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The Crevice Garden: How to make the perfect home for plants from rocky places
A crevice garden replicates the environmental conditions of mountain tops, deserts, coastlines, and other exposed or rocky places on earth. These striking garden features provide perfect conditions for the plants native to these far-off places, bringing the cultivation of these precious gems within everybody’s reach.
In this book, enthusiastic experts Kenton Seth and Paul Spriggs bring us in-depth guidance on the design, construction, and planting of crevice gardens of all kinds including those suitable for containers, small gardens, and public parks and in styles that encompass both naturalistic scenes and non-traditional installations.
A wealth of international case studies demonstrate how crevice gardens provide multiple micro-habitats that are exceptionally well-suited to plants that struggle in normal garden conditions.
Further examples reveal their value in the ecological re-use of waste materials such as concrete, wildlife habitat creation, and for making permeable, plant-friendly alternatives to retaining walls.
An illustrated A-Z recommending 250 irresistible plants completes this comprehensive book which heralds a bold new chapter in the history of crevice garden making.
In this book, enthusiastic experts Kenton Seth and Paul Spriggs bring us in-depth guidance on the design, construction, and planting of crevice gardens of all kinds including those suitable for containers, small gardens, and public parks and in styles that encompass both naturalistic scenes and non-traditional installations.
A wealth of international case studies demonstrate how crevice gardens provide multiple micro-habitats that are exceptionally well-suited to plants that struggle in normal garden conditions.
Further examples reveal their value in the ecological re-use of waste materials such as concrete, wildlife habitat creation, and for making permeable, plant-friendly alternatives to retaining walls.
An illustrated A-Z recommending 250 irresistible plants completes this comprehensive book which heralds a bold new chapter in the history of crevice garden making.
- GenresGardeningNonfiction
224 pages, Hardcover
Published August 1, 2022
2 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 20, 2022
Detailed information about all kinds of crevice gardens, most of which seem to require a lot of work to create something that looks like it's always been there. A great book to read in the winter when you can’t do anything impulsive.
April 17, 2022
This is one of those books that makes you want to rush out and create your own crevice garden!! The photographs alone are stunning and help paint the picture of just what it is to be a crevice garden, and alongside that the enthusiasm of the authors is infectious as they explore different aspects of this aspect of gardening.
This is a book packed full of photos, plants, history and ideas! I knew very little of crevice gardening, my only real knowledge is of rockery planting, but this a more broader range and a whole new level which is a better way for the plants - a way of working with them to suit their conditions than old ideas as it recreates their ideal habitat.
It looks into the geology alongside the extremes of the climates that these plants thrive in and it always amazes me that there are plants out there that survive in even the harshest of conditions! With this background information you really do understand a lot more about the plants and it's made me want to learn more about these plants that can often be overlooked and not embraced into gardening schemes.
There are brilliant step by step hints and ideas to help you set up your own crevice garden, and you don't even need a large area as they can be created in a pot. It sets you in the right direction of rocks to use, soil and, most importantly!, the plants to be used! What was even more helpful was the list of plants for specific situations which makes it really easy to pick and choose for your own needs!
A lot of American gardens are shown in some of the photos, but there are also photos from RHS Wisley, alongside gardens from Europe and it was really nice to see Crevice Gardening in action as it really gives you a good feel for the 'art' and I always like to see gardens that others have created.
This was a comprehensive and illuminating introduction to Crevice Gardening for me and I'm thankful to the authors for sharing their enthusiasm and knowledge and I look forward to using this book for my own crevice gardening plans in the future!
My thanks to Filbert Press for the copy in return for a fair and honest review.
This is a book packed full of photos, plants, history and ideas! I knew very little of crevice gardening, my only real knowledge is of rockery planting, but this a more broader range and a whole new level which is a better way for the plants - a way of working with them to suit their conditions than old ideas as it recreates their ideal habitat.
It looks into the geology alongside the extremes of the climates that these plants thrive in and it always amazes me that there are plants out there that survive in even the harshest of conditions! With this background information you really do understand a lot more about the plants and it's made me want to learn more about these plants that can often be overlooked and not embraced into gardening schemes.
There are brilliant step by step hints and ideas to help you set up your own crevice garden, and you don't even need a large area as they can be created in a pot. It sets you in the right direction of rocks to use, soil and, most importantly!, the plants to be used! What was even more helpful was the list of plants for specific situations which makes it really easy to pick and choose for your own needs!
A lot of American gardens are shown in some of the photos, but there are also photos from RHS Wisley, alongside gardens from Europe and it was really nice to see Crevice Gardening in action as it really gives you a good feel for the 'art' and I always like to see gardens that others have created.
This was a comprehensive and illuminating introduction to Crevice Gardening for me and I'm thankful to the authors for sharing their enthusiasm and knowledge and I look forward to using this book for my own crevice gardening plans in the future!
My thanks to Filbert Press for the copy in return for a fair and honest review.
January 30, 2025
Good information, but would benefit from some eastern rock gardens being included. The use of western slate style slabs over and over again got a bit dull. But very good information on building a crevice garden. Also the plants aren’t very useful, I don’t think, to the eastern part of the country.
January 27, 2023
This is a fabulous book for those looking to build a rock/crevice garden (or anyone just interested in them). It really dug into the details of the how-to and gave beautiful examples and inspiration. I will have to borrow it again from the library or even purchase my own copy. I borrowed it just as I was building the foundation for my new rock garden so I learned some great things about soil and where to situate different pieces that I could apply as I built. When the snow melts and I get back to it, I know I'll need to get this book again.
April 1, 2024
This is about as good as gardening books get.
Well written, superbly researched, 100% full-color pages with excellent photographs and illustrations, approachable to the novice yet robust enough for the experts (I would imagine). The authors are true masters of their craft and their writing is engaging and intelligent without being annoying, smug, or overly didactic. Genuinely cannot wait to build my own crevice garden.
Well written, superbly researched, 100% full-color pages with excellent photographs and illustrations, approachable to the novice yet robust enough for the experts (I would imagine). The authors are true masters of their craft and their writing is engaging and intelligent without being annoying, smug, or overly didactic. Genuinely cannot wait to build my own crevice garden.
April 13, 2023
I love discovering gardening books that don't treat readers like they're idiots, and this is definitely one. I only wish that this reference had been around a few years ago when I still had the strength to put something like this together. I've always wanted one of these gardens. Kenton Seth's outstanding illustrations and diagrams are a particular strength.
June 13, 2024
I saw Kenton Seth at a Master Gardener conference and I fell in love with this concept. I am having one installed in my Kansas garden in August 2024!! Can't wait!
August 25, 2024
This is an exciting garden concept, especially for the very dry western Intermountain region that I call home. Bottom line is that a lot of rock is required!
September 4, 2024
Beautiful book! I wish for a space like those in the book!
December 23, 2024
I finished this way back this year but apparently didn’t mark it. Neat book - inspired ideas for gardening in/around the rocks in our yard.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews