Book Description
North America's eastern half, roughly from the Midwest to the Atlantic, was once a great deciduous forest. Although centuries of human intervention have cleared much of the land, the timeless forest remains in the spirit of the place. Today, even the shortest period of human neglect allows for the resurgence of the process of forest creation. The greatest gardens — and happiest gardeners — in this area will be those that take into account the nature of the land.
In his unique, and often thought-provoking new book, award-winning author Darke promotes and stunningly illustrates a garden aesthetic based on the strengths and opportunities of the woodland, including play of light, sound, and scent; seasonal drama; and the architectural interest of woody plants.
While written from a compelling and fresh perspective, The American Woodland Garden never strays from the realistic concerns of the everyday gardener. Information on planting, soils, and maintenance provides a firm foundation for horticultural accomplishment. An alphabetical list of woodland plants offers useful advice for every garden, emphasizing native trees, shrubs, vines, ferns, grasses, sedges, and flowering perennials that fit the forest aesthetic. More than 700 of the author's stunning photographs show both the natural palette of plants in the wild and the effects that can be achieved with them in garden settings. Many of the most striking photos in the book were taken at classic gardens that are paragons of an ecological style.
The American Woodland Garden is a clarion call to a new awareness of our relationship to the natural world. This book will take its rightful place among the classic works that have influenced our concept of the American landscape.
Amazon.com
Shade can be a gardener's curse or delight, depending on how it's managed. Even a heavy grove of mature trees needn't have bare ground beneath; they can be surrounded with any number of shade-loving foliage, grasses, or grasslike ground covers, including galax, dichondra, ivy, vinca, wintergreen, maidenhair fern... the list of possibilities is a long one. Druse himself gardens in the shadow of a Brooklyn brownstone, so his advice is by no means limited to gardeners with woodland acreage. This book also successfully punctures the myth that a shady flower garden must be colored in greens and subtle pastels: a parade of brilliant camellias, columbines, clematis, and primula proves that a shade gardener's crayon box is as varied as any, and the well-organized Druse sorts the herbaceous perennials by color in an addendum at the back of the book.
Book Description
Ken Druse's Natural Garden Guides:
Award-winning gardening expert Ken Druse offers a personal selection of 80 ideal plants for the natural gardener, drawn from his best-selling classic
The Natural Shade Garden.
This companion guide is illustrated throughout with 130 of Druse's spectacular color photo-graphs. All-new descriptions discuss the origins of each plant, supply the pronunciation of their Latin names, and offer information on their ultimate size, time of bloom, light and soil requirements, cold hardiness, and special interest, such as colorful berries or butterfly attraction.
Here, too, is indispensable advice for using these plants with companions to create striking designs. Each section has an original introduction presenting valuable techniques for making your own natural garden. An appendix gives mail-order sources.
In
80 Great Natural Shade Garden Plants Ken Druse selects the best plants for natural gardening in the shade: Ornamental Shrubs ¸ Perennials for Flowers ¸ Perennials for Foliage ¸ Ground Covers and Vines ¸ The Best Hostas ¸ The Best Ferns
Customer Reviews:
Beautiful Pictures, mind-numbing text.......2005-07-07
If you like pretty pictures, then this book is for you. I bought it in conjunction with "The Complete Shade Gardener", which is black and white, to be a sort of color companion. The section of the book titled Plants and Plantings goes through the author's favorite plants for shade (which very well may be all of them) and gives a text description that does very little to give you any real understanding of the plant-not what it looks like, or how to grow it. Perhaps worst of all, the pictures in this section don't seem to correspond to the text of what the author is describing at all, so you are forced to thumb ahead or behind to see a picture of the plant the author is talking about at the time. This makes it very hard to read as you are always thumbing through the pages to find a picture of the flower the author is talking about.
The first 60 pages deal with inspiration and design, and are much easier to understand, as well as being laid out better than the next 100. The last part of the book, which presents individual garden examples also seems to be better organized and well written, although I haven't read it through yet.
Since about 2/5 of this book was enjoyable, I am giving it 2 stars. The middle section has all the monotony of a plant encyclopedia with half the information, and none of the organization. The strengths of the book stand out as the beautifully photographed plates, and the pleasant tone of the author, which still manages to be witty and friendly even during the monotonous middle section.
