Home gardeners with a keen interest in design, as well as professional landscape designers, will find invaluable advice in this new approach. The book focuses on the general principles behind creating successful and beautiful plant combinations in both time and space--working with perennials in the context of trees, shrubs, and the surrounding landscape. The authors suggest looking across, into, and through the landscape. They ask the reader to consider the rhythms and connections in their designs, through such elements as echoes, linkages, and repetitions. More than just theory, Planting Design includes practical discussion of topics such as soil preparation, plant selection, and garden maintenance. Exceptional photographs show growth of a designed landscape over time, opening the gardener to new ways of seeing and thinking about their landscapes.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.5 / 5.0
A great attempt with an emphasis on the horticultural aspect of Planting Design:
There are three main factors to consider in Planting Design: aesthetics, horticulture, and symbolism of plants. "Gardeners and garden designers seek inspiration from a variety of sources. Among these, nature is perhaps a relative recent choice, a reflection of changing attitudes toward natural world..." Piet Oudolf and Noel Kingsbury wrote. They continued to cover nature and gardens (use of plants with wild character, nature-inspired planting pattern, use of native species, avoiding formality,... more info
In defense of a misunderstood book:
As an admirer of Noel Kingsbury's prolific work, I was initially put off by this book. In some passages, it reads like a manifesto on a new approach to gardening. On futher reading, however, I have found it stimulating, valuable, and full of hard-to-find information on cutting edge work in ornamental gardening, particularly in Europe. Its emphasis on design of plantings for reduced maintenance in parks and public areas is not at all off point for the home gardener - certainly for this home gardener. I am... more info
Disappointed, incredibly disappointed.:
I would describe myself as a fan of Oudolf - by adopting and adapting some of his raison-être our own garden has changed beyond recognition, with masses of seasonal interest throughout the year. Kingsbury ghosted Oudolf's original work, Designing with Plants with some aplomb, Henk Gerritsen's turn of phrase in Dream Plants and More Dream Plants was always light, witty and insightful and while Gardening with Grasses seemed to bow to certain conventionalities, for European readers, the book opened up... more info
General Principles of "New Wave" planting:
This book further elaborates and discusses the principles behind Piet Oudolf and Noel Kinsbury "New Wave" herbaceous perennial plantings. It is a general discussion for the serious gardner. Their intent is NOT to provide a step-by-step guide to designing, but suggest a "process" for key plant selection and combination. They are not located in North America, so you will find that some of their plant recommendations are difficult to find, or not specifically suited to your North America Plant Zone and no list... more info
