Book Description

A richly illustrated and up-to-date source of practical guidance and hard-to-find technical data on all aspects of landscape lighting

The Landscape Lighting Book, Second Edition shows you how to achieve a wide range of beautiful and dramatic lighting effects. You'll get expert guidance and advice on the theory, design process, project needs, and techniques of landscape lighting. You'll find prizewinning projects designed by the author and other landscape lighting professionals throughout the United States. Plus, hundreds of diagrams, drawings, and black-and-white and full-color photographs illuminate topics and provide visually stunning insights into new and creative ways that lighting can transform landscapes. This fully updated edition covers the latest technologies and equipment and features new chapters on installation, documentation, and seasonal lighting. You'll also find:

• Guidelines for preparing lighting drawings, control and transformer charts, symbol lists, and other technical specifications
• Design strategies for avoiding potential conflicts between plantings and landscape lighting equipment
• Accurate performance characteristics of all lighting materials, finishes, and fixtures
• The best ways to locate fixtures, set appropriate light levels, and perform preventive system maintenance
• The special lighting needs of plants in indoor environments
• A complete listing of fixtures, controls, lamps, and accessories manufacturers and vendors

Whether you're seeking to sculpt a landscape with light or make an outdoor space useable at night, The Landscape Lighting Book, Second Edition shares all the technical and creative insights you'll need to beautify your landscaping projects and consistently win client approval. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

expert opinion
Still the best book for the professional.Invaluable resource for architects, landscape architects and landscape lighting designers.Broad and deep with plenty of technical information.I purchased this book in1992 and I bought it again today (an electrician friend "lost" myoriginal copy).A second edition (if planned) should include betterinformation about transformer regulation (the ability of a low voltagelighting transformer to maintain 12v under load) and voltage drop (thedreaded decrease in voltage through the main supply cable) which arepresented as formulae rather than actual measurements.Great photographsmostly of large scale projects.This book should be in every outdoorlighting designer's library. ... Read more

Book Description

Newly designed and containing a full 40 percent completely new content, Time-Saver Standards for Landscape Architecture, Second Edition, continues to be the most complete source of site design and construction standards and data. It is fully metric, to meet Federal and International requirements. It features increased coverage of: Site storm water "best management" practices · New urban tree planting and xeriscape concepts · Earth retaining structures and pavement design · Land reclamation, including soil and vegetation restoration · Metric site layout practices, including recreation facilities · Energy and resource conservation · Natural processes and site construction procedures · New expanded construction details · Simplified construction materials data. Over 50 sections provide concise tables, checklists, "Key Point" text summaries, and illustrations to provide an invaluable information resource for offices and classrooms throughout the world. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

This book is a must!!!!
A great book to have. It was a required text for my site technology classes. Kept referring to it. Lots of information. It should be on everyone's bookcase if you're a Landscape Architect student or already in the profession. I highly recommend it.

ABD EL MOHSEN SOLIMAN
IWANT SEE PART FROM THE BOOK

Essential for Landscape Architects!
This book should be in every Landscape Architect's libarary. If you're studying for the licensure exam, this book is essential.

Valuable reference book
It should be in the bookcase of any landscape architecture firm. Landscape Architectural students also should have it. ... Read more

Book Description

COURTYARDS
Aesthetic, Social, and Thermal Delight
Courtyards is an artful, informative exploration of courtyards, from their origins in early civilization to contemporary design concepts. Architects and landscape architects will repeatedly turn to the detailed guidelines for reference, gain a greater sense of balance between building and garden, and cultivate optimal green space by using the practical planting tips. Over one hundred photographs and drawings illustrate the concepts written about by an authority and passionate scholar in his field. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Ralph L.Knowles reviews Courtyards by John S. Reynolds
Finally, a book that treats both the art and science of courtyard buildings. John Reynolds excites our imagines and more with this important new book. Most works on climate and architecture either analyze the physics or treat the visual aspects of adaptation. Reynolds does both effectively by combining beautiful photographs and drawings with clear analytical diagrams to describe and interpret his subject. This book is destined to become a classic used by practicing professionals and by academics for teaching and research.

