The Intimate Garden: Twenty Years and Four Seasons in Our Garden [Hardcover]

Gordon Hayward (Author), Mary Hayward (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 17, 2005

A renowned garden designer tells how he and his wife built their garden, imparting countless valuable lessons learned.

Garden and landscape designer Gordon Hayward and his wife, Mary, take the measure of their home garden—in process for more than twenty years—and tell readers how to make their own gardens welcoming and personal, truly a reflection of their needs and dreams. As the Haywards point out, "successful gardens grow naturally out of their owners; great garden design is honest, authentic, and unself-conscious." Gordon explains how aspects of his and Mary's lives are woven into their garden, but also how those aspects remain firmly fixed in universal design principles that apply to every garden. With the practical advice and achievable aims that make his other books so rewarding, Hayward lets readers in on the secrets that make his garden outstanding. Almost 200 stunning photographs specially commissioned for the book show key garden views in all four seasons, giving readers a rare look at a year in a garden. Before-and-after shots, detailed garden maps, and plant lists are included. 200 photographs

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Husband and wife Gordon and Mary Hayward invite readers to learn from their mistakes and triumphs throughout two decades of creating and tending to their home's one and a half acres of gardens. The land outside their old Vermont farmhouse was once overrun with brambles, buried beneath abandoned cars and hidden under rotted mulch. Together, the Haywards designed a set of connected yards and gardens—complete with sitting and dining areas, water features, topiaries and outdoor sculpture—that mixed the indigenous New England landscape with Mary's English upbringing. This is not a project-by-project how-to book but rather a detailed look at the techniques the Haywards used to create their own gorgeous garden. Their methods promise to help amateur landscape designers create spaces that are unique, personal and harmonious with the surroundings. Using their own garden as an example, the Haywards demonstrate the importance of controlling edges, lines, transitions and focal points. Two hundred color photographs, including seasonal shots and before-and-afters, offer proof of the effectiveness of the Haywards's intuitive design philosophy. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Talk about extreme makeovers! Twenty years ago, the Haywards had just moved into a ramshackle, 200-year-old Vermont farmhouse, and looked out onto one and a half acres of junk, debris, and brambles. But they also saw unlimited potential and the foundation of what could, and did, become one spectacular garden. The authors now share their personal -experiences of transforming a seemingly unmanageable wilderness into a magnificent paradise. Inspired by the itineraries used by intrepid travelers, the Haywards developed just such a plan for navigating their garden and accomplishing extensive renovations, a concept they espouse and explain in this rewarding guide designed to help readers manage their own gardening challenges. Filled with bits of wisdom, and supported by exceptionally detailed lists of plants, projects, schedules, and techniques, as well as dazzling photographs of the garden in every season, this look into the special world of two of gardening's most respected designers is a treat for every serious, or beginning, gardener. Carol Haggas
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (February 17, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039305893X
• ISBN-13: 978-0393058932
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #300,850 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An intimate view of garden design, August 1, 2005

By 

Margaret E. Sobolewski (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Intimate Garden: Twenty Years and Four Seasons in Our Garden (Hardcover)

This excellent book allows the reader to get inside the head of a great garden designer. It follows the design problems and solutions the Haywards thought out over 20 years in their Vermont garden. It's full of ideas of how to add structure, vistas, destinations, and emotions to any garden design.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational gardening book, May 28, 2010

By 

J. Ball (Upstate NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Intimate Garden: Twenty Years and Four Seasons in Our Garden (Hardcover)

I considered myself a pretty avid gardener, until I picked up this book. Gordon and Mary Hayward would laugh at my paltry little beds! There are two important things about this book they've written, 1. It inspires you to think creatively about your outdoor spaces and 2. It inspires you to work harder to achieve truly intimate and lovely outdoor rooms for many to enjoy. I will never spend 30 hours a week, like they do, on my gardens, but this book has encouraged me to greater things.