Reviews (4)

It can't be replaced!!!
I bought this book over a year ago.I've read through each project a dozen times.I love about 94% of them.Our house sits on a lot that is ~ 100 feet x ~ 120 feet.I was going to get crazy this spring and summer with a new patio, arbor, and several garden areas.
Great Book
This book is so well layed out. I give this book 5 stars because it has excellent descriptions and pictures. I built the terra cotta fountain in the book and I love it so much.

Not bad depending on what you are looking for
This book is great as general advice.There are SO MANY different projects though that there is not a great level of detail on any one.Just enough of an overview and "how-to" to make you feel comfortable about taking some of these projects on for yourself or answering those questions that always used to make you go "Hmmmmm."Still, for a first time homeowner it will give you a lot of ideas and confidence to start making plans. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Design and construction    3. Garden ornaments and furniture    4. Garden structures    5. Gardening    6. Gardening / Horticulture    7. Gardening/Plants    8. Handbooks, manuals, etc    9. Landscape    10. Landscape design    11. Garden design & planning   

Reviews (12)

a beautiful woman
I have loved Tasha Tudor's illustrations in books like "The Tasha Tudor Book of Fairy Tales", "The Secret Garden" and "A Little Princess" since childhood.I didn't know anything about Tasha Tudor as a person, and then one Christmas my mother gave me this book.Wow!Mrs. Tudor has lived a remarkable life and she is an amazing person.She has chosen to create a home for herself that seems to exist in a century past.Her son built a rustic house for her, and she has surrounded it with extensive farm buildings, cottage gardens, fruits, berries, chickens, goats and dogs.She dresses in layers of vintage clothing and eats off of china that has been in her family for generations.I just love this woman, and her lifestyle.This is a beautiful book.

Surprise
I purchased this book years ago... at a bookstore and paid the full price. Had I known about Amazon.com....I could have saved money. Then I could have more books! I strongly recommend this book for all gardeners to add to their home library. Enjoy!

a journeyto the past
Looking at Tasha Tudor's Garden is like taking a journey to another century, surrounded by beauty and peace. Tasha herself wears 19th century clothes, including petticoats, shawls, and head kerchiefs and lives in an antique-appearing house, going about her life with what seems to be a minimal of technology. The photographs that capture her seeing to the goats in the barn in winter, carrying a basket of hand-pulled weeds in summer, arranging lillies, tulips, peonies and old roses in her lovely old house, and seeing the cottage gardens in bloom are absolutely gorgeous. Sometimes gardeners just need inspiration, and this book is perfect for this. Enjoy. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Flowers - General    2. Garden Design    3. Gardening    4. Gardening / Horticulture    5. Gardening/Plants    6. Homes and haunts    7. Landscape Horticulture    8. Tudor, Tasha    9. Vermont    10. Gardening / Garden Design    11. Horticulture    12. Landscape art & architecture   

Editorial Review

The great apes, like humans, can recognize themselves in mirrors. They communicate by soundand gesture, form bands along what can only be called political lines, and sometimes engage in what is veryclearly organized warfare. (Less frequently, too, they practice cannibalism.) In Read more

Reviews (15)

DISTURBING BUT USEFUL
Chimpanzee Politics: Power and Sex among Apes was a very disturbing book to read. Perhaps this is because of the way Franz de Waal chose to end the book.The story about how Luit finished his reign as "alpha male" was extremely upsetting.
Lots about Chimpazee Erections
De Waal investigates chimpanzee behavior in a zoo, which is at odds with chimpanzee behavior in the wild. The main difference is that the female chimps live together instead of foraging alone, which leads them to participate more in politics than usual. The book is about coalitions, how they're formed, and between whom. The longest part details how leadership changed from chimp to chimp to chimp. There is quite a bit about chimpanzee sex, especially how male chimps thrusts their hips forward and bounce their penises up and down to attract women. There is a nude shot of a chimpanzee penis, but you have to be told what it is. There is a lesbian monkey, and an ape rape, and they go together. A big arrow would have been helpful. The very best part is the postscript which depicts something that is treated fully in another book (de Waal is a salesman as well as a biologist); one of the chimps is murdered when the other chimps bite off his balls. It has some good pictures, it's kind of fun, but I wouldn't buy it.

