1 comments about Right Plant, Right Place: Over 1400 Plants for Every Situation in the Garden.

1. There are two books on gardens that I use, the first is the Sunset Garden book, and The Right Plant For the Right Place. I was a landscape designer, and would carry these 2 books to show folks why they should or shouldn't place a plant in a given area. Plants should have a chance to be healthy and not create a labor intensive yard maintenance problem.

4 comments about Outdoor Stonework: 16 Easy-to-Build Projects For Your Yard and Garden.

1. If beautifying your world with stone and concrete is your goal, this book is a must.
   The author did a fine job of eliciting interest in a project by showing wonderful color photos of the finished product first. Then he supplies photos and diagrams of each step while describing it in down-to-earth fashion. He adds some photos of historical works to show what can be done and how long a quality job can last.
   I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of building a winding path. Mr. Bridgewater showed each layer of the walk, how to install that layer (tamper, rake, shovel, hose...) and feel that I really could create a viable path for my own home.
   The only nit I have to pick was his measurements for the Japanese lantern's components. Although I could figure it out, he was inconsistent in indicating whether a dimension was length, width, or height.
   Overall, I would purchase this book again.



2. Good beginner book for breaking into this type of homemade garden crafting. An excellent purchase for those interested in this creative art form.



3. I have been wanting to create many stone projects and this book helps with selection and ease of doing it yourself with a fabulous look!



4. The Search Inside feature for this book doesn't even show the COVERS OF THE BOOK.
   
   This is insulting. I wouldn't even consider buying a book whose author had this philosophy.
   
   Amazon: Why even have the Search Inside feature?

4 comments about La Foce: A Garden and Landscape in Tuscany (Penn Studies in Landscape Architecture).

1. La Foce is an attractive Tuscan villa which is presented here in text and pictures. The text offers a picture of one family's history, including interesting archival photographs and drawings. What makes this book truly spectacular, however, are Morna Livingston's photographs, presented in a beautiful layout and printed on a silky white paper which heightens the luminesence of the incredible Tuscan colors. In more than one hundred photographs Livingiston captures the villa's gardens in every light and season. There are stunning images of the broader landscape and fascinating details of both the architecture and the plants. For those who have wondered just what the attraction of Tuscany is, you will find the answer here. For those who already know, this will serve as a reminder.



2. This is an excellent book. It bodes one well to have read Iris Origo's autobiography to help understand much of the background of La Foce, although Benedetta Origo does an excellent job of providing background, too. The combination of the estate's background, color photographs and sketches by the authors makes this book an excellent buy, especially if one is interested in Italian gardens and their development. Maps, too, have been included to give one a sense of location. Beautifully done.



3. First I must make it clear that I have been interested in Iris Origo for a long time. When I discovered this book, it was a delight because it not only showed a perspective on Iris and Antonio Origo's life, but it contains beautiful photographs and drawings and is a joy to own. I find myself looking it up with the flimsiest of reasons, and enjoy it every time.



4. I bought this book having seen a copy in the house we were staying in in Italy. We were then inspired to go & see the garden. A very interesting account of the history of the garden & a very accurate representation of what you will see if you visit the garden.

5 comments about The Garden Book (Garden Design).

1. My heavens, what a lovely book! Although my creative cathexis is primarily focused on product design and architecture, mine eyes have beheld the glory of landscape architecture as a result of this inspiring tome (as well as the fascinating biannual of modern landscaping "'Scape," which is also available on Amazon). The pictures are lush, even in a little book like this. The alphabetical organization mixes thousands of years of masterpieces from around the world, giving a fabulous feel for the astounding diversity and creativity of landscaping. And the price simply can't be beat. I can't recommend this book highly enough -- I'd give it 10 stars if I could!



2. This book was recommended by a Landscape Architect. There was not one garden in there for the home, unless, that is, you have a multi-million dollar estate and more than 3 acres. What a waste of money for the home gardener.