THE Book on Courtyards.
Courtyards is a terrific book, the result of 20+ years of loving research. Oregon Professor John Reynolds is crazy for courtyards and it certainly shows.
A courtyard is a space surrounded by a building, often surrounded by a house. There are all manner of courtyards, large, small, huge, quiet, loud. Some are open and others are terribly private. But all good courtyards have things in common. In the landscapes most of us in the US are used to, we have a house and the gardens are on the outside and we see them before we see the house. In a sense these landscapes serve mostly as dressing to enhance the outward look of the house. But a fine courtyard garden is different. It is smack in the middle of the house and the house surrounds it. It is not wide open to the world, but instead is a place to get away from it all, a place to be outside, but not to be out in the open. The best courtyards are open to the sky, have water, vines, a multitude of interesting flowers, trees, potted plants. A large number of the very finest courtyard plants are discussed in detail in this excellent book. I was struck by how interesting the numerous photos and designs were. Profusely illustrated, each one serves a definitive purpose. I was struck too, by how many different things go into the making of a well thought out courtyard. What is involved so that it will be warm in the winter and cool in the hot summer. What is involved so that it becomes a place where people want to be. I took many notes as I read this large book and some day I plan to build a house of my own design, and in the middle of it, I'm going to have a courtyard. And in this courtyard, I'll have all the things needed, the ingredients so carefully detailed here, that make the right courtyard a magical place. I'd recommend this book for anyone who ever plans to build their own home, for all landscape designers, for all architects, for anyone with a serious interest in horticulture and design. An excellent book.

Honest Reviews?
Were all the reviews written by the author? Give me a break! The fact that every review sounds the same will keep me from ever purchasing this book. In that case, I guess all the reviews helped!

Must have for courtyard designer
Courtyards book is filling a gap in architectural book market where much is focused on nice pictures and minimal designs. Few technical books that gets published receive little attention. But this book will attract the designer as well as the technician.
All technical aspects are simlply stated and science and aesthetics of the courtyards are very well covered with nice drawings and beautiful photos. The guidelines that summarize the long research are very clear, creating a pattern language for courtyard design.

Being an architect from Turkey, I have been interested with courtyards and did some research. This book is doing much groundwork for those who will design a residential courtyard. But the guidelines would also apply to commercial atriums.

Too bad that housing today is understood as single family housing in American Style Villas or public housing as high rise apartment buildings. This book proves that with the correct guidelines very nice and dense housing is possible.

Ýt inspired me to do some courtyard housing design. I am sure it will be one of the most used buildings of my library.

Living Places
In a world where so many of our buildings are dead, John Reynold's "Courtyards: Aesthetic, Social, and Thermal Delight" treats us to a world of buildings that live. It is that rare book that feeds part of the brain with with inspiration and beauty, while informing the other side how its done. This book clearly articulates patterns and concepts for approaching courtyard design as a function of climate, use, people and place. It is a book that any designer will value for its lessons and observations on what makes a building live, but will be appreciated by everyone who loves beautiful buildings. For those looking to create built environments that honor and nurture both the human spirit and the more than human world, John Reynolds offers luminous insights. This book belongs in the library of every designer. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great Resource for Landscape Architects
Booth and Hiss describe in much detail the design process for residential landscapes. They strike a proper balance between basic design concepts and essential business knowledge. Landscape design students would do well to internalize the process described here, since the book's practical focus is unlikely to be duplicated in their Landscape Architecture curriculum.

Excellent
This book is truly a gem -- it clearly and concisely explains every imaginable aspect of residential landscape design using very straigtforward and easy to understand text and diagrams.

Ignore the fact that this seems to have been written as some sort of textbook for a beginer's course for professional landscape architects. I am an ordinary homeowner and I found the book to be easy and enjoyable to read, and quite educational. I now feel like I understand enough to design a professional quality landscape for my own home.

In case it matters, I own the second edition (Amazon is now selling the third edition). I can only assume that this latest edition is even better than the edition I have.

designing with ease!
what an outstanding book! i discovered this book during a course in garden planning that i'm taking this semester( i'm a student at the faculty of agriculture at the uni of jerusalem, in isreal) and it practically has all that you need to plan a super garden: the illustations are clear to understand, are varriable and give plenty of examples and of course ideas. the solutions to a lot of problems i encountered while trying to plan different spaces and gardens during my course, were solved with ease after looking through this easy to understand book. i dearly recommend any one with even the slightest love or nearness to gardening , design or just plain old mother nature to go out and get this book - it will surely help you get your house and garden design going in the right direction. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Open the door and step outside to see how the Arts & Crafts aesthetic has shaped gardens over the years as surely as it has influenced architecture and furniture. This follow-up volume to Inside the Bungalow: America's Arts and Crafts Interior shows the characteristic brick, tile and wood, wide-porched exteriors of the bungalow style half-buried beneath wisteria vines, arbors, flowers, and foliage.

The bungalows that the gardens surround range from the archetypal dark, timbered wood and stone to the rustic, grand, and even Southwestern, offering a visual feast of gardens to match. The authors emphasize not specific plants, but the architectural elements and style of such gardens: tiled fountains, pergolas, pathways, and the use of stone, timbers, and courtyards to tie house and garden together.

