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P. Allen Smith's Garden Home: Creating a Garden for Everyday Living
Lots of people want gardens but find the prospect of getting started a bit daunting. P. Allen Smith's Garden Home is P. Allen Smith's inviting solution.
Smith begins with his own story: his family's love of gardens and experience in the nursery business, his own education at the great gardens of England, and his discovery that we all have, as he says, "a longing for our agrarian past." After walking us through his own "garden home" and explaining why he made the choices he did, Allen introduces his 12 principles of garden design, discussing such topics as a sense of enclosure, framing the view, texture, pattern, rhythm, and, of course, color. Then, with step-by-step projects, he shows readers how to apply the principles in their own garden homes.
For the millions of people who know Smith through his syndicated television show, Weather Channel segments, and appearances on The Early Show, this book is the irresistible invitation to follow him into the garden.
Smith begins with his own story: his family's love of gardens and experience in the nursery business, his own education at the great gardens of England, and his discovery that we all have, as he says, "a longing for our agrarian past." After walking us through his own "garden home" and explaining why he made the choices he did, Allen introduces his 12 principles of garden design, discussing such topics as a sense of enclosure, framing the view, texture, pattern, rhythm, and, of course, color. Then, with step-by-step projects, he shows readers how to apply the principles in their own garden homes.
For the millions of people who know Smith through his syndicated television show, Weather Channel segments, and appearances on The Early Show, this book is the irresistible invitation to follow him into the garden.
- GenresGardeningArtNonfiction
224 pages, Hardcover
First published February 4, 2003
2 people are currently reading
49 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 8, 2015
Lovely book. Smith's 12 principles for garden design provide a starting point for planning or improving upon your garden. Emphasizing structure and the purpose behind each garden 'room', he guides readers through the process of creating or re-shaping the space they have to suit their needs, beautifully.
Lush photos, specific recommendations, ideas for adding easy structures and surfaces, and a friendly tone throughout.
Lush photos, specific recommendations, ideas for adding easy structures and surfaces, and a friendly tone throughout.
April 25, 2013
What does it say about me that I have a crush on this man? I know, it's unlikely the feelings will be returned. Loved the pictures, the ideas, the resources, and especially his connections to what we feel in the garden and why.
November 18, 2022
The only reason this isn’t five stars is because no one could possibly create the spaces he creates. I got a LOT out of imagining my outdoor spaces like rooms, though, and appreciated the practical and aesthetic approaches to gardens.
March 7, 2022
An enjoyable and relaxing book to read. The steps in planning your garden are very helpful and so inspiring!
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November 8, 2016I liked this landscaping book more than some others I've read, mostly because they can be applied to city lots, and not just larger, rural lots. The twelve principles of landscaping he lays out are divided into two sections of 6. The first 6 are structural, and the second 6 are aesthetic. The structural principles are fairly typical of most other theories of landscaping, although he focuses on the creation of "rooms" as the basis. (Other designers usually mention "garden rooms", but leave this more open-ended. I found it helpful in breaking down what could be a very large project into manageable chunks, as well as being an aesthetic inspiration.) It wasn't mentioned in the book, but an easy way to try to see where natural boundaries for the "rooms" are is to get on Google maps and find a satellite view of your property. It is easier to identify the strongest defining lines from that angle, and existing trees and shrubbery.
It is written in a narrative style, and is a bit wordy at times. There are briefer ways to summarize these principles, buy it's a matter of opinion and taste as to how important each one is, or how to apply them to any given garden. He sprinkles little ideas throughout the narrative. I particularly liked his inclusion of "mystery" as one of the aesthetic principles It was enlightening to read about obscuring and screening views, as I had not thought of this. I like his aesthetic style overall, although we disagree on the value of the color Orange. He refused to write much about using the color orange in the Color section, but went on and on about other colors that he liked more. He is very opinionated on some points. If you agree with his aesthetic, fine, and if not, you may find this quirk annoying.
If you like P. Allen Smith's English-garden-inspired aesthetic this isn't a bad choice for an introduction to landscape design. There are lots of pictures and ideas from his own garden on a city lot, as well as other gardens that he admires.
It is written in a narrative style, and is a bit wordy at times. There are briefer ways to summarize these principles, buy it's a matter of opinion and taste as to how important each one is, or how to apply them to any given garden. He sprinkles little ideas throughout the narrative. I particularly liked his inclusion of "mystery" as one of the aesthetic principles It was enlightening to read about obscuring and screening views, as I had not thought of this. I like his aesthetic style overall, although we disagree on the value of the color Orange. He refused to write much about using the color orange in the Color section, but went on and on about other colors that he liked more. He is very opinionated on some points. If you agree with his aesthetic, fine, and if not, you may find this quirk annoying.
If you like P. Allen Smith's English-garden-inspired aesthetic this isn't a bad choice for an introduction to landscape design. There are lots of pictures and ideas from his own garden on a city lot, as well as other gardens that he admires.
March 31, 2012
Flipping channels one day on the tv I saw a show that I liked. It was hosted by P. Allen Smith. He was tying the beauty of the landscape, the gardens, the house design, and the interior design all together. I really liked that message. So I decided to see if the library had any books by him. Lo and behold, they did! I spent most of the month enjoying this book in little bits.The 12 features of design were inspirational. I plan on buying this book so that I can continously review it.
April 30, 2008
helpful ideas and considerations for thinking about your outdoor space.
March 28, 2009
Very Interesting - I would love to be able to incorporate these ideas in my garden.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews