Piet Oudolf, one of world's most visionary and influential landscape gardeners, is at the forefront of the New Perennial planting movement. This glorious full-colour volume features twenty-three of Oudolf's most beautiful public and private gardens. Noel Kingsbury's accessible text places Oudolf's work in context, and explains how each garden and the plants selected for it fit the specific environment, while Oudolf's detailed plans provide inspiration and insight for all those interested in small personal gardens and the design of large-scale public landscapes alike.

The majority of people do not have the luxury of a large outdoor space - whether it be a garden, terrace or courtyard - most have a small area to work with. However, even the smallest of gardens can be made into a stunning outdoor area; the trick is knowing how to achieve this. This book contains all of the information that anyone who is looking to improve their small garden needs to know. Starting from the basics of types of garden, equipment, lighting and plant care, the book offers a wealth of ideas on different garden styles - from a Mediterranean garden to a wildflower garden, a Japanese garden to a wildlife garden - detailed lists of appropriate plants, including herbs, fruits and vegetables and practical step-by-step instructions for making paths, patios and other garden structures.

One of the special joys of having outdoor space is the wildlife it attracts and this Specialist volume helps gardeners turn their little plot of land into an animal-friendly haven. Concise and easy to use, It gives expert advice on planning and planting to create an ideal environment for birds, butterflies, reptiles, and mammals a place where these wild creatures will find everything they need to survive and thrive. There s pond-building guidance, instructions for assembling and siting nesting boxes and feeders, ideas for both town and country gardens, and advice on making the area pet- and child-safe."

Turn the outdoor space you may not own into one that makes you feel at home. A gardening book unlike any other, RHS How to Garden When You Rent brings together projects, inspiration, and handy know-how specifically tailored to people who rent. With chapters designed around lease lengths, readers will find something for their outdoor space, whether they plan to rent for just a few months or expect to stay in their home for a several years or more. Written by Matthew Pottage, this must-have book combines creative ideas with serious gardening expertise - all without breaking the bank or needing countless hours of hands-on work. Keep your landlord happy and your garden in good shape with plenty of tips, tricks, and techniques for good garden maintenance, and discover ways of turning even the most unloved balcony, yard, or urban garden into a lush, welcoming space that you, your flatmates, and your friends can enjoy for as long as you choose to live there.

Garden walkways play a critical role in forming one's overall impression of a garden's entire arrangement and design. Using diagrams, layouts, and brilliant color photographs, this invaluable guide describes the innumerable possibilities for garden walkways, terraces, steps, and cozy siting areas. The book covers an array of surface options, including natural stone, modern concrete, and fantasy-filled mosaics, as well as wooden decks and other garden structures. Great for the professional or the weekend landscaper.

Japanese Garden Design explains the theory, history, and intricacies of Japanese gardening through gorgeous photographs and expert commentary. The creation of a Japanese garden combines respect for nature with adherence to simple principles of aesthetics and structure. In Japanese Garden Design landscape architect Marc Peter Keane presents the history and development of the classical metaphors that underlie all Japanese gardens in this. Keane describes the influences of Confucian, Shinto and Buddhist principles that have linked poetry and philosophy to the tangible metaphor of the garden in Japanese culture. Creative inspiration is found in the prehistoric origin of Japanese concepts of nature; the gardens of Heian aristocrats; the world-renowned Zen garden, or rock garden; the tea garden; courtyard garden; and stroll garden. Detailed explanations of basic design concepts identify and interpret the symbolism of various garden forms and demonstrate these principles in use today in Japanese landscape architecture. Topics include: Design Principles Design Techniques Design Elements Godspirit in Nature Poetry in Paradise The Art of Emptiness Spiritual Passage Private Niches A Collector's Park

Gardening on a Gradient: Designing and Establishing Sloping Gardens is a complete guide to tackling one of a garden designer's biggest challenges. Whatever the size or the gradient, creating a garden on a sloping site presents lots of conflicting possibilities and potentially expensive choices. Whether home gardener or professional designer, this accessible book will guide you through the challenge, from the initial garden site assessment and survey, right through the design process to the final stages of planting. Step-by-step instructions and explanative diagrams offer readers practical solutions and tried-and-tested methods, as well as inspiration and some novel ideas drawn from sloping gardens around the UK.

