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.

5 comments about National Geographic Guide to America's Public Gardens (National Geographic Guide to).

1. Mary, Mary quite contrary, How does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockle shells, And pretty maids all in a row. The gardens Mary Zuazua describe grow not with silver bells or cockle shells but with a super profusion of color and form. All of us have a garden somewhere buried back down deep in their souls. Like the taste of Proust's madeleine soaked in lime flowers conjured up images of the past,these photos conjure up images of past gardens, real or idealized. Mine a Spanish garden,once lush and verdant,to another an English garden formal, ordered and sterile. But such is the power of these images if one has dreams to dream.



2. "Small enough to travel with and detailed enough to learn from, this book is a must for the garden loving traveler". THE AMERICAN GARDENER



3. I have visited hundreds of gardens on four continents and, at a national level, this guide is the most pleasing to the eye and has the best general descriptions of gardens and their histories that I have used. It is a powerful incentive to travel, and a most useful guide for finding the best public gardens on one's route.



4. I recently had to do a project on different types of plants and gardens, for my biology class. This book was very helpful, and allowed me to complete my project. The photographs were beautiful, and enjoyable to look at. I would very enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone interested in gardening. It was a great book!



5. This book gave me mant great ideas on what to do to make my own garden look as nice as the ones in the pictures. They were all so colorful and beautiful. Anyone who is a gardener like myself would enjoy the book as much as i did.

5 comments about Ritual House: Drawing on Nature's Rhythms for Architecture and Urban Design.

1. Ralph Knowles book has been a great help to my husband and me, as we plan a home for our empty nest. We are nearly 80 years old and wanting a house that is environmentally responsible. We also are deeply interested in integrating our lives, mentally-spiritually-physically-emotionally. A good home in rhythm with the world we live in has become a real focus, thanks to this book. We read it to each other in the early morning and become more awake and aware because of the ideas in Ritual House. So, we are including nature and the rituals we treasure in our house design. Thanks for a book with ideas and depth of soul.
   
   Marjorie R. Barlow, Ph.D.



2. This book is an uplifting invitation to explore architecture's 4th dimension. The rituals described here are those associated with the sun, and the seasons that result from earth's rotation around it. From migrating Paiute Indians within the Owens Valley to the seasonal changes in the nave of cathedrals [and diurnal changes in the transept] this book illustrates how users of buildings celebrate change over time. With so many detailed examples, the designer is invited to create settings where nature can inspire people to use their buildings and outdoor spaces in ways that enrich daily life. The invitation is made even more appealing by the many sketches that capture the essence of each topic.
   In separate chapters on migration, transformation, and metabolism, the focus is on people: their movement of within buildings, their manipulation of building elements, and the extent of their awareness of fuel consumption. While there is well-deserved criticism of modern buildings' exclusion of nature, there is far more to excite designers to find ways to help nature to lure our buildings' occupants into patterns of self-expression and acts of creativity.



3. Ritual House: Drawing On Nature's Rhythms For Architecture And Urban Design is an eclectic and innovative introduction and study of urban planning and architectural design drawing upon the years of experience and expertise of academician, researcher, architectural policy and design consultant Ralph Knowles. Ritual House is presented to the reader in a easy and engaging manner, with Professor Knowles depicting several particular housing developments and major historical projects, including their architectural significance and architectural design. Ritual House is very strongly recommended to students of Architectural Studies and Urban Development interested in the process of architectural design, students of architecture, as well as the non-specialist general reader wanting a better understanding of the esthetic and mechanical particulars of architecture.



4. This book should be required reading for anyone interested in architecture and the urban environment. This thought-provoking work is the result of more than 40 years of careful university research by one of the most important figures in solar access design.



