The Architecture of Western Gardens


Book Description

An international tour of garden design from the Renaissance to the present.




Western Garden Book of Edibles


Book Description

Complete instructions for growing over 190 vegetables, herbs, berries, fruits, nuts, and tropical fruits in the ground and in containers. Plans and design ideas for kitchen gardens of all sizes, as well as easy-to-follow guidelines for composting, building raised beds, and more. Growing season details for all regions of the West, including Alaska and Hawaii. Timely tips from edibles experts around the West-British Columbia to New Mexico. More than 300 pages of color photographs, practical advice, and inspiration from the editors of Sunset magazine, the West's authority on gardening.




Authentic Japanese Gardens


Book Description

This beautifully illustrated book offers a practical guide to recreating traditional Japanese-style gardens. Authentic Japanese Gardens is the only book that explains how non-Japanese plants and materials can be used to achieve the natural, minimalist look of Japanese garden designs. This revised, photo-heavy edition features new text and stunning new color photography. Now available in paperback and re-sized to 8.5” x 11”, this book was formerly published as Serene Gardens (ISBN: 978-1-78009-517-2).




A New Garden Ethic


Book Description

In a time of climate change and mass extinction, how we garden matters more than ever: “An outstanding and deeply passionate book.” —Marc Bekoff, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals Plenty of books tell home gardeners and professional landscape designers how to garden sustainably, what plants to use, and what resources to explore. Yet few examine why our urban wildlife gardens matter so much—not just for ourselves, but for the larger human and animal communities. Our landscapes push aside wildlife and in turn diminish our genetically programmed love for wildness. How can we get ourselves back into balance through gardens, to speak life's language and learn from other species? Benjamin Vogt addresses why we need a new garden ethic, and why we urgently need wildness in our daily lives—lives sequestered in buildings surrounded by monocultures of lawn and concrete that significantly harm our physical and mental health. He examines the psychological issues around climate change and mass extinction as a way to understand how we are short-circuiting our response to global crises, especially by not growing native plants in our gardens. Simply put, environmentalism is not political; it's social justice for all species marginalized today and for those facing extinction tomorrow. By thinking deeply and honestly about our built landscapes, we can create a compassionate activism that connects us more profoundly to nature and to one another.







Serene Gardens


Book Description

No Marketing Blurb




The Big Book of Garden Designs


Book Description

With more than 120 garden plans designed to fit every imaginable landscape situation, this new volume guides readers through the issues that perplex everyone planning a garden.




Sunset Western Garden Book of Landscaping


Book Description

The perfect companion to the best-selling The New Sunset Western Garden Book, the Western Garden Book of Landscaping is the ultimate source for ideas and expert advice to make a readers dream garden or landscape a reality. Completely redesigned and updated for today's homeowner and landscape professional, this book has the proven, reliable, expert information that readers have come to expect from the Western Garden brand. Much more than an idea book, this book is designed to inspire homeowners by showcasing the West's best garden design, and--more practically--to give Do-It-Yourselfers enough information to tackle basic projects on their own, making their gardens look and function better. Useful for beginners and expert landscapers alike, this book is ideal for those readers looking to install a new garden, renovate an existing one, or simply to make parts of their garden, whether a patio or flower border, more stylish. With gorgeous photography and the latest in garden design, this book includes the best in tips, guidelines, and step-by-step instructions throughout. Features includes: More than 400 pages full of tips, advice and ideas for creating a dream garden Over 600 gorgeous full-color photos Expanded and Extensive Photo Galleries showcasing stylish Western gardens Expert Tips from expert landscape professionals to make a reader's garden the best it can be Fresh ideas for arbors, colorful effects with paint, fire pits, pools, and more Up-to-date information on designing gardens that can withstand drought, fire, wind and more Creative and Innovative uses for major plant groups including lawns, shrubs, perennials, and succulents Beginners' Advice with tips, cool ideas, and secrets from first time gardeners who have already gone through a landscape remodel and learned from it. Sunset magazine (www.sunset.com) is the premier guide to life in the West, covering the newest and best ideas in Western home design and landscaping, food and entertaining, and regional travel in 13 Western states. Sunset Magazine has a circulation of over 1.25 million and a readership of 4.864 million.




Sunset Western Land Scaping Book


Book Description

A companion to the best-selling Sunset Western Garden Book,Ó which focuses on plants & seasonal gardening activities that are uniquely suited to the high mountains, low deserts, warm valleys, or foggy coasts of this largely arid area between the Pacific Ocean & the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. Designed specifically for western gardeners, this book includes: over 600 photographs & dozens of ready-to-use landscape plans; step-by-step illustrations & exploded views that show you how to do it yourself; design tips & tricks from the pros -- landscape designers, gardeners, plantsmen, & many other experts; & solutions for the landscaping challenges of your region.




Islamic Gardens and Landscapes


Book Description

Western admirers have long seen the Islamic garden as an earthly reflection of the paradise said to await the faithful. However, such simplification, Ruggles contends, denies the sophistication and diversity of the art form. Islamic Gardens and Landscapes immerses the reader in the world of the architects of the great gardens of the Islamic world, from medieval Morocco to contemporary India. Just as Islamic culture is historically dense, sophisticated, and complex, so too is the history of its built landscapes. Islamic gardens began from the practical need to organize the surrounding space of human civilization, tame nature, enhance the earth's yield, and create a legible map on which to distribute natural resources. Ruggles follows the evolution of these early farming efforts to their aristocratic apex in famous formal gardens of the Alhambra in Spain and the Taj Mahal in Agra. Whether in a humble city home or a royal courtyard, the garden has several defining characteristics, which Ruggles discusses. Most notable is an enclosed space divided into four equal parts surrounding a central design element. The traditional Islamic garden is inwardly focused, usually surrounded by buildings or in the form of a courtyard. Water provides a counterpoint to the portioned green sections. Ranging across poetry, court documents, agronomy manuals, and early garden representations, and richly illustrated with pictures and site plans, Islamic Gardens and Landscapes is a book of impressive scope sure to interest scholars and enthusiasts alike.