GardenDesignOnline

Books: California Dreamin' : Gardens

California has some of the best-known and unique gardens in the country, some designed by iconic landscape architects and others by designers you likely do not know.  In California Eden (Angel City Press, 2004), authors Christine Edstrom O'Hara and Susan Chamberlin introduce us to the state's true heritage landscapes and explain the relationship between humans and nature. 

As they say in the introduction, the book "looks at history through the lens of cultural landscapes -- landscapes that have been shaped by humans who have left their imprints on the natural world."  These humans include indigenous Californians, early Spanish settlers, and later, wealthy newcomers who established notable estate gardens and horticulturists who brought in plants from all over the world.  

The authors note that "each historic period for landscape design eschewed the styles of the past."  Victorian-style gardens gave way to architectural designs, then to more naturalistic gardens.  Modernist gardens came into their own during the Depression years, and the gardens of today ""increasingly feature native plants and address sustainability issues." 

The book profiles 21 landscapes -- Extraordinary Places designed by landscape architects and designers:  (Beatrix Farrand's gardens, Hanna House by Frank Lloyd Wright & more; Public Places where communities gather: Pasadena's Trees, Fulton Mall; and Everyday Places (including the historic gardens of Old Monterey).  Each entry includes essays about the site's history and designers, accompanies by stunning historic photos and other photos of the gardens today. 

It's an important book about garden history and the meaning of cultural landscapes, and it will encourage any dedicated designer to. visit California and see some of the extraordinary sites. 

*commisions earned on any sales through Amazon.

Happenings August 2024

Exhibitions:

July 31-Sept 30, Dan Kiley Landscape Architecture Legacy
Bell Works, Holmdel, NJ

Selected Events Around the Country:

August 1-2, Speaking of Gardening Symposium, Asheville, NC
August 3, Garden Conservancy Open Days Tours: IL, MA
IL: Dupage Cty; MA: Hampden Cty.

August 10-11, Garden Conservancy Open Days Tours: NH, OH, VT, WI
NH: Cheshire Cty; OH: Summit Cty; VT: Windsor Cty; WI: Milwaukee Area
August 21-23, Farwest Show, Portland, OR

August 24: Garden Conservancy Open Days Tours: CT, NH, NJ
CT: Fairfield Cty; NH: Monadnock Region; NJ: Hunterdon Cth
August 26-30, Garden Communicators Annual Conference, Grand Rapids, MI

Aug 29-30, Garden Ecology Ohio-Style, Kirtland, OH
9am-4:30pm, Holden Arboretum, Classes & Field Walks, NDAL

 

LOOKAHEAD:

Sept 3, Ecology-Based Design & Organic Practice, Potomac, MD
9am-4:30pm, Glenstone Museum, Classes + Field Trips, NDAL
September 7, Garden Study Weekend Symposium, Southbury, CT
8am-4pm, Heritage Hotel & Hollister House Garden, Garden Conservancy

Sept 14-15, Olmsted Network Annual Conference, Poughkeepsie, NY
"Landscapes of Renewal: Olmsted, Vaux & Downing
Sept 18-19, Landscape Expo, Anaheim, CA
Anaheim Convention Center, "The Future of Landscape"

October 6-9, ASLA Annual Conference,"Insight," Washington DC
October 11-13, APLD International Landscape Design Conference, Charleston, SC

Books: Outdoor Living

Fashion can take on many forms, but it often involves color, texture, shapes.  So it's no wonder that a former fashion designer can make the transfer to garden design.

In Your Outdoor Room, How to Design a Garden You Can Live In, (Frances Lincoln, 2024), designer Manoj Malde showcases his vibrant style and love of color ... and demonstrates how to create unique, sustainable, beautiful gardens that transition beautifully from inside to outside.

As he says in the introduction, "...this book will not only help you to overcome your fears, but offer guidance and give you the skills to turn your garden into a beautiful, healthy, thriving, outdoor living space that will bring you joy for years to come."

The book is essentially a guide to design, and Malde walks you through the entire process, from considerations about how you want to use the space, garden themes that reflect the owner's personality, where to find inspiration, how to plan social spaces, the plantings, the materials, and much more.

In a section on designing steps, he says, "A level change in a flat space can add depth and character while making a small garden feel bigger.  A step up can lead to a private seating area made cozy with beautiful metal screens or planting.  A step down could lead you to sunken, secluded garden."

He outlines ways to use screening in garden to make the garden feel bigger, to hide unwanted views, to create seating and garden hideaways. He covers the full vocabulary used by professional designers and brings their ideas down to a homeowner's level. Finally, Malde makes creative suggestions for planting, for using pots and other containers, and how to bring the garden to life.

It's an indispensable book for anyone who's a garden novice, or anyone who wants to transform their outdoor space with verve and harmony into a sanctuary for years to come.

*commissions earned on any sale.