Both text and photos focus in on details like outdoor light fixtures, hose bibs, mailboxes, birdhouses, fences and lattice as part of the characteristic Arts & Crafts aesthetic. The "Garden Portraits" chapter includes garden plans as well as photos of bungalow exteriors from Seattle to southern California, emphasizing that it is not the plants themselves but how they are grouped to emphasize the architecture and the hardscaping that creates an Arts & Crafts garden. Still, there are certain plants that appear over and over again in the photos, and have the right look for such gardens--ornamental grasses, vines, climbing roses, and plants with bold structural foliage like iris, ferns, clivia, and hosta.The charming chapter on potting sheds and tree houses, as well as the exuberant and colorful plantings throughout, go a long way toward explaining why people have been so captivated by "bungalowmania" for more than three decades. --Valerie Easton ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Unique style beautifully presented
This book covers the architectural aspects of the property surrounding the bungalow - gates, arbors, fences, walls, paths, steps, water features, courtyards, patios, pergolas, porches, outdoor furniture, etc. The photography and color illustrations are superb and it is hard to take your eyes off the photos to actually read the text! And although the photos were taken at the present, the authors have not neglected the history of these dwellings and have included beautiful colored postcards that were so popular during the 1920s and 1930s. An introductory sections discusses the movers and shakers of the Arts and Crafts Movement, like William Morris, William Robinson, Gertrude Jekyll and Gustav Stickley. The final chapter is devoted to the architectural firm of Greene and Greene, whose style was a major influence. Most of the houses and gardens photographed here are on the West Coast (mainly Seattle, WA, Portland, OR and Pasadena, CA) although there are some Rhode Island properties included as well. A final section is devoted to planting the garden and includes lists of plants which are good for any situation imaginable. This is a wonderful book - beautiful, unique and inspiring!

Nothing like it.....
Disclaimer: I'm a bit biased, because its my home on the cover, despite this, the book is a crucial tool, there was so obvious a need for a book on this topic, one that relates to what people were wanting to do with their homes, and helping them to avoid. to a point, having to scrounge through years of bound periodicals in the library, and random drives through promising neighborhoods in search of inspiring examples....not that you would get to see the back yards.
Doug and Paul have gone out of their way to search out appropriate examples for all three of their bungalow books together, ranging always from the garden shed to the Gamble house. This is the only in-print book I'd recommend for the topics of Arts & Crafts fencing, walls, paths, site integration etc.
Having seen many of these sites in person, I can say that photographer Doug Keister, has brought a focus that many would miss in person. My wisteria only blooms 4-5 weeks a year, but of course, they got it then.
My only complaint is that the photos are so compelling that many might never get to read all the text, which is what the book is all about.
There is some validity to the point above about a West-Coast bias to the topics, but when you consider that virtually every other A & C garden book has a English tilt, it seems less a problem. There is room for a knowledgeable Mid-Westerner to write a good book as well. "Outside the Bungalow" is not the last book that should be written on the topic, just the best, by far, so far.

Excellent resource for creating a "complete" environment
What a great resource for those who feel that their home begins outside in its surroundings. The bungalow has never really gone out of style and continues to hold national appeal. This book is full of ideas that cross the spectrum from simple to ellegant. It draws the reader outside of the bungalow and gives one cause to reflect on making the outside environment beautiful, comfortable, unique and completmentary to the structure itself. Many of the small towns in Southern California have undergone a second life with downtown revitalization projects that have extented into the older neighborhoods. Duchscherer & Keister give the reader an appreciation for the beauty that can be created around these older homes.

The constant theme running through this book is the timeliness of the garden. The garden didn't come into being during the Arts & Crafts period, it simply became a tremendous complement to the home.

Don't be discouraged if you don't live in a Greene & Greene, the effort and love you put into the setting of your home, will give you the same level of pride in ownership. You may not be able to have the largest or most expensive home on the block, but you can have the most beautiful garden.

Many of the gardens in the book have multiple photographs which are cross-referenced to give the reader an almost 360 degree visualization. The only suggestion I would make is that the author include an overview of those superlative gardens and identify the various views to provide the reader with an even better understanding and appreciation of the home's surroundings.

The Bible in Bungalow Restoration and Gardens!
This entire series--The Bungalow, Outside the Bungalow and Inside the Bungalow--are bibles for bungalow restoration. They are filled with many great ideas and lots of wonderful pictures. Great initial books to buy and refer to time and again throughout your restoration process. If anything could be found wrong with the books, it is the heavy concentration of pictures of West Coast bungalows. We have many bungalows in Minnesota too!