Fascinating parallels to human behavior
The parallels de Waal draws between human and chimp politics are interesting, ironic, and often amusing. They seem so valid--if one can look objectively and without prejudice--that I found myself both fascinated and amused throughout the whole book at the similarities between both chimp and human customs and politics. The difference between us and the chimps is that a thin surface veneer of ideology and beliefs hides the true nature of politics for us, and the sex and the money which are really at the root of it.
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Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. Apes & Monkeys    3. General    4. Life Sciences - Biology - General    5. Life Sciences - Zoology - Primatology    6. Nature    7. Science    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Animal behaviour    10. Architecture / Landscape    11. Primates   

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Handbooks, manuals, etc    3. Landscape    4. Landscape Architecture And Design    5. Landscape architecture    6. Architecture / Landscape    7. Garden design & planning    8. Landscape art & architecture   

Reviews (10)

Southern gardening
This was for my daughter, a new resident of Florida.She was very excited about the book and is looking forward to trying out many of the suggestions.

Gardening and Landscaping in Central Florida
Being fairly new to Tampa,Fla I needed a book with great color illustrations not black and white hand drawn pictures. This is THE book. The layout, with examples of landscaping and the vivid photos gave me what I has desperately been searching for. Kudos to the author for a sorely needed gardening book for this area.

Well Written, Poor Photography
Being new to central Florida, I was really looking for a book that focused on what plants would thrive in this area.Most books are generic to Florida and often feature plants that only grow well in south Florida."Gardening & Landscaping in Central Florida" fit my need exactly.It is well written and organized.So why didn't I give it 5 stars?Two main reasons.First, the photographs were clearly taken with an early generation digital camera which makes them fuzzy and lacking detail when printed.Overall, the book just doesn't do justice to otherwise well photographed pictures.Second, there are just a handful of pages in the middle of the book that go through a listing of the plants best suited for central Florida.Whle this is great, I walked away feeling the list was bit a skimpy.I've seen many plants at my local garden centers and in landscapes that weren't mentioned.While that doesn't mean those plants are ideal for the area, I think would be worth mentioning some of these other plants and if there are risks planting them.It would be impossible to list every plant available, but I just felt that the listing of plants included in the book is pretty short and more time could have gone into making the listing more comprehensive.So it's still a recommended book, just note these two weaknesses. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Florida    2. Garden Design    3. Gardening    4. Gardening / Horticulture    5. Gardening / Landscape    6. Gardening / Regional / South (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV)    7. Landscape    8. Landscape architecture    9. Regional - South   

Reviews (5)

Green roofs around the world
GREEN ROOFS: ECOLOGICAL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION advocates the construction of 'green roofs' which can reduce energy demand and protect wildlife, packing in a survey of buildings and communities already using such roofs to their advantage. Some forty case studies of these projects pair color photos of roofs around the world with discussions of sustainable development and project management: thus practical applications appear alongside environmental advocacy. Experts also discuss technical requirements and history, which will please working architects. An excellent survey of working green roofs and their appeal.

Great Book
As a very vocal proponet of green or living roofs I love this book.I believe that Mr Collum, previous reviewer must have just looked at the pictures.Pages 9 through 23 tell very well why we should have green roofs.If you are already an advocate or a newbe to green roofs, this book is for you. There is not a lot of technical information here but it gives the bare bones. If everything you needed to know about green roofs was here you couldn't lift the book. This book is ment to inspire you to get behind green roofs and advocate them in your neighborhood.

Why produce a book like this?
This book has lots of nice photographs.That is all.The technical section consists of two pages which state that a waterproof membrane is needed between the roof structure and the soil.There is no information of a technical nature in the book.I wonder why use up the earth's resources for no value.An absolute waste. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Buildings    3. Environmental aspects    4. Flowers - General    5. Gardening / Horticulture    6. Green roofs (Gardening)    7. Landscape    8. Applied ecology    9. Architectural structure & design   

Reviews (1)

The Bible is no longer in print!
For anyone who is interested in golf course architecture, this book is a must for your library.Contains a complete index (a continuous work-in-process) of architects and their courses. Essentially every course in the world (including those which are no longer in existance), is listed including its location, date of orgin and the architects who created it also the provider of any known substantial (professional) renovation work.It must take a tremendous effort for the authors to keep this book up to date. I hope the fact that this book is no longer in print indicates that the authors are hard at work.If you do not have a copy find one, if you have to go the the library and photocopy theirs (but bring a stack of dimes its very long). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography/Autobiography    2. Design and construction    3. Golf    4. Golf - General    5. Golf courses    6. Great Britain    7. History    8. Landscape    9. Landscape Architecture And Design    10. Sports & Recreation    11. United States    12. Reference works    13. United Kingdom, Great Britain   

