1 comments about The Granite Garden: Urban Nature And Human Design.

1. I am somewhat new to reading books such as this for pleasure, but I read what I think will interest me. I was thrown at first by the title thinking that the book was going to be about hard scaping. Instead this book was a real eye opener to a lot of things we take for granted every day. Chapters titled soil, water, and air open up the reader to understand all that is envolved in making a city before you get to the buildings and people. I initally borrowed the book from the library while reading it but had to purchase a copy of my own for future reference. I give this book a high recommendation to anyone in the architecture or landscape fields.

No comments about Gardens in France (Taschen 25th Anniversary).

No comments about With People in Mind: Design And Management Of Everyday Nature.

4 comments about Naturalistic Gardening: Reflecting the Planting Patterns of Nature.

1. The subtitle "Reflecting the Planting Patterns of Nature" clearly expresses the focus of this book, as do the first words of the Introduction "Natural gardening is not natural".

   The writer, who has earned the American Horticulture Society Writing Award, has authored numerous gardening books and her approach is comfortably informal. She is knowledgeable about the topic, expanding the idea of using native plants and placing them where nature would have them to include the relationships between plant communities and inter-layering canopy trees, shrubs, perennials and ground covers. Each of these may be native or non-native but they echo natural plant patterns of the area and accentuate the features of each plant and its place.

   After reading the book I felt I had begun to understand that the look of a natural garden is uncluttered, well proportioned and, large or small, makes a statement about both the gardener and the place.

   Based in the Pacific Northwest the writer uses gardens of Washington State, Oregon and British Columbia to illustrate her theme. The many color photographs of Allan Mandell beautifully illustrate the text. (Wonder of wonders these days when many book illustrations are pretty, but quite meaningless on the page.)

   This is one of the most practical and yet most lyrical books I have encountered on the topic of natural gardening. It's an art that is not nearly as simple as it appears to be. The writer shows that it can be done with flair and style, even in a small garden and on a limited budget.




2. Ann Lovejoy has found a wonderful balance between native environments and a sensual and delicate intervention by the gardener.



3. Naturalistic Gardening, by Ann Lovejoy, is an excellent book, especially for anyone with woodlands on their property. But the book is useful too for those who just want to fashion gardens that retain that wild feel, that natural look.
   The photographs from Allan Mandell are exceptional and capture well the spirit of this fine book. For those gardeners who have never read any of the many gardening books by Ann Lovejoy, this will be a treat. Ms. Lovejoy writes in a way that is always clear and easily understandable, and her writing has a voice that is fun, energetic, full of life.
   All of the books by Ms. Lovejoy are quite good, as is Naturalistic Gardening. No mention is made of my own specialty, allergy-free gardening, and some of that component would be welcome here, but still, this is a book to provoke some real thinking--a book to inspire different, less rigid, less formal gardening. I enjoyed it very much.



4. Ann Lovejoy is inspiring and fun to read. This book seeks to help the gardener embrace her natural surroundings in creating a garden that mimics natural forms and "layers". Ms. Lovejoy shares insightful design information in a flowing and exuberant style of writing that sparks the imagination. I have so many great ideas for my wooded yard garnered from this book. Where I would have cut down trees, I clearly see gloriously shaded possibilities. And Mr. Mandell's photographs are so beautiful. You will love this book.

1 comments about Start-to-Finish Paths & Walkways (Ortho Books).

1. Start-To-Finish Paths & Walkways is a straightforward how-to guide to designing, planning, and building functional and decorative brick, stone, wood, concrete, grass, or natural materials paths and walkways as part of a planned landscaping of the home. Step-by-step instructions, full color illustrations, tips, tricks, techniques, exacting measurements, guidelines on tool usage and much more fill the pages of this excellent and highly recommended guide specifically designed for do-it-yourself projects by the non-specialist general reader.

1 comments about Plants for Play: A Plant Selection Guide for Children's Outdoor Environments.

1. In one easy reference volume, you can find what plants to plant for what purpose, (shade, climbing, play materials, etc.) and also a very handy section on what not to plant(toxic!). Very helpful for parents and for anyone responsible for outdoor play environments.

5 comments about Japanese Touch for Your Garden.

1. this book is a good accompanyment to other Japanese gardening books. Definitely not to decorate a coffee table, but to practically show one options (various bridges, paths, fencing, ponds, etc) that one can incorporate into their garden for a japanese feel. I especially liked the detailed garden sketch at the end of the book showing an example of what to plant where. I would have assumed much fewer plants from the pictures than what the author sketched in. This will come in extremely helpfully come planting time!



2. This book shows how to use essential elements such as rocks, plants, laterns, and boulders etc., within a space. The diagrams in the book illustrated how to use those elements to balance and compensate each other and make your garden looks much bigger and more appealing to the viewers.
   
   A great book to read before you start your weekend garden project. This book will give you inspiration and give your spirit alift. I built my Japanese Rock Garden after reading this book and other book that I bought "Ortho's All About Creating Japanese Gardens". A great garden will add value to your home so did my garden -- a friend of mine who is a realestate appraiser told me that I must added about $30,000 to my property although I spent only about $5000 on the materials.
   
   Highly recommanded for anyone who are interested about Japanese Garden or do it youself gardener!!!!!



3. I think people have "japanese" gardens or any other type of garden but they for example don't have like english garden with a japanese touch. I don't have this book and i will not buy it, because i want a JAPANESE garden nor mexican-japanese-english-french or anything else garden



4. The title of this book is a bit misleading, in that it does not offer tips on adding a "Japanese touch" to your existing garden, but rather goes about explaining how to create a Japanese-style garden in the space available to you. In this manner, it is an extremely capable guide and leaves you with the confidence that you can accomplish building your own Japanese-style garden.
   
