3 comments about Japanese Gardens: Right Angle and Natural Form (Taschen 25th Anniversary).

1. The author must know what he's writing about - he's a Professor! He has included lots of garden theory, which I have to assume is actually important to Japanese garden design. And, as you might expect, the pictures are glorious. But the correspondence between the text and the pics is awful. As I read the text, I had to leaf through the book forwards and backwards to find a relevant illustration. If the author describes a trend in garden design, is it too much to ask that he direct the reader, immediately, to a specific picture that illustrates his point? Shouldn't the text explain the pictures? or the pictures exemplify the text? Shouldn't the linkage between the two be strong and direct? Is this so difficult? I am disappointed in this book; there must be better ones.



2. Taschen publishes some of the best values around and this book was no exception.My only complaint is that we don't see more small private gardens in this volumn .This is a good introduction to Japanese style in the garden.



3. "...our earth is both a living and conscious entity. . .when a human being becomes conscious of himself as part of the earth, and of the earth as part of the universe, so the universe itself thereby becomes conscious of itself. . . enlightenment. . .consciousness becoming aware of itself.
   
   At this delicate moment... a flower opens in the "garden" of the universe."
   
   Japanese Gardens is a 239 page historical visual spiritual odyssey through man's interpretation of nature in confined space. Chapter subheadings focus atmosphere: Gardens as mindscapes, Gardens as subsitutes for travel, Gardens of seclusion, Gardens of austerity, Gardens of joy.
   
   Drawings, b/w and color photos illustrate the history and evolution of Japanese garden design.
   
   The book Intimate Spaces by Joe Earle, exclusively color photographs of spiritual gardens, is a fine complement to Nitschke's book with it's comprehensive written text.
   
   Video sources of garden inspiration can be seen in movie backgrounds: Shogun (5 disc 12 hour miniseries on DVD with extra disc explaining tea ceremony, geisha, samurai), Sayonara (tiny household garden, public garden spaces), The Last Samurai (community as garden, cherry blossom garden), Memoirs of a Geisha (cherry blossom garden).
   
   Actual Japanese Gardens to visit: Japanese Garden San Francisco, Japanese Garden Portland Oregon, Hakone Garden (site of filming of Memoirs of Geisha) Saratoga Village (south of San Francisco) California.
   
   Thoughtful quiet moving book.

1 comments about American Gardens in the Eighteenth Century: For Use or for Delight.

1. Whether you are a casual reader or a serious garden historian, this book has something for you. It is the second of a trilogy of very fine books written on American gardening covering the 1600s, 1700s and 1800s.

   While it is fascinating just to page through and you can start just about any place and enjoy yourself, it is truly indispensible if you are interested in historical gardens. This is THE bok for anyone trying to recreate a period garden to go with a house style and who wishes to know the proper design layout, plants, materials, colors and even what fruits vegetables were being grown.

   It also contains nice, gossipy little tidbits of information about everyday life, when to plant, how to cultivate in the 18th century manner and lots of black and white illustrations from the period. Well footnoted, extensive glossary, lists of plants with latin names given to avoid confusion, just a top-notch piece of work.

   All three books in this series are excellent. I found this one very helpful, as at the time it was reissued I was in charge of the [18th century] gardens at Fort Frederick State Park in Western Maryland.

4 comments about Vizcaya: An American Villa and Its Makers (Penn Studies in Landscape Architecture).

1. Vizcaya is one of the great Gilded Age estates, build by an heir to a huge fortune, who had no family or children, so he devoted all his time and wealth to this palace on Biscayne Bay..and if you've ever layed eyes on this pile you can appreciate it was money well spent. This book is the best resourse I've seen on Viscaya; the text is scholarly and extremely well researched. The images are very well realized, and frankly in a book like this, great images are a must, because you can't imagine a place like this, unless you can actually see it, no description, no matter how articulate can do this place justice. If you have any interest in great residental architecture, or the history of south Florida or just appreciate great books, then I can't imagine you not loving this book.



