Garden Spaces: Simple Solutions for Planning and Design

I found this book a very helpful introduction to garden design and essentials as well as a good guide for somebody who cannot decide how to manage his/her garden space. The book is divided into sections with really useful information and simple rules that can be applied by anyone.

George Carter is a well-established British landscape architect and space planner and he also just happens to have a very artistic eye and an ability to communicate to the reader. In this very beautifully designed and presented book, Carter offers strong ideas for every scale of garden. Not only does he demonstrate his ability to plan the grand gardens of mansions, but he also gives equal time and value to creating a small garden out of minimal space. How? Therein lies the magic of this fine book. Carter encourages the reader to fully evaluate the land to be utilized as yard and garden, how to figure the axis of the property that will best enhance the home's placement on the land, how to take advantage of the natural benefits of that area's horticulture and solid elements, and then presents gardens he has created according to the restrictions (or lack of same) he finds. The book is filled with diagrams but it goes a step further than the usual 'do it yourself' books because of Carter's gift for painting: he not only shows the blueprint but also shows his painted concept of how the blueprint will look in its finished stage. The multiple paintings are a treat unto themselves! Then Carter incorporates the very fine photography of Marianne Majerus who has combed the countryside finding gardens and the elements of gardens to give the reader actual images of current garden examples. Once the 'garden' is laid out and painted and photographed, Carter, with Majerus, offer superb examples of garden sculptures, fountains, perspective challenges, types of paths, and lighting effects that are not only mesmerizing to survey in Majerus' photographs, but also give countless ideas to the reader as to how to make their garden unique, whether that be by utilizing elements in the land that exist or suggestions of art and fountains and decorative items that are easily obtainable. 'Garden Spaces : Simple Solutions for Planning and Design', then, is more than an instructional book (though that it is in the best sense of the word). This is a book of unique, beautiful and practical gardens, a collection of gardeners' dreams made visible... and feasible! Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, June 06