Andrew Mikolajski's Garden Design offers a complete breakdown of the process involved in creating a garden, from making an initial assessment of the site's possibilities to applying design principles and choosing plants and landscaping materials. It is aimed at amateurs who have no previous knowledge of garden-making but will also be of value to professionals entering the trade. Most books on garden design are either very technical or are predominantly picture books. This manual is different. A lively and provocative read, it is full of handy hints and tips for creating the perfect outdoor environment. Readers are encouraged to explore and question established ideas about good garden design, and will be sure to grow in confidence as they learn how to make informed decisions about every aspect of the garden design process.

Let Louise Riotte Introduce You to Hundreds of Flowers and All Their Friends (and Enemies, Too!)

Companion planting is simply planning your garden to take advantage of the antural friendships between plants. In Roses Love Garlic you'll discover how flowers help or hinder nearby vegetables and other flowers.

Planting design is, rather obviously, a complex topic, spanning as it does art, science, social need, and morality - especially during these days of increasing planetary environmental threat. Although certainly not denying the importance of scientifically appropriate practices, the symposium "The Aesthetics of [Contemporary] Planting Design" addressed planting design today, proposing a renewed concern for the cultural and aesthetic aspects of the landscapes that result. This book, which has been developed from the original presentations at the symposium, presents the thoughts of a select international group of landscape architects and historians who discuss the subject of planting design through the lens of their own work as well as the work of others, both contemporary and historical. They suggest that, as in real estate, the most important factor in selecting plants is "location, location, location." Certainly the Californian situation is far more forgiving than the aridity and other restrictive environmental conditions endemic to the Sonoran desert, or the frost and short growing seasons of Nordic lands that direct Scandinavian landscape architects to rely on native birches, pines, rowan, and moss. Most of us would agree that there are plants sensible for each climatic zone. Addressing environmental conditions is but the first step in the equation, however. There are also the issues of combination and composition.

To create a garden that gives pleasure throughout the year is the goal of every garden-maker. The greatest designers maintain that it is the garden in winter that sets the scene for the remainder of the year. Designing and Creating a Winter Garden takes the reader through the process of designing a new garden from scratch or re-working an existing garden, with winter as the key, formative season. The first part of the book deals with design considerations and ideas, including: assessing the site and its opportunities and constraints; designing the basic framework for winter; making use of low, winter light and using sparkling colour; pots, containers and statuary in the garden, and finally the maintenance of the garden in winter. The second part comprises a detailed catalogue of suggested plants and their uses, grouped into: evergreens; winter-flowering trees, shrubs and perennials, including those that are strongly scented; shrubs with coloured and textured bark and finally, unusual, striking plants to use as focal points. This book sets out to inspire both garden designers and enthusiastic gardeners to create a garden that is as captivating in winter as it is during the remainder of the year.

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.

'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.

Designing Gardens with Plant Shapes introduces a new visual approach to planting design. Instead of relying heavily on plant knowledge, it provides a practical, hands-on method for the design of planting, so that the final garden suits your needs and style. This innovative book sets out the principles of planting design, introduces the nine plant shapes and a selection of appropriate plants, and explains how all gardeners - from the novice to the experienced - can achieve a beautiful and rewarding garden.

Plants are a major part of most gardens and fulfil many roles within them, providing colour, shade, scent, form, texture and much more. Choosing the right plants can be a challenge but this book provides a step-by-step guide for successful long-term planting, using design techniques and good horticultural practice.

This practical book is packed with big ideas for small gardens. Written by an experienced garden designer, it guides the reader through the principles of design, with special reference to small spaces. Chapters describe innovative use of different materials and imaginative planting combinations.