The Inward Garden: Creating a Place of Beauty and Meaning

by Messervy, Sam Abell (Photographer)

Describing a new movement in landscape design, the author invites readers to look within themselves, use their imaginations, and create an original garden that is beautiful and personally meaningful--a garden that reflects the soul. 10,000 first printing.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction

256 pages, Hardcover

First published March 20, 1995

Reviews

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title says it all. Gardens are not just pretty spaces to look at but places to dwell within and become renewed. The author will help you define what it is you are looking for in a garden and how to create that special unique space. Beautiful photography.

[Maggie Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book that started it all, for me. Julie Moir Messervy encourages us to start at the very beginning in dreaming about our garden, and to get down to the fundamentals of what we really want our gardens to feel like and mean to us. In caring detail, she helps us consider every aspect of garden design, from the brainstorming phase down to the final working plan. This is my go-to resource and the touchstone of my garden planning philosophy. I particularly love how Julie honors each gardener's different wishes and goals, and though she is a world-renowned designer who is able to work with much larger budgets and spaces than I am, I still felt her lessons were completely applicable to my small-town Minnesota garden. A must-read for anyone who loves gardens, whether that's creating one yourself or just visiting them from time to time.

[Juli Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unusual and highly personal approach to garden design that I found helpful. Messervy relies on the identification of archetypal landscapes and their symbolic function in our psyches to guide the creation of personal, fulfilling gardens. Her approach grew a little Freudian at times for my taste, but the basic concepts are ones I know will stick with me as I design my garden.

[Laleh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The garden book I come to time and again. Simply nothing else like it. I wish she’d write more than the handful she already has! 🌱

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely book and a classic. But right now my garden is being whipped apart by storms and I don't like doing major plantings in the winter. So it's going back on the shelf until I'm ready to be inspired to garden, and the weather's non-torrential.

[Rexcrisanto Delson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was one of the things that convinced me that I wanted to do something to help people, and to make a living while doing so. The images are wonderful and Julie has a great way of enchanting any outdoor or garden-minded person.

[Linda Ranson-Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A treasure of a book, pure escapism and the heart of all gardening. A rare book that talks about meditative and thoughtful places within a garden and the planning of it. The images throughout the book are equally stunning.

[Ruhegeist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just started reading this book and already love it.