3. THIS BOOK SURVEYS ELABORATE GARDENS FROM OVER THE WORLD AND THOSE FOR PARTICULAR ARCHITECTURAL SETINGS. I THINK IT ASSUMES MORE THAN A FAIR AMOUNT OF GARDENING KNNOWLEDGE ON THE PART OF THE READER. SEE A DIFFERENT APPROACH Zen of Watering Your Garden



4. This is a gigantic and beautiful book, and I disagree with those who find no inspiration for the small home garden in these pages.
   
   Each incredible location receives only one photograph, and at first I wanted to see more of each garden. But as I turned the pages I began to enjoy the sheer creativity and incredible variety on each page.
   
   The photos are gorgeous and the text is intelligent.
   
   True, I can't replicate these gardens with my space and money, but I find inspiration here and can improvise and scale it to size. I have learned a great deal about the greatest gardens in the history of the world, some of which are now reduced to ruin or exist only in historical record.



5. If you go to Phaidon's website, this book can be purchased for $9.95 plus shipping/handling. It's half as much to buy from them than through Amazon! I'm surprised, as Amazon usually has the best deals. Shame, shame.
   
   So, don't spend $21 on a book that should only cost you $10!!!

1 comments about The Abundant Garden: A Celebration of Color, Texture, and Blooms.

1. Rare is the gardening book where I actually read the text instead of just gazing at the photos. This highly readable resource first caught my eye in the bookstore just by its title - I am a student of the "say yes to abundance" way of spirituality and I am grateful I said "yes" to this book! Its tone is not a bit hoity-toity like some of its ilk, and it offers a very approachable, manageable, yet dramatic method of banishing any signs of visible dirt from your flower gardens. Although I have been gardening for 20+ years, when I moved into a newly constructed house with unconstructed garden space two years ago, I made the mistake of buying hundreds of plants in a frenzy just to fill the spaces. Currently I am left with a haphazard melee of my own design (or lack of design) and now I need to put some fundamental order into the chaos. This book is going to be a close companion for me this summer. And the photographs - wow, I made myself take two days just to look at them all when the book arrived because I simply did not want the experience to end. There are chapters on gardens for cut flowers and romantic cottage venues. Other chapters provide ideas on how to use architecture, water features, and garden-related implements in the plantings. Each chapter visits a specific garden and gives insight into each owner's personality as manifested in their creations. And the captions of each photo are actually useful; they identify plants while at the same time explaining methods involved to create the look. I highly recommend this book for any flower gardener. It's already a favorite for me!

5 comments about Ken Druse: The Passion for Gardening.

1. Ken Druse is an amazingly gifted writer, photographer and gardener. I would not know what title to give him first. Passion is indeed a word that fits all these talents. In a world were all kinds of technical information is easy to be had, Ken Druse's book goes beyond the world of coffee tables and how to's. This book imbodies what is our gut instincts & passions, It is about responding to our intuition and letting loose with the child within.

   The photographs in Druse's books are lessons on their own. I am always tempted to create some new tapestry after looking at them. The photo esay at the end of the book that depicts his own garden through the seasons and the swirling motion of a rain induced flood are my favorite. It is usually from memory that we see our gardens in the clothes of a former season. These images are not only beautifully composed but are great lessons from a seasoned gardener.

   I read many a garden book, my sagging bookcases speak to that.Ken's are ones that I often and joyfully return to.




2. Do you have a NEED to garden, an instinct that simply can't be denied? Do you gain a joy, a tranquility from gardening? And do you long to know of others who share this need and love?
   Finally, do you love Ken Druse's other wonderful, wildly beautiful books on same?
   "The Passion For Gardening" combines all in a typically (for Druse) gorgeous volume, plus it introduces others for whom gardening is not simply a matter of "plant material" being "installed" by some local garden center. You meet people for whom gardening, in all its aspects(from the Giverney-like selection and placement of the plants to the mundane and often satisfying acts of weeding and soil improvement) is almost a genetic imperative. You meet others for whom gardening is the thing that makes all right with the world.
   Even in the dead of Winter, this book is better than three therapy groups or five bottles of pills. It is one you will hold onto till the pages are tattered. It is what that urge to garden is all about.