2. In my opinion, Witold Rybczynski is the best observer of architecture writing today. Laurie Olin is in the same class as an observer of landscape architecture. The chance to read the two of them writing about this estate is an unusual treat. This is the kind of book somebody might give you and although the cover is attractive, you give a small inward sigh, knowing you will never read it. Not with this book. The writing is simply vastly better than books like this usually are. If you are at all interested in the design process either in landscape or residential architecture you will not be disappointed in this book.
   
   And if you like this book, check out the two books I have linked to which are classics.The Perfect House: A Journey with Renaissance Master Andrea Palladio Across the Open Field: Essays Drawn from English Landscapes (Penn Studies in Landscape Architecture)



3. This book by two architects that is the story of Vizcaya, the James Deering Estate built in the early twentieth century in Miami as the lavish and sumptuous expression of the great wealth of its tractor-manufacturer owner, is an exceptionally first-class literary production from every point of view that could have a bearing on its subject. Written in the technically precise phraseologies appropriate to architecture and interior decoration, its prose is free of and stands above the contamination that abounds in the otherwise usual debasement of modern literature, and it is illustrated with a landslide of stunningly magnificent photography in both color and black-and-white. But something else with which it is illustrated is what recommended this book to me. I am neither an architect nor an interior decorator, nor has the stuff of those callings ever engaged much of my attention, but as soon as my eye fell on the watercolors painted of Vizcaya by John Singer Sargent when he was a guest of Deering's there in 1917, while I turned the leaves of a friend's copy of the book, I knew immediately as one with a profound attachment to watercolor painting that I must own this book for myself. For although I have held perhaps a hundred Sargent watercolors in my hands in the Metropolitan, Brooklyn and Boston Museums, and seen many more besides in other books, I had never before seen these, as they have lain quietly in private collections without ever being published to my knowledge until now, and they are among the finest examples of Sargent's amazing wizardry in this medium, which defies belief that a human being could have painted them. And the rest of the book is a plus even for one not particularly attracted to matters of residential design or interior décor, for it is a record of an era of refinement, gentility and taste, a belle époque in American history that is gone.



4. An impressive architectural achievement of the Gilded Age when country manors and their gardens were a conspicuous documentation of personal wealth and power by their owners, the Miami estate of Vizcaya was the equal to such famous contemporary structures as the Bilmore and the San Simeon. The collaborative work of Witold Rybczynski (Martin and Margy Meyerson Professor of Urbanism, University of Pennsylvania) and Laurie Olin (Practice Professor of Landscape Architecture, University of Pennsylvania), Vizcaya: An American Villa And Its Makers" is the complete story of how this magnificent building came to be constructed, landscaped, and utilized as a 180-acre estate on Biscayne Bay complete with lagoons, canals, citrus groves, a farm village, a yacht harbor, and a 40-room Baroque mansion. Enhanced with a wealth of seventy color and 96 b/w illustrations, "Vizcaya" is an informed and informative body of impeccable scholarship presenting a seminal study that is very strongly recommended as an addition to professional, academic, and community library American Architectural History reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

No comments about Rooftop and Terrace Gardens: A step-by-step guide to creating a modern and stylish space (Garden Style Guides).

5 comments about Golf Course Architecture: Evolutions in Design, Construction, and Restoration Technology.

1. Starts off very well with the hope that it will get more technical but instead becomes more theoretical in areas such as aesthetics and fine art, areas which the author seems to not have a background in. ie, his discussion of perception, symmetry and balance etc. If you can skip the middle chapters its not bad but again I had hoped for more technical insights. Perhaps I needed a book on golf course construction. I just assumed from architecture courses that construction issues and recommendations as well as more detail of layout relative to game play would be discussed.



2. This is one of five best technical books I ever found. As a beginner in golf course design, I found in this book all I needed to realize my projects.



3. This is a fascinating book for any golf enthusiast or historian, as well as an essential practical resource for anyone actively involved in golf course design, construction and maintenance.

   The design process progresses from the green to the individual hole to the entire course. Detailed technical information is well integrated with aesthetic and theoretical concepts making the entire book interesting & readable.

   The book is packed with color photos of individual holes to illustrate design concepts, sites under construction and wonderful historical documents. The technical drawings & plans are well done and very useful.

