Water Gardens: Simple Projects, Contemporary Designs (Garden Design) [Paperback]

Hazel White (Author), Matthew Plut (Photographer)

Book Description

Series: Garden Design | Publication Date: February 1, 1998

Gardeners wanted; no experience necessary! Chronicle Books is pleased to introduce an exciting and unique new how-to series, Garden Design books. Beginning with Water Gardens and Paths and Walkways, Garden Design books present beautiful photographs of enchanting garden elements and then offer complete step-by-step directions for building the projects pictured. Featuring ideas from award-winning gardens created by renowned landscape architects, the elements include classic garden structures as well as whimsical contemporary designs. Easy-to-follow directions explain exactly what to do and how to do it, what it will cost, and how long it will take. With projects suited to both small and large spaces, the Garden Design series is more than a new collection of lovely picture books -- it is a valuable tool that enables readers to actually create their own outdoor havens. Water Gardens has chapters on basins, bowls, and jars; fountains; ponds; springs and ditches; and watery effects. The many captivating projects include a raised pond with a wooden seat, a three-tiered Italian fountain, a rain dimple with flowers, a water jar with irises, a drainage ditch with roses, and the ever-popular metaphorical French canal.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Although not specifically geared to small gardens, Water Gardens and Paths and Walkways, by Hazel White, with photography by Matthew Plut, will be a great help to anyone who is dealing with these elements in garden design, small plot or large...

What raises these books above many other volumes in the how-to category, however, is White's voice. These books are worth reading even if you never intend to buy the level you would need to build a path, or the pond liner for that bit of reflecting pool. -- Horticulture

About the Author

Hazel White is a horticultural journalist and editor. She was the managing editor of the fortieth anniversary edition of Sunset's Western Garden Book.

Matthew Plut has had his photographs published in Sunset magazine. He lives in San Francisco.

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; First edition. edition (February 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811814068
• ISBN-13: 978-0811814065
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,880,961 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The poetry & practice of water gardening perfectly combined., March 24, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Water Gardens: Simple Projects, Contemporary Designs (Garden Design) (Paperback)

I was delighted by this book. The lily pools in my garden are choked and leaky, and I've been tempted to give up and fill them in. (If only dirt wasn't so expensive.) Then along came this book to remind me why I built them in the first place and give me some ideas about how to revitalize them.

Ms White understands the balance of art and science in a garden. Her writing is joyful poetry, evoking the music of dripping, splashing, gurgling water and how it can soothe a tired spirit or simply cool you off on a hot day. But she's not just a garden dreamer; she knows how to get her hands dirty, too. Each water feature "recipe" includes a complete list of the tools and materials that you need for the project and clear, easy-to-follow directions.

Some gardening books (like the Sunset books) get the directions right but miss the romance (or confuse it with trendy hype). Others don't see the manure that the lilies grow in. Not this book. The author knows that a fountain must be level to make its music, and she tells you how to build it that way. She knows that even a tiny still pool can incubate a host of annoying mosquitoes, and she provides several control methods. For every poetic image, there's a piece of nitty-gritty advice. She has even rated the recipes by difficulty and cost.

Mr Plut's lovely photographs and Mr. Bullen's simple, elegant design make this book a treat just to look at. And on a tactile level, I enjoyed the creamy-feeling soft cover with its flaps that eliminate the need for bookmarks. The quality of this book belies its relatively low price.

I've spent three evenings dreaming and scheming my way through this book. Now I've got to roll up my sleeves and get to work. I think I'll start with that "Easy" bucket under the rosebush.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Light on the visuals, heavy on text, May 10, 2001

By 

WHills (Arlington, VA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Water Gardens: Simple Projects, Contemporary Designs (Garden Design) (Paperback)

I was curious about what kind of garden publications Chronicle Books would be putting out so I bought three in the series; Water Gardens, Paths and Walkways, and Small Patios. I think if I had seen these in the bookstore I would've probably put them back. I was expecting something a little heavier on the visuals from Chronicle Books.

But the examples are interesting. Nice range of elements, and tending to favor the quirky in design. The author describes the garden element in question (depends on which book you have) and uses one overall photograph and two detail shots. The detail shots seem there mostly for atmosphere and to break up the page. She also includes a one-page, how-to discussion, and a list of tools and materials.

I'm not looking forward to all the reading.