Theme Gardens

by Barbara Damrosch

A lot has happened in the world of gardening since Theme Gardens was first published in 1982. The parallels to cooking are striking-we now have a new and much expanded repertoire of flowers, herbs, and vegetables; we look for more variety in the way we garden and landscape; and it's become a more important part of many more people's lives. And a lot has happened to Barbara Damrosch. Through Theme Gardens and her classic, The Garden Primer , through her Gardener's Calendar and other ventures, she's established herself as one of the country's authorities.

Now, at long last, Theme Gardens is revised and updated to serve a new generation of gardening enthusiasts. It's like a new book in presentation, much more weighted to photography and with a reworked design that freshens and modernizes the landscape plans to make them easier to read and to follow. The lists of recommended plants is revamped, with special attention to eliminating potentially invasive varieties and adding new plants more suited to the grower's environment. All-new photographs are larger, selected illustrations are updated. What hasn't changed is the core of inspiring, practical, creative ideas-from a butterly garden to a garden of old roses, from a Shakespeare garden to a moon garden to a Zen garden to a medieval paradise garden, Theme Gardens presents plans for creating 16 distinctively themed gardens along with instructions for growing and maintaining over 300 plants. Recipes, in other words, that every gardener will love.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction

250 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Barbara has worked professionally in the field of horticulture since 1977. She writes, consults and lectures on gardening and farming and is owner of Four Season Farm, an experimental market garden in Harborside, Maine.

Barbara writes a weekly column for for The Washington Post called A Cook's Garden. She is also the author of The Garden Primer and Theme Gardens and her writing has been published extensively in national magazines. She is a horticultural consultant to John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds in Bantam, Connecticut and designed display food gardens for the Stone Barns Center For Food and Agriculture in Pocantico, New York.

Reviews

[False · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm selling this book for a friend. The author creates sixteen themed gardens: a fragrance garden, a Colonial garden, a butterfly garden, moon garden, children's garden, garden of old roses, zen garden, Shakespeare garden, gray garden, garden of love, hummingbird garden, secret garden, medieval paradise garden, grass garden, Victorian garden and winter garden. In each she draws up a diagram-blueprint for you to follow with recommended plants and their information. A nice starter book for the student of landscape design or just the homeowner gardener.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun gardening book full of creative ideas!

[Marina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not my type - GRO

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

For those who want step by step instruction in laying out a particular kind of garden...this book can be most helpful. Various types of gardens are included & plant lists are provided ...some history on each particular garden is also added in some cases.

Writer's style is very approachable & easy to understand...no high & lofty botanical terms to look up in the dictionary.

Author carefully explains various aspects of developing the projects in some cases such as how to build raised beds, prepare soil & building a trellis etc. These additions are there to supplement the ideas put forward by the author in a very effective manner.

I recommend this book on the premise of it's intended purpose...to help people looking to establish a few particular kinds of gardens & suggested layouts. With respect to it's purpose the objective has been met.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first gardening book, and I bought it even before I had a garden. I just loved the idea of themes which was new for me at the time. I bought it when I was in college at a small gift shop on campus, and I read it cover to cover.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great resource when planning a new garden or modifying an existing one. I liked the idea of a "theme" and the author gives a number of inspiring ideas.

[Wrdwrrior · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, but not an outstanding gardening book. Good pictures and good garden layouts for a novice.

[Gingy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super helpful.