Great Information for the Restorer
This is an excellent guide for the person that is considering restoring a bungalow, not just a gardener . The pictures show many outside amenities including walkways, doors, fencing, lighting, and porches. Great source for ideas and models. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Gorgeous Book Commemorating America's 1st Public Park
Commemorating the 150th anniversary of Central Park, photographer and historian Sara Cedar Miller celebrates the aesthetic, cultural and historic significance of America's first public park with the book "Central Park, An American Masterpiece." This is the park's definitive illustrated history, and offers some of the most gorgeous photographs I have seen on the subject - a difficult task given the number of pictures that have been drawn, painted and photographed of the Manhattan landmark. The book includes over 200 color illustrations, original plans and drawings alongside modern photos, giving the viewer/reader an historical perspective.

Accompanying Ms. Miller's work, portraying the park throughout the seasons, is a well written text which highlights the conception and creation of the park and its art and architecture. This is a big, beautiful picture book that would make a wonderful addition to any home or library. It's a wonderful gift idea. I know as I have given it numerous times.

Ms. Miller is the parks official historian and photographer and has been since the mid-1980s.
JANA

A book as worthy as the park it celebrates
Sara Miller has put together an outstanding book: a book as vast and detailed as the Great Park itself. For those not familiar with the park and its history, this is an invaluable introduction to the political, demographical, economic and, especially, aesthetic thinking that went into the creation of 800 acres of gorgeous park space in the middle of Manhattan. For those seasoned veterans of NYC history, this is a welcome reminder of the enormous vision and efforts of Calvert Vaux and Fredrick Law Olmsted, as they conceived the park.

Nota Bene: A lot of books have gorgeous photos but the print job is miserable ... Others have high-qualtity prints but the photos aren't that interesting ... This book has glorious prints and an expert print job. Pick up this book.

Rocco Dormarunno, author of The Five Points and The Five Points Concluded ... Read more

Book Description

"Some artists use canvas to create a work of art. David Mellor uses a baseball field. His patterns are so precise and imaginative, I call him the Rembrandt of groundskeeping."
--Bob Uecker, Milwaukee Brewers Broadcaster

Now you can transform your sports field or clubhouse lawn into an envy-grabbing work of optic art. In this book, David Mellor shares the turf mowing and maintenance secrets that have made him one of the leading creators of elaborate patterns used on athletic turf nationwide. Articles about Mellor's work have been published in the New York Times and USA Today, and he is currently the director of grounds for the Boston Red Sox Baseball Club. In Picture Perfect, Mellor gives you the benefit of his years of experience along with simple-to-use techniques for creating playing fields that are without doubt a cut above the rest. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Awesome!
Just bought this book about 2 hours ago, and put it down only to write this review. This guy is one heck of an artist.
Picasso of the putting greens!

Taking Your Grass Care a Cut Above Where It Is Today!
Summary: Picture Perfect is the ultimate resource for those who want to add even more beauty and interest to their grass by growing and maintaining healthier turf and cutting it in original and beautiful patterns.

Review: Mr. Mellor is the Director of Grounds for the Boston Red Sox and is thoroughly knowledgeable about grass. His advice is sound, thorough, and easy-to-follow. He has you begin by testing your soil to see what it is missing, establishing your turf properly, fertilizing appropriately, fighting off weeds and disease, mowing properly with the right equipment, and solving problems.

Once that grass is in place, he moves on to explain the art of adding patterns to the grass by using rollers with the mower to push the grass down. The color plates show many examples of this art form, which will intrigue you. If you are like me, you expected to see only geometric shapes using straight lines. Instead, you find gentle waves and delicate crossing patterns of all kinds.

Having worked in my father's gardening business when I was a youngster, I wish I had known about establishing these patterns. It certainly would have helped to relieve the boredom of cutting the same yards in one of three patterns time after time.

The directions are very helpful for how to deal with special problems, like temporary damage, making a mistake in the pattern, and repeating a pattern (you are encouraged to photograph your work to learn from what you have done).

Picture Perfect also has a long list of resources you can access, especially from the Internet.

Although the quality of the design and the printing are not as high as the contents deserve, the material is strong enough to carry the result to five star level. One does hope, however, that a future printing will create a version more like an art book to better feature the examples.

After you finish becoming an expert on turf design, I suggest that you think about where else you can exercise your creativity in your yard. Have you considered sculpting shrubs like they do in the Disney theme parks? How about designing a sculpture garden? Do you have a Zen garden area yet?

Create a better balance between the views in your yard and the thoughts in your mind. Let the reverbrations of inspiration take you to new heights of thought and harmony!

