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New Garden Design: a book review

15.08.09 | Ilona Erwin | No Comments

New Garden Design, Inspiring Private Paradises

by Zahid Sardor and Marion Brenner

This book was written for and about Californian gardens, especially those in Northern California. I’ll tell you that right off the top.

That is not to say that gardeners from other locales can take nothing away from reading this book, because there are components of it that transcend place, but by and large it will have little that Midwestern or Northeastern gardeners may directly take for their own.

It is an artistic book, with large well-done photographs, masterful plant combinations and sculptural details both in hardscaping and garden placed art objects.

For all gardeners there are inspirations in placing sculpture in the garden, giving sense of place, flights of whimsy, and creating your own stamp on your landscape.

The landscapes are those around San Francisco for the most part, with the plant material that grows perfectly in those environs: lavender, olive trees, succulents. It also features the all-season outdoor spaces that California is famous for.

For those who can’t grow those plant materials, spend half their year with inclement weather, and do not have vineyards or mountains in their borrowed views, a lot of interpretation is in store.

That makes this book less of a resource for us in Northern cold climates, but it is certainly a nice addition to the coffee table stack.

I think what I personally most liked was the guidance it gives in adding art to the garden and melding house, garden, and the character of the surrounding land. The writing style was as smooth and artful as the photos, which made it a pleasure to read. It is a rich experience to walk within these featured gardens through the narrative of their owner’s stories and the knowledgeable picking out of each ones highlights.

If you have desert conditions, or coastal ones similar to California, you have a treasure trove of some innovative gardens and plantings.

Tags: Northern California

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About Ilona Erwin

I was a garden blog pioneer, and began writing on this blog in 2003. Before that I had begun a garden website that has been at its own domain since 2006, Ilona's Garden.

I still love writing, gardening, and art after all these years, although travel and grandchildren have become a big part of my life, now.

DISCLOSURE: I may be an affiliate for products that I recommend. If you purchase those items through my links I will earn a commission. You will not pay more when buying a product through my link. Thank you, in advance for your support! Privacy Policy

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I was a garden blog pioneer, and began writing on this blog in 2003. Before that I had begun a garden website that has been at its own domain since 2006, Ilona's Garden.

I still love writing, gardening, and art after all these years, although travel and grandchildren have become a big part of my life, now.

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