Classic Garden Plans

I think it was the apples that did it for me. There are 48 types of roses, 12 types of irises, 11 types of magnolias, 11 types of waterlilies and 9 types of tulips in Stuart's "shopping lists." But the apples? "Beauty of Bath," "Lord Derby," "Cox's Orange Pippin," and "Stirling Castle" are just too delicious to pass up. And what about classic garden plans? If Hidcote Manor, Sissinghurst Castle, Barnsley House and Ashton Wold are not enough, Stuart takes us on a grand tour of everything from the Nanzenji Garden in Japan to a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Pasadena, California, stopping along the way at Giverny, France, for a look at Monet's water garden. He also examines the works of some individual garden makers like Gertrude Jekyll and William Robinson. Richly illustrated with crystal-clear photographs and luscious watercolor sketches, Stuart's book is a welcome addition to any garden-lover's collection.

As a professional garden consultant and designer, I frequently refer to this book and often show it to clients to help visualize and clarify what they are after for their own gardens. The classic gardens are mostly grand in size, and the plans based on them are not copies, or even miniatures, but interpretations--all scaled to a level site about 40 x 60 feet in size, in a "cool temperate" climate. The descriptions of the original gardens explain important elements without going into exhaustive detail: for example, the description of the Chinese Scholar's Garden mentions architectural elements and traditional plant combinations that are significant to the Chinese. Sometimes a client expresses the wish for a "Japanese" or "English" or other kind of garden, and what they really want is the idea, not a slavish copy. Anything that helps locate the core of the idea is invaluable, and "Classic Garden Plans" has been one of my best resources.

Color plans of 16 noteworthy and in some cases famous gardens from around the world are filled in with the plants in particular spots, and in many cases the pools, stonework, and other features of them. These plans are complemented by luxurious color photos of the plants in bloom. Stuart's work is not only to highlight the classic gardens, but to aid gardeners in recreating them. Most of the gardens are seen as meeting some purpose of their creators. A Japanese garden is meant to offer surroundings for meditation; an Indian garden is for the concubines of a Hindu emperor; Monet's water garden in France was a place for him to paint and to find inspiration and solace toward the end of his life. A herb garden and an orchard are also included. The oversize "Classic Garden Plans" serves as a guide for garden design or a gift to a garden enthusiast. Stuart is a Scotman with a background in botany and writing who has done previous books on plants in history.