Two new books are providing a fresh look into what modern gardening really is. In an few words, it is based on ecological ethos instead of a particular look or feel. The first book is by Tim Richardson and is entitled “Avant Gardeners: 50 Visionaries of the Contemporary Landscape.” The gardens shown in this tome show a wide range of styles using materials that one would not expect in their garden. From the World Trade Center in Osaka, Japan to the Herbert Dreiseitl’s German parks, these are ideas that are truly outside of the box. There are plenty of gardens back home in the US as well, many of which follow practices that are ecologically friendly with systems that harvest water and blur into the surrounding wild growth.

The other book is by Zahid Sardar and is entitled “New Garden Design: Inspiring Private Paradises.” This book is full of vivid color photos that truly take you to the gardens. Designs features designs from established landscapers as well as up and coming talent. These books tend to raise questions about modern gardens that they do not answer quite well. What is a modern garden, and what are its elements? Do they tend to be minimal and ecofriendly? Are there curves and natural shapes or sharp corners? Are they consisting of only local plants, or do they have an international offering?

Ask other gardeners, experts in plants, designers, and you will receive a variety of responses. There are those that say it is irrelevant, some that will ignore you, and some that will pour out with opinions. But there is one response that truly gets to the heart of the matter when it comes to gardening. The fact is that garden is a verb, not a noun, and it is in the act of gardening that truly modern ideas come into play. These include ecological considerations, as well as a sense of getting the most out of a garden with the least amount of work.

Gardens should be designed so that they are not labor intensive, and that they do not consume as much resources. What this initially means is that the plants chosen should thrive in your environment, and you should employ systems that sustain the garden. Rain water collection systems that will take a heavy nights rain and spread it out over a week or two. Choosing plants that add to the soil what other plants need to survive. Keeping the size of the garden within you manageability, and making sure that your garden is sustainable.

What it boils down to is that the modern revolution in gardening is towards sustainability and self sufficiency so that you minimize fertilizer and resource usage and the amount of work that you need to put into your garden. What theme could be more modern than sustainable actions and resource savings? It takes knowledge, focus, and determination to get there.

Originally posted 2009-03-04 13:49:02. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Title – Complete Idiot’s Guide to Rock and Water Gardening
Author - Carlo A. Balistrieri
ISBN – 159257159X
Format - Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher - Alpha (April 6, 2004)

This particular book on rock and water gardening is an enthusiastic book. While there is absolutely enough information about both water gardening and rock gardening, to write two separate and complete books, this book manages to combine both topics into one complete book, without losing anything important. It also makes a poignant point: both rock and water gardening can complement each other quite handsomely. This point is even detailed in multiple chapters.

Pros

• This book gives consideration to those DIYers that are working on a tight budget.
• This book is simple to read and gives great summaries at the end of each chapter.
• This is an inexpensive book when you are just getting started.

Cons

• Most of the photos of this book are not in color.

Summary

• There are photos as well as illustrations in this book, but they are not typically in color which is a trade off when you consider the inexpensive cost.
• There are summaries at the end of every chapter, providing you with immediate reinforcement of the concepts in the text.
• There is a glossary included in the book.
• The advice in this book does not overlook the people who are working on a tight budget as many cheap alternatives are explained in depth.
• Both rock gardening and water gardening are covered in this book.
• Specific projects and required tools are both touched on in this book.
• This book is easy to read, making it a suitable book for reading, browsing and for reference purposes as well.

This book stays true to the general format of the vast majority of the Idiot’s Guide books, breaking each page up into easily digested pieces. A simple intro is trailed by a discussion of the history of both water and rock gardening. The third chapter talks about the ways in which water and rock gardening can complement each other. The fourth chapter gives to a subtle push towards picking your own unique style with bits of advice, like “pick a motif that matches your lifestyle in general, and stay with it”.

This book really gets to the nitty-gritty when it comes to rock gardening, especially in chapter 5. In chapter 6, you will find a lot of additional information including choosing rocks, finding rocks and using rocks. Nothing is overlooked here. Using plants in the rock gardening process is covered in chapter 7 and chapter 8. In chapter 9 however, the topic is switched to water gardening. You will learn about streams, fountains and waterfalls in this chapter, including how to incorporate fish and plants as well. This is a nicely well rounded book with plenty of information.

Buy: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Rock and Water Gardening Illustrated

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