5. RITUAL HOUSE is the latest book by Professor Ralph Knowles of the University of Southern California. Based on more than 40 years of research, the book describes how so much of the modern built environment has missed opportunities to reinforce powerful connections that people have with nature. Prof. Knowles provides examples of how designers and planners can and do improve the quality of peoples' lives by making direct connections to between the rhythms of nature and the rituals of human life. He talks about the importance of access to sunlight and natural ventilation in buildings, and provides specific design strategies to help . Ralph Knowles is internationally recognized for his important contributions to research in solar access and natural forces in architecture. Every architecture student knows of his work, and now he has written a book that the rest of us can understand. The text is easy to follow and does not require a degree in architecture. If you don't know if it is raining or sunny outside right now, you need this book. Think about how important this is the next time you are in your office breathing recycled air while you don't have any idea what the weather is like it is because you don't have a window and can't see the sun.
   
   Read this book. You'll feel better. You might even be able to make small adjustments to adapt your own home or apartment to improve your quality of life. If you are planning to build, give this book to your architect.

1 comments about Herbs in the Garden: The Art of Intermingling.

1. I read the book cover to cover twice in the first week and am now reading it again. Herbs in the Garden is pure inspiration. The title may be misinterpreted by those who have not seen the book. The focus is not on herbs, but rather on how herbs, vegetables, flowers and shrubs may be used together in garden design, or as the subtitle says, "The Art of Intermingling". The book is a breezy walk through the authors' garden, starting with a discussion of foliage as the framework, then working onward through their use of cottage and border gardens, their shade and dryland design (totally avoiding the use of the trendy term "xeriscaping") and concluding with containerized planting ideas.

   Written in a casual, conversational style with humorous anecdotes and comments, the strength of the book lies in its geographic versatility. The authors describe their garden but don't dwell on the horticultural requirements of the plants. This allows them to focus on design - how the hardscape and plantings interact - and on the practical knowledge they have gained in years of digging and growing. Gardeners anywhere can adapt the suggestions to fit their own locales.

   The book's strength, the lack of horticultural specifics, may also be a source of frustration for some. I kept a reference book handy to look up plants that I was unfamiliar with. This allowed me to quickly determine if an intriguing plant was appropriate for my climate. A beginning gardener, familiar with only a limited number of plants, might find this annoying. A reference chart at the back of the book that does give some information.

   Overall, Proctor and Macke have written a delightful book. It reads like a novel, has lovely photographs and will plant dreams of backyard paradises in the minds of garden fanatics. It gave me a bad case of "gardener vision".

1 comments about The Lattice Gardener.

1. The late William C. Mulligan (1942-1995) offered one of the first and finest pictorial references on lattice that remains one of the finest examples in a narrow field. It provides guidance and inspiration for beginners and experienced garden artists.
   
   The examples are sophisticated and celebrated including, Rose Pavilion at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the brilliant pondside promenade of Old Westbury Gardens on Long Island, the majestic bench and wall installation at Het Loo, and even a Chinese pavilion to please chinoiserie lovers such as myself, called a t'ing.
   
   The book concludes with a plant directory replete with climate zone and light requirements, suggested cultivars as well as detailed planting tips. It is worth locating and securing a copy. 192 pages.

No comments about Magic of trees and stones: Secrets of Japanese Gardening.

2 comments about Southern Living Courtyards to Country Gardens (At Home With Southern Living).

1. This beautiful book is chock full of large and outstanding photographs of gardens. I have read many garden books on design and this one explained it the best. Very pleased with this book that covers more garden topics than the title suggests.



2. There were too many pictures. Writing was very awkward

1 comments about Laura C. Martin's Southern Gardens: A Gracious History and a Traveler's Guide.

1. Laura C. Martin's book about Southern Garden's is published on a fine high quality paper with wonderful color photographs. All of the South's wonderful public gardens are included. The book does a fabulous job of educating the reader about the gardens but is so complete it truly serves as a travel guide for the must see gardens of the South.

No comments about Discoveries: Paradise on Earth (Discoveries (Abrams)).

No comments about New Landscape Design.