Garden Design Illustrated

In a time of climate change and mass extinction, how we garden matters more than ever: “An outstanding and deeply passionate book.” —Marc Bekoff, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals Plenty of books tell home gardeners and professional landscape designers how to garden sustainably, what plants to use, and what resources to explore. Yet few examine why our urban wildlife gardens matter so much—not just for ourselves, but for the larger human and animal communities. Our landscapes push aside wildlife and in turn diminish our genetically programmed love for wildness. How can we get ourselves back into balance through gardens, to speak life's language and learn from other species? Benjamin Vogt addresses why we need a new garden ethic, and why we urgently need wildness in our daily lives—lives sequestered in buildings surrounded by monocultures of lawn and concrete that significantly harm our physical and mental health. He examines the psychological issues around climate change and mass extinction as a way to understand how we are short-circuiting our response to global crises, especially by not growing native plants in our gardens. Simply put, environmentalism is not political; it's social justice for all species marginalized today and for those facing extinction tomorrow. By thinking deeply and honestly about our built landscapes, we can create a compassionate activism that connects us more profoundly to nature and to one another.

"First published in Great Britain in 2015 by Mitchell Beazley an imprint of Octopus Publishing Group Limited"--Title page verso.

Absolutely fascinating! Informative, enlightening, and entertaining! This is one of the most comprehensive books on Planting Design. It fills in the blanks in this field and introduces poetry, painting, and symbolism into Planting Design. It covers in detail the two major systems in Planting Design: Formal Planting Design and Naturalistic Planting Design. It has numerous line drawings and photos to illustrate the Planting Design concepts and principles. Through in-depth discussions of historical precedents and practical case studies, it uncovers the fundamental design principles and concepts as well as underpinning philosophy for Planting Design. It is an indispensable reference book for Landscape Architecture students, designers, architects, urban planners, and ordinary garden lovers. What Others Are Saying About Planting Design Illustrated... "I found this book to be absolutely fascinating. You will need to concentrate while reading it but the effort will be well worth your time." -Bobbie Schwartz, Former President of APLD (Association of Professional Landscape Designers) and Author of The Design Puzzle: Putting the Pieces Together "This is a book that you have to read, and it is more than well worth your time. Gang Chen takes you well beyond what you'll learn in other books about basic principles like color, texture, and mass." -Jane Berger, Editor & Publisher of gardendesignonline "As a longtime consumer of gardening books, I am impressed with Gang Chen's inclusion of new information on planting design theory for Chinese and Japanese gardens. Many gardening books discuss the beauty of Japanese gardens, and a few discuss the unique charms of Chinese gardens, but this one explains how Japanese and Chinese history, geography, and artistic traditions bear on the development of each country's style. The material on traditional Western garden planting is thorough and inspiring, too. Planting Design Illustrated definitely rewards repeated reading and study; any garden designer will read it with profit." -Jan Whitner, Editor of the Washington Park Arboretum Bulletin "Enhanced with an annotated bibliography and informative appendices, Planting Design Illustrated offers an especially "reader friendly" and practical guide that makes it a very strongly recommended addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library Gardening & Landscaping reference collections and supplemental reading lists." -Midwest Book Review "Where to start? Planting Design Illustrated is, above all, fascinating and refreshing! Not something the lay reader encounters every day, the book presents an unlikely topic in an easily digestible, easy to follow way. It is superbly organized, with a comprehensive table of contents, bibliography, and appendices. The writing, though expertly informative, maintains its accessibility throughout and is a joy to read. The detailed and beautiful illustrations expanding on the concepts presented were my favorite portion. One of the finest books I've encountered in this contest in the past five years." -Writer's Digest 16th Annual International Self-Published Book Awards Judge's commentary "The work in my view has incredible application to planting design generally and a system approach to what is a very difficult subject to teach, at least in my experience. Also featured is very beautiful philosophy of garden design principles bordering poetry. It's my strong conviction that this work needs to see the light of day by being published for the use of professionals, students & garden enthusiasts." -Donald C Brinkerhoff, FASLA, Chairman and CEO of Lifescapes International, Inc.

A visual journey through the history of landscape design For thousands of years, people have altered the meaning of space by reshaping nature. As an art form, these architectural landscape creations are stamped with societal imprints unique to their environment and place in time. Illustrated History of Landscape Design takes an optical sweep of the iconic landscapes constructed throughout the ages. Organized by century and geographic region, this highly visual reference uses hundreds of masterful pen-and-ink drawings to show how historical context and cultural connections can illuminate today's design possibilities. This guide includes: Storyboards, case studies, and visual narratives to portray spaces Plan, section, and elevation drawings of key spaces Summaries of design concepts, principles, and vocabularies Historic and contemporary works of art that illuminate a specific era Descriptions of how the landscape has been shaped over time in response to human need Directing both students and practitioners along a visually stimulating timeline, Illustrated History of Landscape Design is a valuable educational tool as well as an endless source ofinspiration.

The author of Interior Design Master Class brings together essays by 100 landscape architects and garden designers reflecting on universal gardening questions, illustrated with photos of each designer's work. 2020 HONORABLE MENTION FOR THE FOREWORD INDIES AWARD IN NATURE A classic in the making, Garden Design Master Class brings together 100 essays by some of the top garden designers working today, from acknowledged experts such as Nancy Goslee Power on sunlight and Arabella Lennox-Boyd on borders, to acclaimed tastemakers such as Carolyne Roehm on the pleasures of a vegetable garden. Spanning styles and genres, principles and tenets, collectively these essays and their accompanying images represent a comprehensive education for the reader, giving him or her the benefit of expert design advice and philosophy, from practical considerations such as seedlings and pathways to stylistic concerns such as asymmetry and rhythm. Each essay is paired with photographs of the designer's work that illustrate the principles being discussed, adding a powerful visual component to the book. Unique in the quality of its contributors, this book will be a landmark publication in the field, helpful and inspirational for the amateur gardener, as well as students of garden design and garden design professionals.