Gardens take many forms, and have a variety of functions. They can serve as spaces of peace and tranquilty, a way to cultivate wildlife, or as places to develop agricultural resources. Globally, gardens have inspired, comforted, and sustained people from all walks of life, and since the Garden of Eden many iconic gardens have inspired great artists, poets, musicians, and writers. In this Very Short Introduction, Gordon Campbell embraces gardens in all their splendour, from parks, and fruit and vegetable gardens to ornamental gardens, and takes the reader on a globe-trotting historical journey through iconic and cultural signposts of gardens from different regions and traditions. Ranging from the gardens of ancient Persia to modern day allotments, he concludes by looking to the future of the garden in the age of global warming, and the adaptive spirit of human innovation. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

What exactly is Bug Out Gardening? Having your own garden in your own back yard is great but what if you must evacuate and have to go to a remote location or start up a garden on a bunch of bad soil? Most Preppers have already realized that besides having dried foods stored foods for a disaster, one can also have fresh grown foods with a little effort supplementing their diets. This book will teach you how simple it can be to take along the materials with you to create a small survival garden. Learn to make your own DIY miracle grow and homemade insecticides and fertilizers! Learn about growing vegetables from scratch when it absolutely matters before you find the stores are all closed and that you lack basic materials. Envision a portable system of gardening that you can instantly create your homestead with or take along for a long-term bug out situation. Imagine that this system allows you to garden anywhere, compost anywhere and thrive everywhere.

Capability Brown was a man made for his time. Read about his life and work in this absorbing biography.

This text contains the essence of Thomas Church's design philosophy, as well as practical advice. It is illustrated by site plans and photographs of some of the 2000 gardens that Church designed during his career.;Called "the last great traditional designer and the first great modern designer", Church was one of the central figures in the development of the modern Californian garden. For the first time, West Coast designers based their work not on imitation of East Coast traditions, but on climatic, landscape and lifestyle characteristics unique to California and the West. Church viewed the garden as a logical extension of the house, with one extending naturally into the other.

John D. Sedding (1838 91) was an English church architect and an influential figure in the Arts and Crafts movement. Having worked in Penzance and Bristol, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1874 and set up a practice in London, eventually becoming a neighbour of William Morris. His designs included new churches such as Holy Trinity in Sloane Street (1888 90), Holy Redeemer in Clerkenwell (1887 95), and All Saints, Falmouth (1887 90), as well as restoration projects and decorative work. In 1888 he moved to Kent, and developed his interests in gardening and garden design. This book, completed in 1890 and published posthumously in 1891, sets out Sedding's vision for the landscaped garden. It helped to revive garden features such as terraces, covered walkways and topiary, and inspired generations of garden designers, particularly in the Arts and Crafts movement.

Gertrude Jekyll (1843 1932) was one of the most influential garden designers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Skilled as a painter and in many forms of handicrafts, she found her metier in the combination of her artistic skills with considerable botanical knowledge. Having been collecting and breeding plants, including Mediterranean natives, since the 1860s, she began writing for William Robinson's magazine, The Garden, in 1881, and together they are regarded as transforming English horticultural method and design: Jekyll herself received over 400 design commissions in Britain, and her few surviving gardens are treasured today. Like Robinson's, her designs were informal and more natural in style than earlier Victorian fashions. In this, the first of fourteen books, published in 1899, she stresses the importance of being inspired by nature, and sums up her philosophy of gardening: 'planting ground is painting a landscape with living things'.

'A thoroughly recommended read if you want your garden to have that designer touch - and to look good all year round' - Alan Titchmarsh 'This book is reassuringly methodical. From the initial survey to the planting palette and how to design for privacy, shelter or noise control. It's a helpful primer for any design project.' - Daily Mail 'Inventively presented with a lot of info packed in without seeming deterrently difficult.' - Evening Standard 'Great design tips, ideas and planting schemes for year-round interest.' - House Beautiful Confused by the bewildering range of plants on offer at your local garden centre? How do you choose, use and create beautiful planting schemes like the professionals? The book takes you on a structured journey through the design process, from the initial assessment of your existing space, through choosing a theme or style, to putting it all together. Learn what various plant groups can provide and how to problem-solve by selecting the right species. Understand the role that form, colour, scent and texture play in the garden, and how to use focal points and accent plants for added interest. Tiny courtyard gardeners and suburban gardeners alike will learn how to mix plants in pleasing combinations that will provide interest through the seasons and last for years. RHS How to Plant a Garden proves that a good planting scheme can transform your garden from the ordinary to the truly inspirational.