Beautiful Shade Garden book.......2005-03-20
We have a shady, sloped yard in Texas which is highly unusual for this part of Texas. This means we usually can't grow many of the plants that most people in our community do. So, my husband and I went to the bookstore and found this book. There were others on shade gardening, but this had the best photography. The publisher obviously used high-quality printing techniques on this book to get the vivid color. So, this makes just a beautiful book to look at. I used to feel a little disappointed that our yard was so shaded (except that it's cooler in the hot Texas sun than others!), but when I saw this book I realized we could make it into quite a gem.
I will admit that I am a novice gardener, but I found this book inspiring with lots of ideas for plants that we could use in the shade. I am not sorry that I spent $40 on this book!
A must have book for every gardener.......2004-11-10
Ken Druse delivers a great perspective on shade gardening, providing an understanding of different types of shade and the plants that are successful. The wonderful photography makes this book a joy to peek into successful gardens and plant combinations. The text is for moderately experienced gardeners, but flows well and is well organized.
As mentioned by several others, Druse too often suggests invasive plants such as ivy, porcelain berry, and purple loosestrife, so a word of caution is in order. I would like to see Druse taking a leadership role in awareness of these problem plants.
On the whole, this is another terrific book from Ken Druse and I highly recommend it to everyone who loves a shady garden on a warm summer day.
inspiring and practical.......2002-02-07
If you have a shady garden space, this book will make you feel like the luckiest gardener in the world. Ken Druse structured the book around the organization of natural woodland plants: understory, middle layer, and overstory. (Note that this is not the right book for you if you are looking to create a formal shady garden.) The beautiful photographs, both closeup and scenic, and the detailed yet readable text make this book a success on two fronts. There is enough practical advice to take you from designing your shade garden to keeping it healthy and beautiful through the seasons and years. There is even a resource list to help with ordering your plants. Did I mention how amazing the photographs are? This is my favorite garden book so far, and I am accumulating quite a little collection.
Partial shade, dappled shade, and deep shade are all addressed with beautiful pictures of plants and gardens and with descriptive, practical text.
Not for the beginner...........2001-04-14
THE NATURAL SHADE GARDENER by Ken Druse is a beautiful book even if the photos are slightly "touched up." I have to laugh at the oxymoronic title, however. There is nothing natural about shade gardening, and this is not the WILD GARDEN William Robinson wrote about where drifts of plants are allowed to form naturally. I can tell from Druse's photos someone has been working very hard. Nature's version of vegetation in shade is quite different. Plants in nature tend to run to riot. If you don't think so, take a walk in the "real" woods. In nature, the toughest plant wins.
For example, Druse says English Ivy is a good ground cover in shade. Well, it is. English Ivy will grow in shade---and grow and grow and grow. Recently, a group of local volunteers in our area pulled English Ivy from the trees in a local nature preserve. The stuff kills. Another vine Druse recommends without a warning is Porcelain-berry which is becoming a major problem in along the east coast. Are you old enough to remember the introduction of the new wonder vine Kudzu??
On the other hand, Druse says Tradescantia, a native of Virginia brought to England where it was hybridized at Kew Gardens is a pest. Well, it is a prolific plant if you reintroduce it in a Zone 7 garden, but it can be controlled without a great deal of effort, unlike Lysimachia clethroides (White Gooseneck Loosestrife) which Druse recommends without warning that it will take over if you invite it into your garden. Allen Lacey and other garden writers have ID'd Gooseneck Loosestrife as a "thug in the garden" and I can tell you from personal experience they are absolutely correct (of course I had to find out for myself!!).
I tend to agree with the reviewer from Maplewood NJ below who says THE NATURAL SHADE GARDEN by Ken Druse is not for the beginner. This book is for advanced gardeners who can "take what they need and leave the rest." Shade gardening is something you take up after you've mastered other less complicated types of gardening. Of course, if you're stuck with shade you'll have to start somewhere.
I have been using George Shenk's book THE COMPLETE SHADE GARDENER for years. It's not as colorful, and contains those annotated lists of plants which some do not like, however, Shenk's plant classifications are not exhaustive so you won't be overwhelmed, and the trees, shrubs, etc. are classified by their behavior--i.e. what will work in which circumstances. Like many gardeners I once planted a Maple tree in my yard. Shenk's book contains a listing of shade trees and from it I discovered Maple trees are shallow rooted and not at all friendly toward other plants. I also discovered the Black Walnut can be a killer. In the nick of time had the Maple tree removed and planted a Persian Walnut instead. I've been able to grow Crepe Myrtles, Viburnums, Nandina, and a host of other plants under the Walnut, though I sometimes have to water in August. Some of us don't want to end our gardening experience in order to have a shady patio in July.