WHAT AN AMAZING BOOK!
One of the first things I notice about people's homes is the way the lawn is cut. Some might say, "get a life," but to me the landscape design and lawn say a lot. From a psychological point of view, it says something about the people who live there, too! We have all seen lawns cut straight and perfect, every blade of grass precise, row after row - not much creativity there. We have also seen lawns cut haphazardly in every conceivable direction and length, a clump here and a clump there, as if the ride-on mower and its near-sighted rider short-circuited, jumped the fence and rode off into the sunset!

If you know anyone who fits that description, buy them this astonishing book. It is amazing what can be created with a little patience, know-how and practice. Some designs are quite simple, others a little more complex, but they are very eye-catching. The book would be ideal for any yard or community with large greenspace. The larger the area, the more dramatic the design becomes. If you are zipping around on your trusty mower at home, just make sure you move the dog....before he has the most stylish haircut of the year!

Must-have if you love your lawn!
Picture Perfect is the perfect book for anyone who loves their yard! It not only gives you simple advice to maintain your lawn, landscape, or athletic field in perfect condition, but it provides easy step-by-step instructions, with amazing color photographs, on how to mow eye-catching patterns that will leave your neighbors and colleagues scratching their heads asking "how'd they do that". Mellor, Director of Grounds for the Boston Red Sox has become famous for his work, and has been featured on CBS, NBC, Fox Sports, and articles on his work have been published in several major newspapers inculding the Boston Herald, New York Times and Washington Post.

Picture Perfect will show you how to mow the classic "checkerboard" and also arches, circles, diamonds and more. It will also show you the secret techniques of the pros for more advanced pattern-making -- using rollers and brushes.

According to Bob Uecker, Milwaukee Brewers Broadcaster: "Some artists use a canvas to create a work of art. David Mellor uses a baseball field. His patterns are so precise and imaginative, I call him the Rembrandt of groundskeeping. He's a cut above the rest"

From the Commissioner of Baseball, Bud Selig: "I had the privilege of working with David Mellor for many years and he is one of the most resourceful and creative people in his field. His work is extraordinary and he is one of the finest young men I know"

A Great Reference book.
After reading this book I found it to a great reference for the golf courses other sports fields I work with and recommend this to anyone interested in building and maintaining a field for the best playing conditions. ... Read more

Book Description

Constructed wetlands are man-made marshes—gravel beds filled with growing plants—that function as natural wastewater treatment plants. Due to their more pleasing aesthetics and their cost effectiveness, they are being chosen over traditional processing plants around the world. While other books have outlined how to build constructed wetlands, this book goes the next step as well, outlining the design and planning techniques to make these wetlands attractive and natural looking as well. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great All-around Guide for Constructed Wetlands
This book has become an invaluable reference around our office...for the engineers, landscape architect and directors. The book covers a range of useful topics, from design basics (including relevant modeling formulas), pricing estimates, integration information for planners, citizens and regulators, wetland ecology background notes, landscaping ideas and wonderful examples of systems that the authors themselves have designed and installed.

The book highlights the benefits of wetlands often overlooked or undervalued in other engineering-oriented texts - wildlife habitat creation, aesthetics, water recharge, etc.

Since the book was writen by a landscape architect and an engineer, two visionary pioneers in their fields, it covers a lot of useful ground. ... Read more

Book Description

Bare, stark swimming pools - those rectangular concrete holes in the ground surrounded by a chain-link fence - are going the way of the dinosaurs. Pool owners (and there are 7 million of them across North America) have begun to see the pool and the area around it as an outdoor living space, a place for entertaining a crowd or relaxing alone. In response to this hot, new trend, gardener and landscape designer Catriona Tudor Erler has written POOLSCAPING, a one-of-a-kind handbook overflowing with inspiring ideas and practical advice on how to make your swimming pool the lovely, welcoming centerpiece of your property.

Erler takes readers step by step through the poolscaping process, whether starting from scratch or renovating an existing pool. She begins with choosing the best location for the pool and designing (or refurbishing) the deck and edging that will surround it. She presents a host of ideas for dramatic pool lighting, including underwater options. The fencing chapter addresses choosing styles as well as safety issues and even how to disguise a fence with plantings.

Erler explores design options for building or renovating a spa adjacent to the pool, as well as how to incorporate furnishings, pergolas, and pool houses into the poolscape. A plant directory features the best poolside plants, with a focus on varieties of flowers, vines, and shrubs that are low maintenance and look attractive throughout the pool season. Erler also offers ideas for outstanding poolside planters and containers for bringing greenery and color right up to the pool.

Illustrated with beautiful full-color photographs of outstanding poolscapes, this unique guide demonstrates how any pool owner can transform the pool area into the showpiece of the neighborhood. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Covers swimming pool decor and appropriate landscaping
Transform the swimming pool of a backyard into a Tuscan paradise with tiles and flowering plants, or create a pool with a beach-like presence filled with beach plants: that's the idea of Pool Scaping, a title which covers both swimming pool decor and appropriate landscaping around it. Pool Scaping is a lovely guide which covers the specifics of plants in a water surrounding.

