Great garden design

602 Pages·2015·43.79 MB·English

by  Brookes

CONTENTS
Foreword
Introduction
BOLD VISIONS, GREAT DESIGNS
Contemporary garden styles
Contemporary formal
Urban chic
Cottage and country style
Naturalistic style
Water gardens
Subtropical style
GARDEN GALLERY
Architectural ideas
Defining spaces
Making an entrance
Journeys and routes
Ornamental flourishes
Dramatic illumination
Inspirational water
Planting styles
Cottage to country
Naturalistic planting
Exotic planting
Architectural planting
Waterside planting
Shade planting
Lawns and meadows
OUTDOOR EXPERIENCES
Relaxing
Dining
Playing
Bathing
GARDENS WITH A CONSCIENCE
Sustainable solutions
Green technologies
Managing water
Supporting wildlife
Shared and nurturing spaces
REALISING YOUR DESIGN
Assessing your plot
Commissioning a designer
Directory of designers
Index
Acknowledgements
Copyright
Foreword
by John Brookes
John Brookes is one of the most influential designers of recent times.
Great Garden Design is a wholly refreshing book – in its presentation and in its
content. The book breaks down the overall plan of a garden and deals with the
various sections and functions it may include. I was particularly interested in the
section ‘Gardens with a Conscience’, which outlines sustainable solutions, green
technologies and the support of wildlife. This is indeed an interesting advance in
garden thinking, and the author is to be commended for including it. This gentle
introduction of modern technologies, showing how they can work even on a
domestic scale is, I think, vital.
Indeed, this book covers a subject close to my heart. The Society of Garden
Designers was founded in 1981 – when I was working abroad – not only to bring
together the newly trained, as garden design courses of varying durations sprang
up, but to also install a design criteria into our garden layouts. During that year,
the Society’s founders, Robin Williams, Rosemary Alexander, Peter Rogers and
James Seymour, gathered together designers in order to establish an independent
voice, and to collaborate effectively with the Royal Horticultural Society. This
would ensure a professional presence at the world’s most celebrated annual
garden design competition, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. As then, Chelsea is
one of the few showcases for contemporary garden designs, and its trends, plants
and styles are examined around the world, long after the one-week show closes.
However, the great majority of designers’ projects are not show gardens, but
real gardens that the designers conceive and make in collaboration with owners.
real gardens that the designers conceive and make in collaboration with owners.
Real-life gardens that need to evolve, delight and function for 52 weeks of the
year, rather than a single week. Often these private spaces are unseen by the
public, unless the owners choose to open them for the National Gardens Scheme
or another charity, or allow them to be professionally photographed. Well, now
you can see many of these real-life private gardens in all their glory within the
pages of this book.
The influence of the founding SGD members cannot be underestimated. They
have been involved in establishing design schools, offering employment,
nurturing new designers, and producing television shows, books and journals.
Garden design has advanced hugely and it is gratifying to see that many of the
Society’s members are exporting their talents. British garden designers have
earned the reputation as some of the best in the world.
The Society has moved on in leaps and bounds, and this volume is a true
reflection of the excellent work that its members are creating, worldwide. I wish
both well.

John Brookes, MBE

John Brookes’ garden, Denmans, in Sussex was considered ground-breaking when he created it
during the 1980s, and it is still admired today by fellow designers and visitors from around the
world.
Introduction
by Ian Hodgson
This contemporary space shows how skilful design can transform a garden into a beautiful
landscape, using just a small palette of plants and a creative eye for colour, shape and form.
DESIGN BY WILSON MCWILLIAM
GARDEN DESIGN galvanises art, science, culture and environment together
unlike any other discipline. Gardens have been at the heart of human civilisation
for thousands of years, but in the last few decades, their design has become more
diverse, with new ideas fuelled particularly by concern for wildlife and the
environment. A desire to improve our quality of life and reconnect with nature
has also been an impetus for garden-making, from private courtyards to country
estates and public spaces, but especially for recuperative gardens, where
sensitive design of outdoor spaces can be a powerful agent for good.
This book identifies a range of ideas and themes that will help transform your
outdoor space, using examples from members of the Society of Garden
Designers. The first chapter ‘Bold Visions, Great Designs’ takes a look at
particular styles, from contemporary formal and urban to cottage, country,
naturalistic and meadow gardens, as well as themed subtropical and water
gardens. The chapter also profiles designers that have produced some of the best
examples of each genre.
The second chapter, ‘Garden Gallery’, is split into architectural ideas and
planting styles, and here we take a closer look at all the elements and approaches
used to create a garden, showcasing a range of inspirational features and
schemes. Design is, of course, a personal persuasion and all the examples
presented can be reinterpreted and repurposed to create your garden, perhaps
even founding your own unique style!
Gardens are also about having fun and enjoying life. ‘Outdoor Experiences’
illustrates this with the wide range of activities you can include in your design,
from the purely passive to the highly active, including relaxing, dining,
exercising and den-making. Environmental concerns form the basis of ‘Gardens
With A Conscience’, which highlights some of the techniques designers use to
make better use of natural resources, such as water, sunlight, and materials found
on site or in the locality. These practices also help us tread more lightly on the
earth, reducing our carbon footprint and allowing us to take greater
responsibility for the demands we make on its resources. The realisation by
scientists and environmentalists that gardens provide important refuges for a
wide spectrum of wildlife is one of the great breakthroughs of the last decade.
Their significance is set against a backdrop of dwindling natural habitats caused
by intensive agriculture, urbanisation and climate change.
The final part of the book, ‘Realising Your Design’, provides practical advice
on how to assess your site and commission a designer, with the directory of
members of the Society of Garden Designers to help you make your choice. I