China is renowned for its enchanting, tranquil gardens, designed to reflect both the charm of nature and the ancient Chinese view of life. Chinese Gardens explores the creation of classical gardens through history, discussing the theories and artistic conception behind these gardens and the development of diverse regional styles. Lou Qingxi provides a comprehensive introduction to the distinctive combination of nature, philosophy and art that is unique to Chinese gardens, complemented with full color illustrations throughout.

A colorful guide covering the basics of replacing a traditional lawn with a wide variety of easy-care, no-mow, drought-tolerant, money-saving options that will appeal to today's busy, eco-conscious homeowner.
Homeowners spend billions of hours--and dollars--watering, mowing, and maintaining their lawns. You don't have to be one of them. Free yourself with "Lawn Gone ," a colorful, accessible guide to the basics of replacing a traditional lawn with a wide variety of easy-care, no-mow, low-water, money-saving options. It includes:
- alternative grasses that seldom (or never) need mowing
- drought-tolerant, eco-friendly landscapes
- regional plant recommendations for all parts of the country
- artificial turf that looks like the real thing
- step-by-step lawn-removal methods
- strategies for dealing with neighbors and HOAs
- ways to minimize your lawn if you're not ready to go all the way
Whether you're a beginner or expert gardener, green thumb or black, "Lawn Gone " provides realistic choices, achievable plans, and simple instructions for renovating your yard from start to finish.

The picturesque (a set of theories, ideas, and conventions that grew up around the question of how we look at landscape) offers a valuable focus for new investigations into the literary, artistic, social, and cultural history of the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This volume of essays by scholars from various disciplines in Britain and America incorporates a range of historically and theoretically challenging approaches to the topic. It covers the writers most closely identified with the exposition of the picturesque as a theory, and also traces the influence and implications of its aesthetic in a variety of fields in the Romantic period, including literary and pictorial works, estate management, and women's fashion. Several essays deal more specifically with radical critiques and appropriations of the picturesque in the nineteenth century, while in others its influence is traced beyond traditionally accepted geographical or historical bounds.

A textbook for the required course on professional practice in all accredited degree programs in landscape architecture. Covers essential areas of professional practice from marketing to project management, legal issues and technical specifications. Guides readers through planning a successful career in this field.

From Rosalind Creasy--a name synonymous with California's garden-to-table movement--comes an accessible guide to cultivating and preparing herbs. If you buy only one herb gardening book, this should be it. Creasy takes you from seeds to stove top, from preparing the soil to elegant dining suggestions, with easy-to-follow instructions and inspirational ideas every step of the way. Each section of this book presents vivid photos and practical information, including: How to design and grow an herb garden in just about any space--from a spacious plot to a tiny balcony--and in just about any climate A tour through many beautiful private herb gardens, including some of Creasy's own, as well as the garden of herb luminary Carole Saville and others A fully illustrated encyclopedia of edible herbs--from old favorites like basil, rosemary and sage to more exotic herbs such as lemon verbena and Mexican tarragon A savory selection of healthy herb recipes for side dishes, such as blends, butters and vinegars, main dishes from around the world and even cocktails and desserts Maintenance and organic pest control methods A list of resources for seeds and supplies A guide to growing, cultivating and preparing hops This herb guide is full of practical tips and tricks presented in a beautiful format--perfect for the gardener, aspiring gardener or home chef.

'An experienced horticulturist's monthly guide to gardening, with wise, clear and helpful advice on tackling the essential tasks and dealing with problems.' Gardens Illustrated One of the keys to happy gardening is knowing what to do and when for the best results. In this handy guide, experienced horticulturist Martyn Cox takes you through the gardening year, month by month, offering wise, clear and helpful advice on the essential tasks and how to avoid problems along the way. No matter the size of the plot, nor the expertise of the gardener, The Gardener's Yearbook is the perfect handbook to return to throughout the seasons, with tips including: - How to get your lawn into shape for the summer - When you should plant lilies, roses and sweet peas - How and when to harvest and store your fruit and vegetables - When to prepare containers for winter - How to fit a water butt and start a compost bin - An easy-to-follow crop planner Featuring specially commissioned linocuts by artist Heather Tempest-Elliott.

