Customer Reviews

Elements of Garden Design

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Of the hundred garden and gardening books I own, I always go back to this one (I have the 1995 ed.). It is fundamental and funny, a refreshing breath of (un)common sense when designing a garden, or trying to figure out what's lacking in your own garden, or understanding what it is that gives such satisfaction in other people's gardens. The few drawings convey exactly what the author is trying to say.

I love the short chapters, fashioned from the Horticulture Magazine series that was the original purpose of the writings: you can easily read one and set it aside until you have time to pick it back up. The very heart of the artistic side of landscape design is presented in a very well-written & meaningful way. I purchased it as recommended reading for a Landscape Design class, and find it invaluable to go back and read certain sections over and over.

First published years ago as a series of article in Horticulture Magazine, this is a beautifully written work of both garden design theory and practice. The book title may sound like a rip off of Struck and White's "Elements of Style" but don't let that turn you off. This is a great book to be read as a novice and to return to years later.

This is a book done by one of the top professionals in the industry. It gives you a good background on the principles involved in designing a garden/landscape. I highly recommend getting it. There are no color photos here, but thats not what this book is about and for what I am seeing you can get it for on Amazon (9 cents!!) I suggest you grab it. I wouldnt particularly recommend this for just the homeowner interested in "doing her yard", however, this is a starting point for those who really want to utilize the principles involved in creating a great garden space, it is a "reading" gardening book, not an "inspirational" gardening book, more "educational".