1 comments about Thomas Church, Landscape Architect: Designing a Modern California Landscape.

1. This is an excellent book detailing the life and works of one of Americas most important landscape architects. There is more information than you could possibly need about his youth, his training, his business, his philosophies and his projects. There are excellent photographs of his works which explain so much more than can be described by the written word. Recommended for students, professionals and those interested in learning about the man himself and his works. This is not a coffee table book.

No comments about The Continuing City: Urban Morphology in Western Civilization.

1 comments about Wirtz Gardens, The.

1. This book comes in 2 volumes, with both over 100 pages each. High quality bound and exclusive paper makes this book a pleasant reading experience. It is worth the price - at its current price I personally consider it even underpriced ($ 168.00). Every page shows high quality impressive photographs of the Wirtz gardens. The text, without dominating the presence of the photographs, is highly descriptive about the plants with their common and latin names, the spirits of the featured landscape designs, and the rationales and philosophies behind each featured design. The Wirtz Gardens are an example of Art while tying classical designs and natural elements of the environment together. This book features a very eclectic approach to landscaping with mysterious and calm beauty. I highly recommend this piece of art for anyone considering to hire a landscape architect or for someone who is looking for inspiration. Even for simple reading pleasure, this book is a treat.

No comments about Universal Access to Outdoor Recreation: A Design Guide.

No comments about William Kent: Landscape Garden Designer : An Assessment and Catalogue of His Designs (Studies in Architecture).

3 comments about Home Planners Complete Book of Landscape Plans: 50+ Garden Designs to Transform Your Yard.

1. This book is great for garden ideas. Plenty of interesting designs shown in graphic form, plus an artist's illustration. Lists of plant material have to be ordered. Some may find this a shortcoming. In our case, it's great as most of those lists contain plant material that is inappropriate for our region.



2. While this book does not have comprehensive information on each plan, it still provides some interesting ideas. Additional information such as comprehensive blueprints as well as plant and material lists customized to your region is available for purchase, but I found this useful without having to order the additional material. The different plans provide a wealth of ideas and act as a catalyst in designing your own landscape. You won't get substantial information on the plant life itself, in fact in most cases you don't get anything but a picture, but this allows you to substitute a more appropriate item suited to your tastes and region. This is by no means a "how-to design a landscape" book, but if you are looking for some ideas and basic landscape plans then this book delivers.



3. I bought this book expecting the 50+ garden design plans they promised. Well, they had 50+ garden designs, all right. You got six for free and you had to pay at least $10.00 apiece for the remaining plans. It is essentially a catalog of plans and you buy the ones you want.

   Not worth the money!!!!

1 comments about Color Atlas of Turfgrass Diseases.

1. I bought this book hoping to increase my knowledge of turf grass disease identification. The book is very in depth and informative but most of the pictures are from golf courses in Japan. Since most of the disease I see is on residential properties, they dont look anything like the pictures in the book. Most of those were taken on putting greens on Japanese bent grass. Its a good book, but not if your working with tall fescue.

2 comments about Plants in Garden History.

1. This beautiful book by one of the most acclaimed gardening experts in the world is a fascinating walk through the gardens of the past. From ancient gardens through to medieval enclosed gardens and more modern garden styles, Hobhouse is a fantastic guide to matters of style, content, and design.

   If you enjoy garden history, or books like Anna Pavord's The Tulip I think you will really like this book. It is also great inspiration if you would like to include a historical garden (like a knot garden) into your landscaping plans




2. I first saw this book at an art bookshop. It is one of the lovliest books I have see in a long time. I am just about to purchase it and I can hardly wait to receive it in the mail. For anyone loving plants, beauty and history this would make such a excellent present.

No comments about Plant Marriages: What Plants Look Good Together - How to Choose the Perfect Plant Combinations for Your Garden.

5 comments about Golf by Design: How to Lower Your Score by Reading the Features of a Course.

