Books: Deer-Free Design / Urban Garden Design

I don't think there's a designer out there who wouldn't want a copy of this book.  No matter where you live, you've likely had a deer problem or know someone who has.  Of course, there are no plants that are totally deer proof, but you can limit the damage if you know what to plant.

So, pick up a copy of Karen Chapman's latest book, Deer-Resistant Design: Fence-free Gardens that Thrive Despite the Deer (Timber Press, 2019).  Chapman profiles 13 deer-resistant gardens in various parts of the country, including one (no kidding) that features around 600 hostas and 300 daylilies, along with the owner's formula for what he claims is a foolproof deer repellent. 

Each profiled garden includes a "plan," a discussion of the garden's main features, lovely photos, and a list of the garden's top 10 deer resistant plants.  Chapman rates each plant from A to D -- A being plants that are rarely damaged by deer to D, plants that are frequently severely damaged.  There's also a chapter on container gardens, so that homeowners with patios and decks as main garden features can also enjoy deer-resistant plantings.

And there's a great plant index in the back to give you a quick read on plants you may want to try in order to thwart the deer.

Urban gardens can be very difficult to design, given the fact that many of them are very small and have irregular property lines. You'll find many solutions to perplexing questions in Kate Gould's Urban Garden Design (Kyle Books, 2019).  Gould is a British garden designer and winner of many awards at the annual Chelsea Flower Show. 

As Gould states in the introduction, "The small patches of green that individuals create may in themselves appear to amount to nothing.  However, combined and taken as a whole, these tiny gardens, roof terraces and balconies form giant patchwork quilts of green that help our cities to breathe."

Gould walks you through the introductory steps to small garden design, from assessing the site to choosing a style and creating mood boards to fine-tune a look and feel for the garden.  You'll learn the do's and dont's for basement gardens, small urban gardens and courtyards, and roof terraces and balconies.  She tells you how to select contractors and plants, and how to think about the design process.  She also lists appropriate plants you may want to consider for each situation.

There's an entire chapter on design solutions for tricky spaces, and others on materials and garden lighting. I also liked the chapter on "Finishing Touches," accoutrements that can make any garden special. 

The book is written with much thought and care, and if you're in the business of urban gardening, you'll want a copy of this terrific resource.