Professional and to the point
The writer starts out with "Swimming pools have come a long way from the turquoise water holes surrounded by stark paving. Increasingly pools are being integrated into the design of the house and garden..."

I'm happy to see a book on this topic, especially one written by an accomplished writer and photographer. Many garden swimming pools stand out like a sore thumb - a harsh rectangle of Hollywood blue water with cold tile edges. They're lovely and cool in hot weather, but UGLY. Anything that helps to change or disguise this is all good.

The writer has many suggestions for doing just this. She addresses in depth topics such as decking, enclosures, structures, furniture and plantings. She has researched and offers suggestions for problems such as awkward rocky sites and the need to have an enclosure around the pool that doesn't block the view or make the place look like a prison.

It was good to see a generous number of pages given to plants and plantings - everything from container planting to landscaping the entire site. The writer also focuses on planning ahead when installing a pool or landscaping around it, and on matters relating to the budget. Both are very important and often overlooked.

The writer obviously has an encyclopedic knowledge of her topic and her writing is crisp and to-the-point. She understands the issues facing people who want to integrate their pool into their garden and addresses them directly. Her photographs illustrate her points with relevance and clarity. I'd recommend this book to anyone trying to add some style and class to a garden with a swimming pool.

Read the Content!
I was a little disapointed when I first got this book as the photos weren't all eye-popping fancy layouts - BUT - - I have found the book surprisingly good to read!! I've been up late every night pouring over it's content. It's written very, very well and you will learn some great hints, regardless of budget. I am so pleased I decided to write a review (which I've never done). I hope the authors continue to write on this suject! It's a GREAT BOOK! Thank you!

Great for ideas
I loved the book for design ideas. Although the book contains pools that must cost over 50K, you can get some great ideas from it. We have a palper's budget, but there were a lot of beautiful photo's to get you started and give you ideas to break the standard ho hum swimming pool look. Designers in our area had no imagination and some told us that we do not have room on our property for a pool,,, bah humbug! We're not going with the 'sale pool package' most companies wanted to sell us, but we still will have a pool worthy of their next book (cross my fingers!!) for a few dollars more. We just had to find the right company with a little creativity.

Nice
This book contains some nice ideas, although most or very very expensive. I pulled a lot of good ideas from this book and would definitely recommend it to someone who is considering building a pool, but doesn't know how they want it landscaped. Good book. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great book
I am new to landscaping and bought this book because I have a lot of questions. This book gave me a lot of great ideas. If you are new to landscaping you will find it very usefull. Don't hesitate to buy if you are a newbie to landscaping.

A excellent buy; very good structure and content.
This book walks you through the processes of landscaping, from planning to installation, in a very readable, understandable and enjoyable manner. As a landscape designer, I'm always searching for references of any type to use when creating "yard spaces" and presenting those ideas to my customers. With books, I'm usually disappointed either with the graphic and/or written content regarding the details of landscaping, particularly those publications sold at the Home Depots et al. This was different. Technical to the point that's necessary and not too "flowery" in it's narrative, it just provides well written ideas and executions for many landscaping tasks.

The illustrations & photography in many books I've seen work OK but give the books an "old" feel, because, in many cases, they are old in date and style. With few exceptions, the artwork and landscape "styling" in this book appear current and appropriate. That made it a more believable book too.

All said and done, this book is an excellent value for those seeking general-to-semi-technical information for a wide variety of landscaping tasks. With its emphasis on extensive and educated planning, this book is an asset to the homeowner and the landscape professional alike. In my opinion, one of the book's greatest achievements may be that homeowners, after reading it, can decide better whether to tackle a project themselves or work with professionals. ... Read more

Book Description

This book surveys landscape plants in Eastern North America. It examines over 1500 species and many additional varieties and cultivars and includes information on nomenclature, plant size, growth rate and form and function. It also explores the environmental needs and limitations that must be considered in selecting and maintaining these plants. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Invaluable reference for the landscape professional
As a landscape designer, I use this book almost daily as a complement to Michael Dirr's texts. The line drawings of each plant in youth and maturity provide a better idea of its habit than most pictures ever could. The "Problems and Maintenance" section has helped me avoid many potentially inferior plants, and the "Adaptability" information gives a nuanced understanding of wind tolerance, pH, light and water requirements. Finally, the "Seasonal Interest" symbol provides a finely tuned assessment of the plant's attractiveness throughout the year: I use it to find plants with year-around interest. This is a book for professionals who have to live, and die, by their plant recommendations. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

Membership has its privileges
Growing up, I was fortunate enough to be an official member of my best friend's exclusive club -- "The Scorpion's Tail". After establishing the core members of the club, we decided that we needed to build a treehouse to use as our base, but we knew we wouldn't be able to do it alone.