Book Description
Woodland plants add magic to any garden, with lush carpets of color, foliage at the middle level, and majestic height. Contrary to myth, large spaces and special soil are not required. Drawing on her own experience running a thriving woodland nursery, the author provides seasoned advice on the unique challenges of woodland gardening, including managing light levels, choosing the right plant for the right place, and achieving the well-balanced soil structure that is often key to growing a variety of woodland plants. Extensive planting suggestions will endow gardeners at all levels of experience with the confidence to experiment, and the extensive plant directory will inspire all gardeners to bring woodland plants into the garden for year-round pleasure.
Customer Reviews:
Good book for beginners.......2007-09-30
This book gives an introduction to gardening with woodland plants. I can recommend it for gardeners who want to initiate on this.
I have many years of gardening with woodland plants and found the book of little use.
Drawbacks.......2007-09-22
After examining a library copy, I decided not to purchase this title. In addition to the drawbacks noted by another reviewer (British emphasis and sparse photographs), the book lacks zone information and a common name index.
Excellent Design Ideas Combined with Plant Profiles and Photographs: Check with Your Nursery for Local Versions That Winter Well.......2007-08-01
If you live in Somerset, England, this book will be an irreplaceable guide to improving your woodland . . . or creating one from scratch. Ms. Junker is from Somerset, and her perspective is heavily dependent on those growing conditions. If you live someplace that's much colder, you'll need to check on the plants that interest you to see if they survive the winters in your area. To help with that, Ms. Junker provides a list of places where you can see woodland plants in the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as nurseries that have display gardens to demonstrate woodland plant concepts. The gardens and nurseries may not be right next door, but I'm sure you'll enjoy the trip.
The book opens with Ms. Junker's concepts for a woodland garden, taking it from the perspective of not having a tree canopy through to already having one. She favors thinking of your woodland garden in three layers: the canopy of tall trees, intermediate plants (like rhododendrons), and flowering plants that will do well on the woodland floor (especially bulbs and ferns). She talks helpfully about how to deal with spaces of all sizes and degrees of being wooded.
I found the book very helpful since our property is heavily wooded with many intermediate layer flowering plants. But we haven't done much with the ground layer, so the book's ideas were intriguing to me. In addition, she drew my attention to ornamental tall and intermediate trees and plants that could provide some interesting variety in our woodland.
To me, the photographs helped the most. I could identify flowering plants by name that I've seen do well in our area. Combined with her information, I have the basis for many interesting experiments.
The book's main drawback is that plant directory (the bulk of the book) is not as fully illustrated as I would have liked. I suspect that the solution is to look up the formal botanical names on the Internet to find photographs that illustrate what's being described.
Ms. Junker has obviously forgotten more about woodland gardens than I'll ever know. It's great to be able to draw on her experience and ideas.
Nice work, Ms. Junker!
Book Description
Russel Wright (1904-76) was arguably the most influential U.S. designer of the early twentieth century. A visionary artist who pioneered the fusion of modern design and domestic practicality in his household wares, Wright brought his innovative design to the general U.S. public and changed the face of the American household.Russel Wright: Good Design Is for Everyone focuses on the most influential and enduring aspects of Wright's art, which called for more informal and easier living through his houseware design and ecologically sensitive landscape design. Good Design collects many of Wright's essays and extensive illustrations, offering significant insight into Wright's philosophies about domestic design and its relationship to the modern American home. This book is both a thorough introduction to Russel Wright's work and a superb study of his creative process.
Book Description
Updated and revised.
This book is both a valuable reference and a practical how-to guide to hundreds of plant species suited for cultivation beneath a canopy of mature trees. Here is all the information needed to get started: design, plant selection, planting and maintenance. These principles can be applied anywhere in North America in any size garden, from large estate to a cramped city lot.
This revised edition of
The Woodland Garden features new, beautiful color images throughout, a larger format and more text.
