May 102013
Timeless Landscape Design: The Four-Part Master Plan
IN TIMELESS LANDSCAPE DESIGN, RENOWNED LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS Hugh and Mary Palmer Dargan share the secret to creating an unforgettable landscape with the “Four-Part Master Plan”-a unique method they’ve perfected over the past 25 years of creating award-winning gardens and yards. The Dargans share a blend of design techniques and practical advice on how to achieve the sophisticated look of a professionally designed landscape on any size and type of property. Design treatments are beautifully illus
List Price: $ 24.99
Price: $ 15.44
A disappointing read . . . .,
Make no mistake about it, this is definitely a coffee table book, with all the baggage that that moniker bestows. If you have no interest in gardening and are looking for a quick read to pick up a few landscape architect terms (like “genius loci”) to kick around willy-nilly at cocktail parties, this book is for you! On the other hand, if you are a serious gardener looking for a concrete introduction to classic landscape design . . . you will need to look elsewhere.
I will allow, the photographs are glorious (SOMETHING had to fill the 200 pages of this tome; it certainly isn’t inciteful text), as they should be in all coffee table books. However, one would at the very least hope for a few inspiring pictures; unfortunately the photos chosen clearly lean to spare, colorless landscapes employing lots of expensive hardscaping and precious little pizazz. And don’t look for any recommendations on plant material; the photo captions often detail the architect of the house, but mention plant material only in the broadest strokes.
So, fellow gardeners, save the $29 bucks and head off to your local nursery and select a pretty perennial for your garden. I can assure you it will be more inspiring than this disappointing book.
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Timeless Landscape is a timeless classic,
Mary Palmer and Hugh Dargan have designed some of the most beautiful gardens I have ever seen in Georgia, North Carolina and California (I am sure there are more gardens in other locations – I just haven’t had the priviledge of viewing them). One of our homes has a Hugh Dargan designed landscape and it is the primary reason we bought the property. Their book Timeless Landscape is an uncommonly fine work that is a testament to their deep bench of knowledge and inspired vision. Every page offers an opportunity to learn from a master and every photo is an inspiration.
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I now see the value… Worth more than 2 stars!,
I am keeping my original review below for comparison, but I have come back to review again because I must add that I now see the value in the book. I wish I could change my star rating, because now I would give it 4 or 5 stars. I wasn’t looking at it the right way at first. I am a beginning gardener, so at first blush this book seems to lack enough specific detail to be truly useful. And, the photos are not as perfect as other high quality gardening hardback books. Yet, now that I am studying it more intently, I see that what the authors o very well is to teach the art of landscape design. You will not find plant material resources, explicit instructions, or even robust descriptions of the gardens pictured in the book. But, you will find a step-by-step guide to planning your own garden design. If, like me, you ambitiously hope to accomplish an initial garden design without professional help, this book teaches you how to do so with high quality-results. It requires a careful study of the text, though, not an off-hand review of the photos and captions.
My original post:
I may be missing the value of this book, but to me it offered neither the specific advice and knowledge I crave or the beautiful photographs that inspire me. Some of the photos are even out of focus. There are much better books for both desires – gorgeous photos and real gardening wisdom – so I would not recommend this book to a fellow gardener. Again, I may have missed the point, but to me, it offered precious little value.
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