1. Robert Trent Jones Jr. is a master Golf Course Architect - as anyone who has played one of his designs can attest first hand. This book gives strong insight into his thinking - and the thinking of course designers around the planet - on the subject of constructing every part of a golf course such that the golf course offers both enjoyment and challenge to all who experience the great game. But more than that - Robert Trent Jones Jr. offers his thoughts on recognising and reading the features of a course and the intention of its designer/architect - and how features give players clues on how the designer/architect intended a particular hole should be played. This information alone will lower your golf handicap.
   
   Including details on everything from the peculiarities of different types of grasses and how best to play from each, thru the different types of sand and their characteristics; and even discussing the advantages of carrying 3 wedges rather than two - this book is another Robert Trent Jones Jr. masterpiece. It should be required reading and a part of the library of every golfer who has ever loved the worlds greatest game, or anyone who is its student.



2. For whatever reason, there are only a handful of books available that address the problems of golf strategy specifically. Many of those turn out to be little more than lessons on how to hit a draw or fade, or to play out of rough. Only a few actually deal with the problem of hole designs and everything that comes with them.
   
   In this light, Golf by Design is a raging success. It offers a look into the thinking of the architect and sheds light on a great many areas of play that usually get swept under the carpet in favor of learning to hit 300 yard drives. What do different bunker placements and shapes do to define a course? What effect can grass types have on how a shot rolls? Where should a person be looking to find the best angle to attack a fairway or green?
   
   Since the time of this work's publishing, several similar volumes have come out, not the least those dealing specifically with architecture itself. Others, including Butch Harmon's Playing Lessons, mix in swing tips with strategies for golfers of differing calibers. It is possible, though, that a good overall book on golf, such as Golf Magazine's Complete Book of Golf Instruction, will include a great deal of information located here.
   
   Three things you will not find in other volumes, however, are details on the visual illusions used by an architect, the diagrams, illustrations, and photos found in this volume that do the best job of demonstrating a point of any book around, and lastly an insight into the RT Jones philosophy of course design. This last point may be of particular importance to a number of golfers, as their favorite courses may be a RTJ work.
   
   In the end, however, the fact that a working architect with his own interests at heart is the author keeps the book from having the impact that it could. Several jabs are taken at other architects here and there, some probably deservingly, but still making for an ugly display. The fact that the author is a skilled golfer himself comes out in one passage too many, where we see a guiding hand from the enlightened being offered to the poor initiate. However, Although many of the examples given do come from RTJ courses, this is nothing to fault the author for. Readily available material is the boon of any writer.
   
   If you have not read anything on golf architecture, and want to get an idea of what it is all about and how it affects your game, Golf by Design might be the right place to start. Anyone with some education in course design might be best served by saving up for a trip to a famous layout, as the hands-on experience will probably be more worthwhile.



3. RTJ II's Golf By Design provides a number of insights into the mind of the designer and how they view the elements that go into the design of a golf hole. I found the book to be more descriptive of how designers think and less prescriptive about what the player should do in terms of dealing with the various design elements (Butch Harmon's Playing Lessons is a much more strategic approach to playing individual holes). Many of the leading architects of this day and age have written similar books (Trent Jones Sr., Pete Dye, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio ....) - consider this book RTJ II's contribution to this genre .....



4. I found this book playing a beautiful local Robt. Trent Jones, Jr. course that's in this book, The Orchards. He shows you the clues the designer has placed their to steer you to a respectable round.

   From the tee box to the fairway routing and bunker construction, to the style of course, i.e. links, prairie, desert, etc., this master architect using examples of his existing designs shows the risks and rewards of different strategies.

   I found that not only did this help me to play Robt. Trent Jones, Jr. courses, but other good architects layouts as well.

   Well worth the investment!




5. I play many different public courses and often times have trouble reading new courses, resulting in several shots wasted until I become familiar with the course.

   I found Golf by Design to be really helpful in giving me the insight to read a course right off the bat and often saving me the wasted shots. It has also helped me appreciate the design and layout of the course that much more.

   I would also recommend it to beginners as a great introduction into 'course management'