   This book is a great example of making a technical manual a joy to read. Any golfer who appreciates the background of the course he or she is playing on will love it.




4. This book is filled with wonderful pictures from cover to cover. An incredible collection of the worlds most famous golf courses and designers.



5. Simply an outstanding look at the fascinating process of taking a piece of land and sculpting a chapmionship layout. A step-by-step process that details the many intricacies and disciplines involved in creating a golf course. Any golfer will more fully appreciate the not only what they see on a course, but also what they "don't" see. The photos and illustrations are plentiful and precise in leading one through each phase of construction. Must reading for an serious student of the game. Kevin Burke

No comments about The Field Guide to Photographing Landscapes (Center for Nature Photography).

2 comments about Landscape Architect's Portable Handbook.

1. I bought this book with the hopes of having a reference that would limit my hours of google research and talking to other designers to try to find answers to common design issues. But for some reason, it seems to have all the information I'm not looking for, and none of the information I'm actually looking for! Buy Time Saver Standards instead. It's heavier and more expensive, but much more complete.



2. Shipping wise, it took a little while to get this book- but after opening the cover I have found it to be a great resource. It gives you all the basics and quick references for basic information you may need to know at the drop of a hat.

5 comments about Plants of the Metroplex.

1. This is a wonderful gardening guide for the DFW area. I highly recommend it. The ideas are aplenty and next to none should fail you. I love it.



2. A great book in an easy to read format, good for quick reference and deeper study. Great pictures and info on locating local specimens to see how the plants look in a real setting.



3. Impressive! This is the most comprehensive and informative plant guides for this part of Texas and anywhere else with a similar climate. The categories include: "Trees", "Shrubs", "Flowers", and "Groundcovers, Vines and Grasses". Many photos! The category "Trees" alone has over 150 photos! Soils vary quite a bit here, so this includes a lot of plants! It even names the plants and trees you DO NOT want to plant and gives the reasons why. The book illustrates the proper way to plant and has fantastic recommendations on how to manage various problems with pests, "weeds", etc. Highly recommended!



4. I bought this along with Neil Sperry's Texas Gardenining. This is a simple book with excellent pictures for planting in the DFW area. I wouldn't recommend this book as guide/reference, but it is a very nice accessory for deciding what to plant.



5. A must book for residents of the Dallas area. Has a good outline style with the high points on plants for Dallas. For a very detailed look this reference may come up short.

3 comments about Gardens Are For People, Third edition.

1. Thomas Church was a "founding father" in modern landscape design thought. He wrote this book to showcase his ideas about it.
   
   If you have read even a few landscaping books, you will find that most of the ideas expressed will be familiar to you and won't be of much help to design your specific garden. I felt the yard and garden examples in the book were dated (as in 1960s, 1970s, 1980s looking).
   
   Finally, I was disappointed in both the printing and the photo examples. All the pictures were black & white, and they all were rather crudely printed. This made it difficult to see details within the photos.
   
   On the up side, the text is good reading for those seeking to become a landscape designer, be he amatuer or professional. And if you DO want to do "retro" designs, the examples ARE well done.



2. I loved to read this book. After reading it you can clearly see how much Thomas Church influenced the modern designers. I really enojoyed reading the needs of the clients for their garden and then how Church solved and designed great gardens based on the clients'needs. A Classic.



3. This is a revised version of the hardback printed in the 50's. It was revised by his long time assistant Grace Hall whom he trusted and adored. It has a more indepth look at his own home which still looks the same to this day. The original hardback version can be found if we like you.

2 comments about Stonescaping: A Guide to Using Stone in Your Garden.

1. We've been looking for the 'recipe' on how to make light weight Rocks and Trough's, This is the only book we've found to do more then mention that it can be done. One of the best all around books for folk who don't have a Daddy Warbucks bank account.



2. I didn't read every word on every page. I have used it more as a reference. Captivating set of color illustrations, well written, obviously edited thoroughly to give a more professional read. If you're drawn towards the rewarding art and science of working with stone, this book is a must.