Reviews (1)

This would make a nice gift for the gardener
This book has some beautiful close up photographs of seedheads.If you are looking for different ideas or ways to extend the life of your flowers, take a look at "Seedheads in the Garden." I plan to plant a few of the flowers next season, just to have their unique seedheads.This is a book many gardeners may not have seen yet, but will be glad to get for a Christmas gift this year. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ecology    2. Garden Design    3. Gardening    4. Gardening / Horticulture    5. Gardening/Plants    6. Home Gardening    7. Landscape    8. Native plants for cultivation    9. Ornamental Plants    10. Seedheads    11. Seeds    12. Gardening / Garden Design    13. Gardening: plants   

Reviews (7)

Dream Book
This book will set your imagination on fire and motivate you to turn your ordinary backyard into a mini-paradise. Lots of pictures to drool over, you will find yourself thumbing thru it again and again..

Outdoor Rooms
This is a great "thumb thur" book. It has really nice pictures of outdoor areas that are very "architectural".... Not helpful for the "average joe" looking for ideas to create your own backyard/outdoor patio/room.

Great for Entertaining Types
If you need ideas on how to create outdoor spaces for entertaining - this book is for you.Dining, lounging, dining, lounging...Even different photos of the same patio have different place settings on the tables to give you dining ideas.After a while, I began looking for spaces where you could do something other than dine, or lounge.Overall, nice photos of nice outdoor spaces, but limited appeal. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Decorating    3. Home Improvement / Construction    4. Interior Design - General    5. Landscape    6. Outdoor & Recreational Areas - Patios & Decks    7. Greenhouses, conservatories, patios   

Reviews (6)

Very nice starting point for a broad subject. Great bibliography
`Landscaping for Dummies' by Philip Giroux, Bob Beckstrom, Lance Walheim and a cast of thousands is a typically ironic example of what you will find in this huge `Dummies' series of books, which started out as a series of texts for PC subjects, where the PC had a knack of making us all feel like dummies. Since then, it has expanded to touch virtually every `practical' subject in the known universe. That is, I haven't seen any `Wittgenstein for Dummies' or `Quantum Thermodynamics for Dummies', as neither of these subjects are things the average intelligent, but uninformed person is likely to pick up to brief themselves for a weekend project of as a start to a new hobby.
Okay for the basic landscaper
I've been working in commercial landscaping off and on for nearly four years now.I borrowed this book from a friend just to check it out.I think if you are a new homeowner and don't have much experience in landscaping then this book will probably work.If you are familiar with planting tree's and shrubs, bricklaying, fencing, and bordering, then maybe you should try and find something a little more advance.I suppose it depends on how big the project is you are working on.

Landscaping For Dummies
A very informative tome, but I think its tries to achieve too much in what is a rather large and varied subject. Should focus on the basics.............but to be fair still an excellent guide ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Garden Design    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Landscape    6. Landscape Design And Planting    7. Landscape architecture    8. Landscape gardening    9. Outdoor Structure Construction    10. Gardening / Landscape    11. Landscape art & architecture   

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Building sites    3. Landscape    4. Landscape architecture    5. Planning    6. Architecture / Landscape    7. Landscape art & architecture   

Reviews (2)

Surprising Depth of Information
Although this is mostly a coffee-table book (great pictures and original & later landscaping plans), it does give an unexpectedly generous amount of historical background on the modernist architectural movement in Southern California.
Private Landscapes: Modernist Gardens in Southern California
Kathryn Smith's erudite introduction and the authors' texts add historical resonance to this enticing collection of new and original gardens (including several by Burton) that set off classic houses by Schindler, Neutra, Soriano, and Quincy Jones. The plans and photographs are reminders of how Garrett Eckbo and others led the way in integrating modern architecture with landscape, inspired by Neutra's vision of the house as "a machine in the garden." (Michael Webb is the book reviewer for LA Architect magazine.) ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. California, Southern    3. Design    4. Garden Design    5. Gardening / Horticulture    6. Gardens    7. Landscape    8. Landscape architecture    9. Architecture / General    10. California    11. Gardening / Garden Design    12. Landscape art & architecture    13. Modernist Gardns    14. Private Landscapes   

Reviews (11)

A Garden Gallery : The Plants, Art, and Hardscape of Little and Lewis
We actually visited the gardens of Little and Lewis on Bainbridge Island, WA and they are every bit as good as shown in the book.Ordered two books for good measure!