3. Simply said, AWESOME!!! Ken's writing, his pictures, and his passion for telling the stories of the gardeners and their gardens is inspirational. If you have enjoyed his earlier work or are reading for the first time, you will not be disappointed.



4. This book is about people who find gardening as essential as breathing. A passion, for sure, perhaps even fanatical. I know a lot of gardeners who fit into this category and I wouldn't hesitate to include myself as well. Druse's books are always a treat and this one is no exception. He writes about his own garden in New Jersey and how he has developed it since 1995 and his future plans for it. He also profiles ten other gardeners and the spectacular gardens that they have created. Most of these gardens are filled with native plants, trees and shrubs and tropical plants (you won't any flower gardens here). They are all beautiful and the photographs are spectacular, the book is truly a visual feast. He also includes sections with practical advice on transplanting, incorporating water into the garden and garden photography. Perfect for the winter gardener needing their creative juices fired back up before next spring.



5. I enjoyed this book more than any "plant" book I have read in years. It is so well written and accompanied with beautiful pictures, I know that I will enjoy revisiting the book many times as I plan my new garden. No matter your garden style, there is something to be found within these pages that will inspire you.

5 comments about Garden Gallery: The Plants, Art, and Hardscape of Little and Lewis.

1. We actually visited the gardens of Little and Lewis on Bainbridge Island, WA and they are every bit as good as shown in the book. Ordered two books for good measure!



2. What a wonderful, inspirational book. For the already accomplished gardener, this is a book not so much about "how to", as it is full of the great ideas and very personal vision of the author. Imaginative and full of pictures. I can't imagine a better gift if you have a gardener on your Christmas list.



3. This is a wonderful, imformative and very useful book. The service in receiving it was excellent and the condition of the book was perfect.



4. I first saw an article on Little and Lewis in a gardening magazine and had to have this book. I was mesmerized by what they had done.
   
   The sculptures, greenery and landscaping are absolutely exquisite. I bought a copy of the book and sent it to a gardener friend of mine and he raved about it, also.
   
   I think this book would appeal to fine arts people who are into gardening--people who want to create their own statuary, garden sculptures and unique landscaping and who need a creative impetus.



5. I saw a program on this garden on HGTV but had no idea that there was a book! I was not disappointed. Visually beautiful as is the garden and inspiring for a gardener like myself. I want them to come and work in my garden, but the book will have to do. Like dessert w/o the calories.

2 comments about Architectural Surfaces: Details for Artists, Architects, And Designers.

1. Judy A. Juracek's ARCHITECTURAL SURFACES: DETAILS FOR ARTISTS, ARCHITECTS AND DESIGNERS comes with a cd-rom and provides students and professional practitioners alike with a new addition to the 'Surfaces' series. Hundreds of different architectural features are portrayed in well over a thousand color photos which capture details and provide a subject organization for quick, easy reference. Professionals and students alike will appreciate the illustrated glossary of technical terms, and the wealth of illustration packs four to six good-sized photos on almost every page.



2. This is a picture book for architects to illustrate various treatments, hundreds of various treatments for surfaces. Surfaces includes walls, facades, ornaments & moldings, columns & posts, windows, dorways, ceilings & roofs, floors & pavement. The concept is to show what has been done by others which can help in filling out their ideas about projects. And it is useful in showing or asking clients for their comments on proposed treatments.
   
   All in all there are some sixteen hundred photographs in the 350 or so pages of the book. The overall design of a building is the first thing that is noticed, but the surface treatment isn't far beyond. And unlike the design, the surfaces from the floor to the ceiling are covered in paint, carpets, drapes, dozens of different treatments. All in all, the surface finishing may be the most expensive part of the building.
   
   This is a reference book that belongs in any architectural library.

4 comments about Gertrude Jekyll's Colour Schemes for Flower Garden.

