A rare opportunity to view 20 gardens not generally open to the public, all designed by influential international garden designers.

Explore 100 gardens from around the world with this illustrated guide to the design elements of each—from historical style to planting and landscape design. This comprehensive reference offers gardens from many periods of history—Islamic, Renaissance, English Landscape, Arts & Crafts, and more—and geographically diverse environments—from a nighttime sculpture garden on the Oregon coast, to a sustainable water garden in the mountains of Vermont, and the Mughal garden at the Indian president’s palace in New Delhi. They are inspirational works made by both talented amateurs and major international garden designers—including Britain’s Christopher Bradley Hole, Italy’s Luciano Giubbilei and Paolo Pejrone, and Americans Isabelle Green, Raymond Jungles, and Martha Schwartz. In this affordable volume boasting 500 illustrations, readers are led through the details of each garden and provided with the tools needed to understand and replicate each exemplary design—whether the site is rural or urban, a backyard or a beach, in any climate, and on any budget. Each beautiful project photo is followed by a list of key concepts, numbered close-ups that highlight aspects of the design, and expert write-ups to explain how each element serves the garden as a whole. Whether looking for a whole landscaping scheme, or simply an individual idea for a water feature or a wall, readers will find a wealth of ideas to choose from. Both experienced and armchair gardeners will find that Gardens in Detail will enhance their appreciation of how good design decisions are made at every scale.

This book presents the best garden designs of the last ten years from more than 50 top garden designers. It offers design solutions for every situation, every area, all tastes and budgets, and any size of garden. It draws on the talents of celebrated designers such as Tom Stuart Smith, Luciano Giubbilei, Charlotte Rowe, Ian Kitson, John Brookes, Cleve West, Dan Pearson and Andy Sturgeon. It also showcases the work of lesser-known designers whose innovating designs deserve wider recognition. The process of garden design requires many thousands of small decisions in the pursuit of the most appealing solutions for outdoor spaces. But this book makes the complex process simpler by offering ample choices of contemporary design for you to explore what’s possible, what’s practical and what’s affordable. Comprising garden rooms, ornamental details, styles and planting ideas, this book will appeal to every garden owner, whether they manage a small or medium sized garden, a roof terrace, balcony or courtyard space. It offers cutting edge solutions for those seeking an entirely new look as well as key details that can make all the difference.

"First published in Great Britain in 2015 by Mitchell Beazley an imprint of Octopus Publishing Group Limited"--Title page verso.

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.

Color is the first and most important design choice a garden designer makes. Over the past decade, landscape architects and garden designers have moved away from the more sedate shades commonly found in traditional gardens and have used plants and hardscape to experiment with explosions of color. From the layered and textural colors of Piet Oudolf to the high contrast colors of Tom Stuart Smith, this increased focus on color is a trademark of today’s leading designers. Contemporary Color in the Landscape explores the whole spectrum of color: how we perceive and respond to color, how to design with color, how to manipulate contrast and create intensity with saturation, how to maximize impact by minimizing color, how to find your own personal color combinations, and how color is viewed in nature. In gorgeous, color-drenched photos Andrew Wilson showcases the work of leading garden designers as inspiring examples of the way color is used. Innovative gardens from all over the world help the reader visualize the core color lessons throughout the book. Supported by more than 300 stunning photographs, Contemporary Color in the Landscape integrates cutting-edge designers, their landscapes, color theory, new design ideas, and gorgeous photography into one inspirational, instructional, and must-have guide for design professionals.

Acclaimed landscape designer Daniel Nolan showcases the best of desert gardenscapes that have become synonymous with luxury minimalism, and presents techniques that will inspire readers to transform available space into their own modern dry garden. Hot days, cool nights, dry air, a blazing sun—California’s Mediterranean climate is not what you think of when you hear “lush garden,” but leading garden designers Nolan and his peers have revolutionized this genre with their artful designs. Nolan, the authority on dry gardens, has carefully selected 25 unique public and private garden masterpieces, diverse examples of interior and exterior gardening techniques. Readers will be treated to a complete look at crafting elevated and rustic gardens through a variety of environments, from pools and pocket gardens, front lawns, balconies, and living walls to retail spaces, museums, and vineyards. Each detailed project offers a different approach to incorporating the desert’s wild array of flora and becomes a practical tool, addressing various materials and horticultural and compositional solutions. Rich with bold architecture of spiny cacti, brilliant and muted sage, rosy succulents, bright, dusty sands, and red rocks, Dry Gardens proves that inspiration has no geographic boundaries. It will be appreciated by lovers of gardens and interior design from around the world.