A Garden Gallery
This is an inspirational book full of great photographs from the garden of two very creative gardeners.The book is arranged in an interview format; Mr. Lewis discusses ideas that are near and dear to him; Mr. Little shares his views.They garden together and their combined talents create a beautiful space.

Masters of Inspiration
Lewis and Little in "A Garden Gallery" have given us not only beautiful pictures, but also an interesting, informative, and inspiring book about the creativity and joy of gardening. The two authors are true artists and poets as well as master gardeners. A beautiful book to have even if you never touch a spade. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1944-    2. 1955-    3. Biography    4. Garden Design    5. Gardening    6. Gardening / Horticulture    7. Gardening/Plants    8. Landscape    9. Landscape architects    10. Lewis, David,    11. Little, George,    12. Sculptors    13. Washington (State)    14. Gardening / Garden Design   

Reviews (9)

Jack, Jack, and more Jack
Nicklaus has become a major name in the golf design business. Nicklaus-brand courses are becoming regular fixtures as tour events, and also play host to majors of every variety.
Nicklaus' Entry on Golf Course Designs
One of what is becoming a library of works on golf course designs written by leading architects - fun thing here is that not only do you hear from Nicklaus the architect but also get more insight into Nicklaus the golfer (something not found in books by Trent Jones, Trent Jones II or Fazio in their books). A GRAND SLAM WITH NICKLAUS, DYE, and MILLARD!
This book is a masterpiece. It is very rich in its contents. It is not only interesting and historic but explains the creativity of design and the thought process that goes into designing a great golf course. Millard, Nicklaus, and Dye who could come up with better names in the Golf World. Millard in his beautiful wit and writing, Nicklaus in his play and design and Dye with his creativity. A must read for anyone who has played the game of golf. The photography and pictures are beautiful. Read,relax, and enjoy this wonderful book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Design & Drafting    2. Golf - General    3. Landscape    4. Sports    5. Sports & Recreation    6. Architectural structure & design    7. Golf    8. Sporting venues    9. Sports & Recreation / Golf    10. USA   

Reviews (28)

A beautiful guide to tropical gardening
I received this book from a friend who knew I was in the middle of a yard restoration.I picked it up late in the evening the day I received it, then couldn't put it down.I was up until 2:30 A.M., entranced by the beautiful photos that not only made me want to slide inside the scenery,but it makes me think I can grow things like this. I can't wait to get started.I have always loved tropical plants, but as a home gardener I never seem to find the time to do the research.Bob Riffle did the work for me.
lov'n Tropicals
I have been tropical gardening for almost 20 years here in the Midwest. I am always trying new things and combinations. It was great to finally get the book. What a treasure of information. I used it to do a 50 banana display last year in my garden. The pictures were so rich that I wanted to grow all of them.This book is great for the intermediate gardener. You have to have some idea of what your doing to get the most out of this book. I liked that all the plants were together not seperated so if I didn't know it was a shrub or a tree I could find it.The cheat sheet at the start of each genus entry was great it made scanning the book for something easier. All in All a great book

Better Suited to scholars than Casual Gardeners
I received the Encyclopedia and found it to be just that.The pictures are all clustered on a few pages in the center of the book while the first and last parts are dedicated to an encyclopedia britannica style listing of the plants without pictures.The plants are alphabetical so it's great if you want to know more about a plant and know it's latin name.If you're looking to flip through a book and pick out the ones you like, this isn't the book for you.I'd recommend Hardy Palms and Palm-Like Plants.It's cheaper, and the plants are grouped together by typs along with pictures and descriptions of each.It may not be as thorough, but it's more helpful for those of us who don't know what we're doing yet. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Encyclopedias    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Landscape    6. Landscape Horticulture    7. Landscape plants    8. Ornamental Plants    9. Reference    10. Tropical plants    11. United States    12. Gardening / Ornamental Plants   

Reviews (1)

AMERICAN GARDENS
Acanthus Press puts out the most beautiful books and this one does not disappoint.Garden's of the american aristocracy of the northeast and midwest are put on display with gorgeous images to accompany the scholarly text.These gardens are breathtaking and though layed out many years ago, they resonate today; true beauty is eternal I suppose.I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in formal gardens of the Gatsby set or frankly to anyone with a love for beautiful things.A gorgeous book on a gorgeous subject, another great book from Acanthus Press. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Gardens    3. Landscape    4. Middle Atlantic States    5. Middle West    6. Northeastern States    7. Pictorial works    8. Landscape art & architecture    9. USA   