Armed with a hammer, some nails, a saw, a dream, and a copy of David Stiles' informative book, "How to Build Treehouses, Huts and Forts," we were able to build an impressive headquarters for the Scorpion's Tail.

The treehouse wasn't secure enough to keep out the spiders and small woodland creatures (no fault of the author's), but it was definitely strong enough to defend us from our rival gangs. Trust me! I grew up in a really rough neighborhood, so we need all of the defense we could get. In fact, Stiles' design for the snowball catapult would have proved invaluable had we actually used the treehouse after it was built.

Fifteen years later, the treehouse is still standing. If that's not a testament to David Stiles' incredible knowledge of building memories that last, then I don't know what is.

Beware of the Scorpion's Tail!

(Be sure to check out the Petzl E68 Duo LED Headlamp... a must for anyone with a treehouse) ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Stonescape
A good book for anyone interested in landscaping their yard with dry stacked stones. It teaches you much more than just making retaining walls. Learn how to make paths, steps, benches, pools, and how to integrate plants into the stonework. It could have used some more photos of finished projects, but overall it should be enough to help you finish any stonescaping project you take on.

Great idea and how-to book
When I started a stone-project at our farm in the Catskills -- re-cycling some old, fallen-down stone walls into a new retaining wall -- I bought a half-dozen books, including David Reed's Stonescaping. Although Reed's book was not the best one for my particular project, as a good how-to book, it is very good and as an idea book, it is excellent.

On the plus side, Reed provides details and plenty of full-color pictures for everything from tools to stone varieties to uses for stone. He expands far beyond free-standing and retaining walls to benches, paving stones, terraces and even sculpture. After reading this book, I realized that I can use the stone I have at hand in quite a few ways besides walls.

The main negative is the book is just too pretty to drag outdoor where I'm working. Of course, the easy solution to that is to photocopy the appropriate pages and take them to my worksite.

It is a great book for anyone interested in adding stone texture to the garden, lawn, or general landscape.

Excellent reference book
If your looking for a book on patios, walkways, steps, or walls this book is a "must-have". David Reed has done an excellent job with this book. It is well written, with easy to follow instructions. This book is nicely illustrated; many photos demonstrate a step-by-step progression of the work, as well as showing the reader how the project should look when completed. The author also does a good job of covering tools and gives some helpful tips on the handling of stone.

This book is a keeper!!
My wife and I just built a new home in Eastern CT. The site is very wooded and the area has a great tradition of drystacked stone work which is evident everywhere we travel in the "Quiet Corner" of CT.

I wanted to create a 30' dry stone retaining wall as well as a set of steps to transition between the walkout basement area to the rear garage area of my new home. After the initial excavation and construction process I was left with a sandy and steep slope of about 10'in the rear of the house. The rain was causing sand and soil to block the walkout basement area - - this was not acceptable. The solution I selected for the problem was to build a dry stacked stone wall and a set of steps.

Mr. Reed's book was clearly written, concise as to materials, tools, and basic techniques, and he did a good job of clarifying the underlying elements of constructing dry stacked stone retaining walls, steps, and tree wells. The book is well organized and starts with the tools then moves on to more challenging projects.

After reading the book I was confident that with the basic tools, the right materials (which were in abundance) and some help from a 10 ton excavator I would be able to construct the walls, walks, and steps I needed to make the site interesting. I am just about done with my project and all of the "local" guys have been favorably impressed with what I achieved. They grew up doing this work.

Make no mistake, moving 20-200 lb stones with hand tools is hard work. On the otherhand the satisfaction you receive from standing back and looking at what you have done is worth every drop of sweat.

I can only recommend Mr. Reeds book - - - in theory and in parctice it was well worth the money and and easy read that is well illustrated with drawings and photos.

George O'Neil

Stonescapin
I live in Southern California and did not find this book applicable to our terrain. Its better for the East Coast or North. ... Read more

Book Description

How to Build Ponds and Waterfalls and Much More... was written with the consumer in mind: it's a show and tell presentation of everything needed to build spectacular water gardens. Jeffrey Reid proves that knowing the correct steps and using the right product for the job practically guarantees success. The methods shown in these chapters are proven, and have been taught to thousands of do-it-yourselfers.

In an easy-to-read and easy-to-understand format, this book shows readers how to build ponds and waterfalls, as well as providing information about Koi fish, submersible pumps, water lilies, water features, water garden designs, UV lights, rock placement, filter systems, pond fish, marginal plants, preformed ponds, excavating, pond liners, plumbing, and landscaping.