1. As an Engish Gardener "displaced in Kansas" this book was a delight. Anyone who wants to plan a garden large or small should turn to this little gem written over 80 years ago. Miss Jekyll was the definitive garden planner, her ideas of colours and seasonal planting will inspire you to create a beautiful garden of your own. Quite the best of her kind.



2. For those who are truly crazy about making and playing in flower gardens, this Gertrude Jekyll book is one of the best. It's not a practical how-to book. Few gardeners will share the climate she was writing about, or have her enviable resources, like a tidy trust fund, 10 acres and a small staff of gardeners. Ms. Jekyll was the most famous garden writer of her day, producing many books in addition to writing articles and designing a lot of high-end residential flower gardens.
   
   This book is a fascinating and surprisingly relevant record of how she contrived her own flower gardens a hundred years ago. There are detailed planting plans of her gardens, drawn by her, and also some fantasy garden designs. In addition to the classic flower border (which she had a strong hand in inventing) there are designs for bulb and annual flower gardens, and many, many other ideas for landscaping. If you think the gardens of an elderly lady in England a hundred years ago would be filled with washed-out colors and fussy ornaments, you are in for a huge surprise.
   
   Like Russell Page's 'The Education of a Gardener', this is the chance to get inside the mind of a great artist: how they think, how they see, and how they tranlate their insights into garden design. As originally published (with plan drawings and photos by Ms. Jekyll) her original is an all time classic.
   
   I'm not completely enthusiastic about this edition. Some plant names are updated (fine), many color pictures are added (nice pics, but none of Ms. Jekyll's gardens), modern watercolors of plants mentioned in the copy are scattered about (OK, but more decoration than education) and a few additional Jekyll designs not included in the original book were added (very nice).
   
   Negatively, they edit her plan drawings a bit, coloring them in, and removing the original scale marking, so you can't tell how big the beds are. The coloring will help those not super-familiar with plant names to get the jist of the designs. They have also removed some of her original B&W photos. That's not good. I'm sorry I lent my original version to someone and lost it.
   
   This edition is a colorful and largely satisfying replacement, but I will probably try to hunt up a true reproduction of the original. I'd rather get a clearer version of Ms. Jekyll's voice.



3. A very enjoyable read Gertrude Jekyll was the great female designer who has been lost to wider public



4. If you are new to gardening but want classic borders, this may not be the book for you. To understand this book, you need to have a thorough understanding of garden plants, especially those that are grown in England. This is not a "plug and play" kind of book. Here's an sample:
   "The undergrowth of such a group may be of Solomon's seal at the back, and, if the bank or border is in the sun, of a lower groundwork of Iberis and Corydalis ochroleuca, or, if it is shaded, of Tiarella, woodruff or Anemone sylvestris. With these, for the sake of their tender green foliage, there may well be Uvularia grandiflora and Epimedium pinnatum."
   If you didn't follow that sample, and understand the subtlety of composition here, imagining the composition of color, plant form, leaf texture, moisture and sun requirements, and seasonal variation, you'll need several good plant books and visits to arboreta to understand this book. There aren't photographs to illustrate the prose. It would be even more difficult to translate this into your specific garden.
   
   That being said, it is fascinating to read Jekyll's own words, and even more so to see her drawings. Each plan is augmented by watercolor which helps in understanding. Each plan could take hours of study to begin the understand the genius of Jekyll. I agree with another reviewer in that it was a mistake to eliminate the scale on the drawings.

1 comments about A Desert Gardener's Companion.

1. There has been a rush on new books about desert gardening lately, but most of them don't contain the secrets required to be successful. A Desert Gardener's Companion provides practical, only-learned-through-experience knowledge. In the manner of a confidante, it relays the intimate wisdom gained from a close, day-by-day relationship with a garden in the desert climate. With ecological explanations of why things happen, the suggestive advice makes good sense. This book could only have been written by a Master Gardener with a real love for their garden and the earth.