An authoritative guide for gardeners and landscape designers, this edition focuses on:
- Designing the woodland garden
- Building the woodland garden
- The canopy, plus a list of woodland trees
- The understory, plus a list of woodland shrubs
- Plants of the woodland floor
- Climbing plants
- Planting, pruning and maintenance
The authors list their favorite plants with detailed descriptions of the best woodland garden performers including lilies and rhododendrons. Practical information is provided for soil characteristics, adapting a property, working with a new site and converting an old garden. There are sections on fragrance, water, rocks, pathways, scale and unity, how to analyze a site and much more.
Helpful tips throughout offer useful advice gleaned from the authors' decades of collective experience: dealing with weeds and pests, preparing the land, watering, mulching and propagation.
Customer Reviews:
Thorough but dull.......2004-05-09
This is an updated version of a book that first appeared in 1999. It contains a great deal of well organized information presented in an attractive format. While much of the information is based on experience in the Pacific Northwest, it has validity for other areas too.
The writers are well-known and respected in the Pacific Northwest. They start by discussing the design of the woodland garden on various sites, and then offer ideas for building and developing the garden. This is followed by a chapter each on the canopy, understory, woodland floor and climbing plants. Each chapter concludes with plant lists. There follows a chapter on planting, pruning and maintenance and a list of the authors' favourite plants. There are pleasant colour photographs, black and white designs for gardens and sketches of rock placements.
The writers are knowledgeable and thorough but the writing tends to be dry and tedious to plough through. Other writers have addressed the topic in a much more readable style. I found no inspiration here - just text book-type info.
Impressions of "The Woodland Garden".......2001-04-05
This book focuses on the design and structure of woodland gardens. Content describes the layers of groundcover, upper story and middle layer. Extensive lists of appropriate plants with zone and cultivation information are provided and are very useful. I found the book a great help in thinking about my shady woodland area, and inspiring in terms of design ideas. The focus is on general principles of woodland design rather than giving diagrams to follow. There are some pictures of plants, but I would have preferred more pictures of general woodland scenes. I have read sections over & over and continue to find it enjoyable and useful.
Book Description
"Superb. The reader walks with Chatto...through a remarkable garden."--The New York Times
"Chatto teams with award-winning photographer Steven Wooster to dramatically chronicle...more than 500 plants."--Booklist
"[Chatto] is blessed with an unrivaled knowledge of plants."--Chicago Sun-Times
Legendary gardener Beth Chatto takes us on an intimate tour of her verdant English woodland garden, explaining how she transformed what was once a barren, derelict site into a lush maze of paths where attention-grabbing plants thrive all year long. Along the way, she offers a wealth of practical information and shows off more than 200 species designed by nature to flourish in dry shade. With an unrivalled knowledge of how to make things grow even in adverse conditions, plus an artist's eye for color, form, and shape, Chatto helps anyone meet the challenge of turning inhospitable spaces into truly magnificent gardens.
Customer Reviews:
A Lovely Walk in the Woods.......2000-05-03
This is a book for those who want precision and detail but also want information in a very readable format. Good for both the starter and the well sesoned. Highly recommended.
Average customer rating:
- A cute book for mother and children.
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Down in the Garden Journal Woodland Fairy
Anne Geddes
Manufacturer: Cedco Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Stationery
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Customer Reviews:
A cute book for mother and children........1999-01-12
I bought this book recently. I love it. It's cute and lovely. The paper is a good quanlity one and the pictures are beautiful and lovely. I share this book with my two youngsters (4 & 6yrs) to draw little cute pictures and put some short notes by calligraphy. It tempts the children to write, draw, do coloring and most of all it's such a good moment to spend time with our little ones. I carry it where ever I go. I recommend the book to every mother who love to write or do coloring with their own children.
Books:
- The American Woodland Garden: Capturing the Spirit of the Deciduous Forest
- The Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Plants: Ethnopharmacology and Its Applications
- The Essential Garden Book
- The Gentle Subversive: Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, and the Rise of the Environmental Movement (New Narratives in American History)
- The Home Depot Outdoor Projects 1-2-3 (Home Depot ... 1-2-3)
- The Lost Art of Towel Origami
- The Machine in the Garden: Technology and the Pastoral Ideal in America (Galaxy Books)
- The New Garden Paradise: Great Private Gardens of the World
- The New Garden Paradise: Great Private Gardens of the World
- The Rodale Illustrated Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening (American Horticultural Society Practical Guides)
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