Landscapes of material are also landscapes of meaning: praxis is itself symbolic, and all landscapes are symbolic in practice. Ideology and Landscape in Historical Perspective draws together fifteen historical geographers to examine landscapes as messages to be decoded, as signs to be deciphered. The range of examples is wide in terms of period, from the medieval to the modern, and of place, embracing the USA, Canada, Palestine, Israel, South Africa, India, Singapore, France and Germany. Each essay addresses a specific problem, but collectively they are principally concerned with the ideologies of religion and of politics, of Church and state, and their historical impress upon landscapes. The book is introduced by an essay which explores the dialectical understanding of landscapes, and landscapes as expressions of the connection of an ideology to a quest for order, to an assertion of authority and to a project of totalization. The issues raised by landscapes and their meanings - issues of individual and collective action, of objective knowing, of materialist and idealist explanation - are fundamental not only to historical geography but to any humanistic study, and render the geographical study of landscapes of interest to scholars in many disciplines.

Humphry Repton (1752-1818) ambitiously styled himself Capability Brown's successor: the century's next great improver of landed property. With his rare combination of skills - he was a talented topographical sketcher with a unique ability to judge the shifting needs of his patrons - over thirty years Repton amassed an incredible four hundred commissions; his famous Red Books, illustrated to help clients visualise the potential of their properties, did much to encourage the appreciation of landscape aesthetics, especially among the rising middle classes. With colourful illustrations and detailed site investigations, this book traces Repton's landscape designs from Picturesque wildernesses like Blaise Castle to the progressive Gardenesque style of Endsleigh in Devon. It is both a perfect visitor's guide to the gardens and an introduction to the theory of Repton's work.

The 18th-century phenomenon of the English Landscape Garden was so widespread that even today, when so much has been built over or otherwise changed, one is never far from an example throughout England. Although seemingly natural, the English Landscape Garden was generally the result of considerable contrivance, effort and design skill, the result of `the art that conceals art'. It might involve digging lakes, raising or levelling hills, and planting trees, sometimes in vast numbers. Nature was arranged and shown to best advantage. The English landscape garden took many forms, and the variety of manifestations was and remains remarkable. A great number survive, if sometimes in modified form, and can be visited and appreciated. The book is structured so as to give the background to, and motivation for, creating the landscape garden; to summarise the chronology of its development; to chart the most significant writers and theorists; and to consider the range of the many forms it took. The story of the landscape garden is complex, multi-layered and constantly changing in emphasis for such an apparently simple and straightforward construct. This book will help to uncover some of the richness that lies behind a meaningful part of the environment. The book can be regarded as a companion to the volume already published by Historic England, The English Landscape Garden in Europe.

The only comprehensive guide to wood specifically for landscape architects.

Wood, with its unique warmth and richness, takes us back to the roots of our building heritage and back to the landscape. Lightweight, simple, and clean to work with, it is one of the most versatile building materials, and–thanks in part to its natural origin–one that is also especially well-suited to the designed landscape.

Wood in the Landscape gives you the information you need to exploit wood’s full potential in your design work. The first comprehensive guide to the properties, use, selection, and installation of woodwritten from the landscape architect’s perspective, it is destined to become a staple in your practice.

Wood in the Landscape provides full, detailed coverage of all relevant technical aspects of working with wood–including the physical properties and characteristics of wood as well as finishes, fasteners, and adhesives. It examines the construction methodologies used to build a range of common structures, from fences and decking to gazebos and bridges, and shows how to avoid common problems that can adversely affect durability – particularly important when it comes to outdoor settings.

Generously supplemented with over 100 photographs and illustrations, Wood in the Landscape is a terrific source of ideas that will inspire you to explore the many exciting possibilities for using wood to enhance your landscape designs.

Wood in the Landscape is an invaluable resource for landscape architects, landscape designers, and architects who provide site-planning services.