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Domestic    4. General    5. Individual Architect    6. Landscape    7. California    8. Individual architects    9. Landscape art & architecture   

Editorial Review

Open the door and step outside to see how the Arts & Crafts aesthetic has shaped gardens over the years as surely as it has influenced architecture and furniture. This follow-up volume to Read more

Reviews (8)

Unique style beautifully presented
This book covers the architectural aspects of the property surrounding the bungalow - gates, arbors, fences, walls, paths, steps, water features, courtyards, patios, pergolas, porches, outdoor furniture, etc. The photography and color illustrations are superb and it is hard to take your eyes off the photos to actually read the text! And although the photos were taken at the present, the authors have not neglected the history of these dwellings and have included beautiful colored postcards that were so popular during the 1920s and 1930s. An introductory sections discusses the movers and shakers of the Arts and Crafts Movement, like William Morris, William Robinson, Gertrude Jekyll and Gustav Stickley. The final chapter is devoted to the architectural firm of Greene and Greene, whose style was a major influence. Most of the houses and gardens photographed here are on the West Coast (mainly Seattle, WA, Portland, OR and Pasadena, CA) although there are some Rhode Island properties included as well. A final section is devoted to planting the garden and includes lists of plants which are good for any situation imaginable. This is a wonderful book - beautiful, unique and inspiring!

Nothing like it.....
Disclaimer: I'm a bit biased, because its my home on the cover, despite this, the book is a crucial tool, there was so obvious a need for a book on this topic, one that relates to what people were wanting to do with their homes, and helping them to avoid. to a point, having to scrounge through years of bound periodicals in the library, and random drives through promising neighborhoods in search of inspiring examples....not that you would get to see the back yards. Excellent resource for creating a "complete" environment
What a great resource for those who feel that their home begins outside inits surroundings.The bungalow has never really gone out of style andcontinues to hold national appeal.This book is full of ideas that crossthe spectrum from simple to ellegant.It draws the reader outside of thebungalow and gives one cause to reflect on making the outside environmentbeautiful, comfortable, unique and completmentary to the structure itself.Many of the small towns in Southern California have undergone a secondlife with downtown revitalization projects that have extented into theolder neighborhoods.Duchscherer & Keister give the reader anappreciation for the beauty that can be created around these olderhomes.Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Arts and crafts gardens    3. Bungalows    4. Design    5. Garden Design    6. Gardening / Horticulture    7. Home Gardening    8. Landscape    9. Landscape Design And Planting    10. Landscape architecture    11. United States    12. Crafts & Hobbies / Seasonal   

Reviews (1)

Quality photography enhances this practical reference guide.
Grasses by freelance gardening writer Nancy J. Ondra is a beautiful and practical guide to raising ornamental grasses in one's garden. Filled cover to cover with excellent color photographs by life-long gardener and gardening photographer Saxon Holt of aesthetic and splendid grasses, the profusely illustrated text presents the reader with a wide choice of colored grasses to best accentuate the beauty of one's garden and how to best select choice plants for wet, dry, hot, or shady sites. Highly recommended for personal and professional gardening, horticultural and landscaping reference collections, even non-gardeners will appreciate the dazzling, coffee-table book quality photography of this singularly elegant yet practical guide. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. Landscape    5. Ornamental Plants    6. Plants - Grasses    7. Gardening / Landscape    8. Gardening: plants   

Reviews (2)

Perfect building blocks for landscape plan graphics
We used this book in Landscape Design at my college. It is an essential tool for the basics of plan graphics and design layout. It focuses on keeping the design clean and professional. I STRONGLY recommend this book to any first year Landscape Design student, or any professional who needs a good reference tool.

Even better than the Excelent first edition
This book doesnt' fail in maintain its focus on very practical aproach of the subject. It adopts a direct and easy to follow language and tips: Doesn't pretend to be artificially academic, intends strongly to help the beginners on their careers as the veterans too. Would be obvious that all books dealing with the same subject should present top quality on editorial design, but in many cases it's not true.This book, instead, cares a lot about its graphic presentation. The 2nd edition shows even better layout and more useful photos and drawings than those already great found on the previous edition. Covering decently the computer aplications on landscape renderings, it counts 264 pages: almost double comparing to the competing books and it's clearly cheaper, available at a fair price. My favourite in Landscape rendering field. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer graphics    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Landscape    6. Landscape Design And Planting    7. Landscape architectural drawing    8. Agriculture & Farming    9. Garden design & planning    10. Gardening / Landscape