1 comments about The Follies and Garden Buildings of Ireland.

1. James Howley has done us a great service in writing about these unusual architectural sites in Ireland. We are surrounded by built things, but so many of them built with the severity of practical needs: domestic boxes, repetitive, hard-angled offices. His book reminds us that not all buildings were made so.

   He educates us in these matters by maintaining scholarly momentum without sacrificing readability. Indeed, reading this book involves a curious deception -- you feel as though you have been tramping through the bushes all day and examining fascinating old buildings, then sitting tired but satisfied with a cup of tea, going over drawings and notes. Yet what has happened is that you have absorbed an array of both historical and social lessons.

   Although the book is of course aimed at a specific area (Ireland) and specific topic (idiosyncratic buildings called 'follies'), the information is transferable into our daily lives. After having read the book, I found myself sensitized to the unusual in architecture in New England, where I live.

   Qualifier: What we may think is unusual is not always a "folly" -- in glancing into the lifeways of our predecessors, we are looking with mystery into that which others saw as perfectly ordinary (a medieval castle privy may be to us a mysterious or amusing construction, although 800 years ago it was just a smelly crapper). In such cases, we need to educate ourselves in the definition of "unusual" and what it means for us and for the people of other ages.

   Yet sometimes we find a truly unusual construction from whatever historical and local point of view you want to take. I drove by a yard in Shutesbury Massachusetts in which the owner had used his farm tractor to stack a series of huge flat stones on top of boulders to form a beautiful front-yard pyramid several feet high. My mind flashed instantly to the interesting people and odd places mentioned in Howley's book, and in this union of time and place and human dynamics, we see the ultimate practicality of this book. -- Wade Tarzia

No comments about Planting the Perfect Garden: Beautiful Designs for Pots, Borders, Town and Country Gardens.

No comments about The Balanced Garden.

No comments about Designing the Reclaimed Landscape.

No comments about Beatrix Farrand's Plant Book for Dumbarton Oaks (Dumbarton Oaks Other Titles in Garden History).

No comments about Water Spaces of the World: A Pictorial Review (Water Spaces of the World).

No comments about Graphic Standards for Landscape Architecture.

2 comments about Dictionary of Landscape Architecture and Construction.

1. I was extremely disappointed with this book. It was unavailable for preview at my local library, so I took a chance.
   
   First, there are no pronunciation guides. Granted, several of the words are common ones, but still, shouldn't a dictionary have them? Particularly in an Appendix that offers a selection of Latin-derived adjectives frequently used in a plant's botanical name?
   
   The back cover states that "300 illustrations illulminate both definitions and methods." Hmmph... Several of them are poor quality photographs of items one learned to identify in pre-school. To wit: bench, statue, pickup truck, hard hat, and the like. You're out of luck, though, if you'd like to see an illustration of something less common like a sheepsfoot roller. Plant-related drawings are adequate. Drawings used to illustrate mechanics are frequently too small, or poorly drawn, to offer much detail.
   
   At least this book's format is consistent: if it takes too much effort, don't bother. Caveat emptor.



2. This book is exactly what its title announces. It is an excellent source for students and professionals of design. Plenty of terms, well explained. I truly recommended. It is very useful for the foreign designer, for it explains technical terms one finds in lanscape books and doesn't understand. Very good.

5 comments about The Four-Season Landscape: Easy-Care Plants and Plans for Year-Round Color (A Rodale Garden Book).

1. This is an excellent book for dedicated homeowners and gardeners wanting to create an excellent landscape design that is attractive all year instead of the peak Spring and early Summer periods. When the book arrived, I was concerned as I could see it was "older" and at first, I was disappointed. My fault as I should have looked at the copyright date. However, after digging in, all I can say is Eureka!
   
   I have about 1 1/2 aces in the middle of 18 acres to landscape and did not know where to start. This provides the information on how to build those "garden bones" that many other books tell you is necessary for a great landscape/garden. Ms. Roth provides helpful and creative ideas on how to start building those bones with a pyramid concept; i.e., evergreen tall trees first, then tall deciduous, then understory, followed by shrubs and all the way down to the bulbs.
   
   She provides great plans, plants and ideas for all four seasons. In addition, there are color photos for gardens that shine in each of the four seasons, which is so overlooked in many gardening books today. There are also lists such as best crabapples, Japanese maples, flowering shrubs, showy berries for winter interest, etc.
   
   Ms. Roth does not stick with the popular and safe choices and I was pleased to see recommendations for plants that offer great potential and are seldom used in today's landscapes.
   
   This is a great book for anyone wanting to learn more about landscape design (in a fun way as Ms. Roth has a delicious sense of humor) that encompasses all four seasons and for building a plan from the ground up. For those that just enjoy trees and shrubs, this book is a great reference because of the lists that are provided and the encyclopedia of over 300 of the best evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs and herbaceous plants for four season landscapes. The plants in the encyclopedia only contain those that offer at least two seasons of interest.



2. My wife and I are building a new home on 2+ acres. Our current yard is sort of a four seasons approach, mostly by accident though.
   
   So I purchased a dozen or so books here at amazon to plan the new yard. This one is definitely the best. The approach and suggestions are super. I can really see us doing most of our yard using these suggestions. Thank you Susan! Bob.



3. This book is arranged seasonally; each season has its own chapter. Within each of these chapters are various charts suggesting trees, shrubs, perennials, etc. that offer interesting features during that season. Some of the chapters break it down further: for instance, the "Spring" chapter has different charts for early spring, mid-spring and late spring.

   Near the beginning of the book is a wonderful section on how to put together a "planting pyramid" for four-season interest. (Hint: You don't start with annuals or even perennials, as so many beginning gardeners do.) Additional design principles and suggestions are found after the "season" chapters.

   Finally, the book closes with a limited "encyclopedia" of four-season plants which includes some suggested cultivars, cultural details for the plants, what seasons the plant holds particular interest, etc. This section is divided into deciduous trees, evergreen trees, deciduous shrubs, evergreen shrubs, perennials, etc.

   In all, even if you don't have time to read all of the text, which is a pleasure in and of itself...this author is a good writer...there is still a wealth of helpful information to be found in this book.




4. This book has a great approach to landscaping your property. Susan Roth shows how to make the most of your space by creating mixed borders--mixing trees, shrubs, perennials ans bulbs for year-round color and beauty. The idea is to start with a garden's "bones," to create the necessary structure that will make all seasons beautiful. Her plant selection is very good--only plants that provide more than one season make her list. For example a shrub that flowers in the summer, has good fall color, and interesting branches or berries in winter. I have many garden books, but I like Roth's approach and already the view from my kitchen window makes me feel good just to look at it.



5. I'm a first time gardener and Susan's book has inspired me to use many of her ideas in my landscape. The book is very informative and the illustrations are great. I recommend the book to all who seek a colorful year in their garden.

2 comments about Garden Ornament: Five Hundred Years of History and Practice.

1. This book is amazing! The photos are so beautiful...it's like being in Europe, experiencing the scenery for yourself. 90% of the photographs are full page spreads. All the ornamentation and statuary that was used is so breathtaking.



2. A well designed, documented, illustrated catalog of ideas and masterpieces. The good thing here is that you can apply all these beautiful ideas. You can buy statues, chairs, fountains and plant the right vegetation around it (or the other way around). You will love this book. You might even keep it for yourself if you planned to offer it to your parents. Buy two of them. You won't regret it.