   "A Japanese Touch for Your Garden" tells both the basic elements of a Japanese garden; rocks, plants, water, artificial elements, and also provides a blueprint for laying out and constructing a garden using these elements. Although packed with lovely pictures, the book is straight-forward and bare-boned, giving you the essentials of what you need. The authors briefly touches upon garden philosophy and such, but acknowledges that there are other, thicker books for the esoteric matters and they will focus on the practical.
   
   The different sections of the book deal with things such as stone lanterns, bamboo fences, bridges, plants and trees...basically everything you will need. The focus is one how to select and use these available elements for the existing space you have to work with, and how to maximize them for the effect you want to achieve. The rear of the book also contains a guide of Japanese gardens in the US that you can visit, and suppliers of the various items you may want for your garden.
   
   An excellent book, it is exactly what you need if there is a spare portion of your house or yard where you would like to put a Japanese garden. For a more deeper, spiritual look at Japanese gardens, look elsewhere. But to be inspired and begin construction on your own "World in Miniature," this is the place to start.



5. This book contains wonderful pictures and offers many ideas for a Japanese style garden or balcony.

3 comments about Sakuteiki Visions of the Japanese Garden: A Modern Translation of Japan's Gardening Classic.

1. I thought that it was a pretty good book. It wasn't what I had expected and do wish that there were more pictures illistrating what the author was talking about. Also the first half of the book was an introduction and history lesson that was long and somewhat boring. The Sakeutiki itself (which was the second half of the book) was interesting.



2. The original blueprint to create a Japanese garden filled with empty spaces, quiet, calm and tranquillity. I enjoy simply reading and rereading the detailed instructions which send my mind travelling along paths of gardens I've yet to see or create. Happy gardening.



3. The editorial comments on this book can hardly do it justice.
   Not only does this book give you a clear, up-to-date translation of probably the earliest practical garden handbook, a treasure in itself, where those instructions remain relevant to gardening generally and japanese gardening in particular today - you get the result of an extraordinary cooperation between east and west, namely the attention, erudition and dedication of these two thoughtful and careful authors. In addition, you get almost 150 pages of a detailed, yet clearly comprehensible, well illustrated and very readable introduction to japanese gardens, their influences and the sakuteiki itself. If you have ever felt the coffee table japanese garden books are too vague and the academic books too turgid this book majestically spans and outshines both genre - Buy it!

1 comments about City Bountiful: A Century of Community Gardening in America.

1. In terms of the world, the idea of community gardening might go back thousands of years, to the time of King Cyrus of Persia. In terms of the United States, it might be so American an idea that it goes back to the time of European colonization. For the idea might be as old as the commons of English-speaking settlers and the town squares of Spanish-speaking settlers. But Laura J Lawson is concerned with a more limited timespan. Her book, CITY BOUNTIFUL, covers community gardening in the United States from the 1890s to the present.
   
   What drew her to that topic? The author first turned to gardening to get through tightly budgeted college years. Gardening was such a budget-smart move that she thought she was a rural wannabee. But the green-acre life wasn't for her. Instead, she was a city girl who wanted to be as self-sufficient as possible. So gardening became a research and a practical pursuit for her.
   
   Did gardening have the same appeal to most people over time? Which time period would have a definite paper trail of written evidence and perhaps also eyewitness accounts? A CENTURY OF COMMUNITY GARDENING IN AMERICA was the topic that answered both questions. For community gardening is a popular idea with a spotty track record that`s well documented. We have over a hundred years of funding, staff and supply levels going up and down. It's not that people don't consistently like gardening. It's that community gardening has found its steadiest support during crises.
   
   So depressions and wars have been guarantees of community gardening success. That's because people stick to large-group gardening when that gardening is part of the bigger picture. People who like gardening say it's good for character and well-being. But everything needed for community gardening to be wildly successful comes together when the bigger concern is getting our country through major crises here and abroad.
   
   Otherwise, concerns over access, permanence and technology win out. For community gardening has often taken place on rundown and vacant lots. Sooner or later, these lots become attractive to business and investors. The land ends up in other hands, public or private. Community gardening has often depended on funds, people and support from outside, in what the author calls a top-down power structure. Sooner or later, these sources can dry up. And the community may not be ready when that happens.
   
   But community gardening is part of our cultural heritage. What can we do about the ups and downs? The author says each community needs to be guided by a goal of building a city bountiful on earth. Such a city is possible when people are appropriately trained and socially committed to land being used resourcefully. She feels such a goal has become realistic since the last 30 years of the 20th century. For through and since those decades, some community gardening has - and more projects can do likewise - become part of a bottom-up power structure, in which there can be enough funds, people and support locally.
   
   The author has included good index and notes, as well as clear, historic photos from each time period. Her book is nicely organized and clearly written. The book should appeal to a wide audience. As a land care steward trained through Virginia Tech's master gardening program, I'm happy to have the book. The Virginia Tech program is the model for community and school gardening programs throughout the United States, England and Canada. For the Virginia Tech program is living proof that bountiful community gardening is practical and workable.

1 comments about On Distant Shores: Colonial Houses Around the World.

1. This is a truly unique book breaking down as it does buildings by colonial nation. It enables a side-by-side comparison of how different countries adapted their historic architectural styles to their mostly tropical colonies. It is stunningly illustrated and is a must-have for anyone interested in colonial architecture or, like my self, wishing to build a luxury home with colonial elegance in the tropics.