Landscapes of material are also landscapes of meaning: praxis is itself symbolic, and all landscapes are symbolic in practice. Ideology and Landscape in Historical Perspective draws together fifteen historical geographers to examine landscapes as messages to be decoded, as signs to be deciphered. The range of examples is wide in terms of period, from the medieval to the modern, and of place, embracing the USA, Canada, Palestine, Israel, South Africa, India, Singapore, France and Germany. Each essay addresses a specific problem, but collectively they are principally concerned with the ideologies of religion and of politics, of Church and state, and their historical impress upon landscapes. The book is introduced by an essay which explores the dialectical understanding of landscapes, and landscapes as expressions of the connection of an ideology to a quest for order, to an assertion of authority and to a project of totalization. The issues raised by landscapes and their meanings - issues of individual and collective action, of objective knowing, of materialist and idealist explanation - are fundamental not only to historical geography but to any humanistic study, and render the geographical study of landscapes of interest to scholars in many disciplines.

Women Garden Designers presents twenty-seven of the most important and influential women garden designers and their gardens from around the world, showing both their finest commissions as well as the gardens they designed for themselves, in their own space. The carefully researched text examines their influences and their legacy to garden design. Beginning with the remarkable Gertrude Jekyll and Beatrix Farrand, who were working simultaneously, though on different sides of the Atlantic, the book then moves on into the 20th century, featuring international designers as diverse as Florence Yoch - who created gardens for film sets and for glamorous Hollywood homes - and Vita Sackville-West - whose regular gardening column in the Observer, along with her own garden at Sissinghurst, influenced those in Britain. In Australia, Edna Walling supplemented her income from her practice with regular articles in life-style magazines. Increasingly with picture-led articles, designers found a way to publicise and advertise their work, thus gaining new clients in emancipated women who were in a position to place their own commissions.Women designers were more likely and quicker to embrace the ecological garden movement particularly in Germany and Sweden in the middle of the 20th century. They are represented by Herta Hammerbacher and Rosemary Weisse, who created the glorious perennial plantings in Munich's West Park and Ulla Bodorff in Sweden, as well as Isabelle Greene in California with her dry native plantings. The modern movement includes Monica Gora and Topher Delaney, for whom spirituality and landscape as works of art are important. The more conventional structured approach is represented by Penelope Hobhouse and Rosemary Verey, who began creating gardens later in their lives, following motherhood. Haruko Seki from Japan and Isabel du Prat from Brazil express their own special cultural qualities in their trans-global practices.

Originally published in 1901, Old Time Gardens by Alice Morse Earle was one of the most popular and influential garden books of the early twentieth century--and one of the first to be extensively illustrated with photographs. With the recent revival of interest in historic gardens and heirloom plants, Old Time Gardens has once again become a valued, if hard to find, resource for gardeners and landscape designers, and historians. This new edition, featuring an introduction by landscape historian Virginia Lopez Begg, makes this classic work available to a new generation of readers.
Old Time Gardens celebrates the plants and garden designs of early America. Distinguished by its inviting style, wealth of detailed information about plants, design and garden ornaments, and captivating descriptions and photographs of historic gardens, the book is still regularly cited in books and magazine articles, and recommended on web sites. Earle's advocacy of historic garden designs was rooted in her strong sense of the garden as a place to live in, and to interact with nature, family and friends, according to Begg. For Earle, the significance of gardens lay not just in their design and plants, but also in their association with the people who cultivated and used them.
Accessible, informative, inspiring, and lavishly illustrated, this classic work is still a valuable resource for gardeners, landscape designers, and an essential volume for garden historians.

The Iconography of Landscape draws together fourteen scholars from diverse disciplines to explore the status of landscape as a cultural image. By applying the art-historical method of iconography--interpreting levels of meaning in human artifacts--to landscapes on paper or canvas, in literary form or on the ground, its contributors show how landscape is an important mode of human signification, informed by, and itself informing social, cultural and political issues. The range of examples is wide in terms of medium, period and place. It covers poetry and promotional literature, architectural design and urban ceremonial maps and paintings; the historical periods discussed range from sixteenth-century Italy to twentieth-century Canada. The book is introduced by the editors' discussion of the meanings of landscape and of the iconographic method in the context of contemporary theoretical and methodological debate on culture and society.

Traditional elements which are found in all gardens are considered, such as making fences and gates attractive boundaries, creating eye-catching decorative garden furniture as well as the paving surrounds for water features and seating areas. The book also includes a chapter on introducing contemporary metalwork into the garden using aluminium, copper and iron. Accompanied by a stunning collection of photos, the book is an inspirational aid for anyone who has ever intended to put in a pergola, stone statues or an area of paving.