hayward's Stone in the Garden has clear and concise instructions. And, like David Reed's Stonescaping, he includes extras like stone under foot, pools and fountains, and stone sculpture. In addition, he includes some interesting (and helpful) extras such as plant selection for stone-walls or near stone pools and descriptions with photographs of the many kinds of stone availble in the US. (This is something that did not appear in any of the other stone how-to books I bought.)

   As with Reed's Stonescaping, Stone in the Garden is just too pretty to take to the garden when you're working on your project. No matter how careful you are, when you're in the midst of digging or lifting stone, it's too easy to smear mud on your instructions. The easy solution is to photocopy the necessary pages to take to the project site for reference.




5. Twice now, I have gone to the bookstore to find a book on a specific topic. Both times I found a book by Hayward to be the book I had been looking for. This time I was looking for using Stone features in my landscaping. Since I had such a great use for his book on paths I picked up his book right away. I could not put it down and was up all night browsing the book from cover to cover. The photos are very useful and inspiring. His descriptions of how-tos, dos and don'ts were especially helpful. I have to give this author a lot of credit for helping us to improve our landscaping to look professional. I had a contractor ask me if I would lay stone for his wife's pond a few days ago - thank you Mr. Hayward!

No comments about Listening to Stone.

1 comments about Glass House.

1. Architecture without walls:
   The "Glass House" by Philip Johnson, Toshio Nakamura and Monacelli Press.
   
   Can you take along with you the Parthenon, the Pyramid of Giza, The Taz-Mahal, the Spanish Steps, the Meinji-Jingu Shrine , the Kimbell Art Museum following your visit to them ? Well, NO ! But you may carry with you memories, mostly fragments, sometimes highly poetic other times adverse. The nuisance of the camel owner trying to seduce you to a ride up-there, or of the striking ministry of culture personnel who would not issue you tickets up to the Holly precinct the day of your visit , may cover the negative end. The highly poetic and memories of the serene and eternal could be the sound of the gravel and the singing of the birds before the abrupt turn at the Meinji Jingu at the point you just see the shrine at the distance, similar and everlasting to the memories when visiting Kahn's great museum at Forth Worth...!
   But in the Architecture without walls , THE BOOK, you can have all of the above at your fingertips, in the highest of memory, feeling and the Poetic . There is no doubt in my mind that one of the best such books ever created on Architecture is the "Glass House" by Monacelli Press.
   This book represents for me "Architecture in its entirety", that is , an evaluative and interpretive presentation of the work of Architectural Act in time: the building in its context, as conceived , built and even criticized by its architect ; as evolved along with its meaning and the interpretations of its critics ; through its contribution to architecture by means of experimentation and materials of the era, and finally through the ever-evolving advancement of its architect to "inclusiveness" and "Permissiveness", as evidenced though his other works that spot the estate. A book of the meta-user shortcomings and the need for restoration and further up-keep, through the most sympathetic argument and persuasion. From the highest poetic and contemplative to the lowest but real trivial, the gavel flat roof that needs to be mended...Superceding all of the above is the books exquisite photography. Some shots taken from levels no lay viewer can hardly experience, while other shots are intimate and personal as only the owner and his close guests had the joy to enjoy. The textures of pictures , the included drawings and the text , both in visual as well in meaning and suggestion depth , are as poetic as any great poem or haiku could ever reach. In philosophical terms the book is an assembly of "Logos" and Cosmotheory : of the architect (Philip Johnson), of the men who visited and were affected by it (Toshio Nakamura), of the photographer (Michael Moran) , of the publisher who produced it, of the draftsmen who drew the architectural drawings, of the book designers (Michael Rock and Susan Sellers), of the reader who by reading or just going through its pages becomes part of the building's history , the closest to the building a lay person could ever be.
   In this sense, the BOOK , the "Glass House" , is , I believe , superior even to any museum that presents works of Art; because the commentary of the art work is usually missing from a museum's presentation, and the visitor can hardly be said to be able to take away with him the whole, unless perhaps a catalogue of the works presented. A "Library" of books on a particular Art work, may perhaps be close to what I suggest for anyone who has visited it , and perhaps more so, for those who have not visited the work. So, I view the book the "Glass house"as a total museum , a work of Architecture without walls, an Art-work that can be carried home, always ready to please the reader with a repeated visit to the artifact, a personal contemplation and enjoyment, even a further interpretation under new circumstances of life and events. An eternal holistic museum for as long as it is out on circulation or kept in libraries. I very strongly recommend it to any reader, a unique gift to oneself without hesitation.
   
   Anthony C. Antoniades

1 comments about Landscaping in Florida a Photo Idea Book.

1. This book contains many inspiring examples, as well as do-it-yourself instructions, for designing landscapes in Florida. The landscape designs that are presented, photographed and discussed in this book provide nearly everything a Floridian needs to design and plant a landscape of their liking.

   However, the treatment of native plants is very limited, and discussion of non-native nuisance plants is almost non-existent. We live in a state with so many beautiful, low-maintenance natives, as well as such an abundance of non-native nuisance plants, that I could not help but be disappointed by this aspect of the book. The one list of native landscape plants is extremely short and includes a few plants that are not native. Also, some of the recommended non-native plants in this book, most notably punk (melaleuca), are plants that are forbidden in several counties due to their tendency to escape cultivation and invade natural areas, crowding out the native plants that our wildlife need to survive.

   Use this book to design your landscape and to get a general idea of which plants will do well in Florida. However, when selecting your plants, I recommend purchasing a good book on landscaping with native plants, such as Rufino Osorio's or Bob Haehle's, which are also available on amazon.com. This will insure that your landscape will not only look beautiful but will also require little water, pesticides or fertilizers and will be compatible with our wonderful natural environment.

No comments about Garden History: Philosophy and Design 2000 BC - 2000 AD.

1 comments about Case: Lafayette Park Detroit (CASE).

1. This small book is a gem. It was a surprise to know about this project and how well it has withstood time. Pity is not bigger, with more before and after pictures.