Adding a pond or waterfall to your landscape can be very rewarding. "How to Build Ponds and Waterfalls and Much More..." ensures it will also be successful. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Only pictures
If you are a beginer in pond building and you need everything explained to details, do not buy this book. I bought it and it's just not good. You can read it under a hour and you'll see only pictures with nothing on them.

Excellent Book!
How to Build Ponds and Waterfalls : The Complete Guide by Jeffrey Reid is an excellent how-to book for wildlife garders.

Not a complete guide
This is mostly a picture book with very little detail. I read it in under an hour and still had no idea about issues like electrical, pump size, and caluculating flow for a waterfall. If I was in a brick and mortar store, I would have never bought this title. Instead, I have found a lot of use out of "Ortho's All about Garden Pools and Fountains".

A great DIY book for Ponds
This book is well illustrated and explained - there are numerous examples. For a first-time builder like me, the information on excavating, plumbing and landscaping was very useful.I have a beautiful pond in my backyard now. I haven't started on my waterfall yet but will look back into this book when I do. I used another book to get started - A Complete Introduction to Garden Ponds and that's a good book too if you are a beginner. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Overflowing with information
Arboriculture is a science and art that is made up of many different contributing factors. This book does a very good job of covering them all. Any one of the chapters could be expanded into a book in itself. This thoroughly researched and written book is for the person who wants all of their information in one place. It is a textbook for the technically minded arborist, tree surgeon, tree farmer, or hobbyist. Don't look for this book to be entertaining or philosophical. Instead, buy this book for the knowledge held within. There is a lot to be learned from it. Every single page is filled with facts, figures, methods, and recommendations. You will find yourself reading every page a second or third time in order to catch it all. I refer back to this book on a regular basis, because there is no way I can remember it all. If you have any questions about the management of trees or shrubs, you will likely find it in this book.

The Book
Harris wrote the first edition of this book when trees were "trimmed" by the same people who patched asphalt and repaired park benches. It was a breath of rationality in a field that relied mostly on anecdotal information.

The new edition reinforces this work as the compendium of current thinking about how to care for trees. Clark and Matheny build eloquently on Harris's solid foundation.

The public participates actively in caring for trees and demands to know information found in this book. Why not plant the biggest caliper tree you can find? Can't you do something about the tree roots "breaking" up my sewer? Open the book and show them the brief but definitive answer that is easily found here.

I wish more citizen tree advocates would read this book. For that matter, I wish more arborists would too. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

big mistake
this text is filled with so many errors. sentences end in the middle of an explaination leaving you without any conclusion. this text is a required purchase for my landscape construction class at my university and i can't believe the errors have not yet been corrected! without a knowledgeable instructor to correct the many errors, this book will confuse anyone who is trying to learn from it. i do not recommend this book.

Poor Execution
Without a doubt, this is the worst edited publication I have ever read. While the information contained in this book is valuable, the editorial missteps and omissions are maddeningly distracting. Some examples include sentences that don't finish with periods, formulas with typos, poorly reproduced graphics, mathematical errors (in the examples!), objects omitted from sentences, and a contour map that requires a mirror to decipher (figure 3-5). As a teaching tool, this text inspires confussion and frustration rather than delivering clarity and instruction. A 4th edition might correct the many errors, but this edition is far too expensive for it's lack of professionalism. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (9)

Good reference
A very good reference and guide for anyone that has never started a small business before. He covers a variety of topics in detail, and even has examples of forms to use on a daily basis. Very helpful, and well written.

A tad bit outdated for me.. I need more information
Great book on how to start up a landscaping business but I need more information directed at lawn maintenance...

However I pass it on to a friend who loved it and is making $5000 a month as a landscape subcontractor after 60 days in business... sure beats his old salary of $1800 a month. Now he works outside and great hours and no corporate bull jive!!

Easy to read and easy to follow but you will need to seek more books on WHAT TO DO and HOW TO DO THE PROJECTS!!

=)

Great Book, Very Informative
With no more than a couple of months's experience, I started a landscaping business using this book as a guide. It's running smoothly and my customers are happy. Everything you need to know is covered.

My Garden, My Life.
A true page turner. Does he - doesn't he? Yes! In the end he does make a living. This man could make a wilted Geranium sound interesting. Timeless in it's basic good advice and ahead of it's time tracking future horticultural trends. An inspiring and informative tome for anyone looking to make a lasting impression on their local landscape. A book you'll want to share with your friends. Fairly good as compost even.

An Industry Must
This is a very thorough book compiled by Owen. I read the book in a week and re-read it many times. It is an excellant reference tool that can be used a single point source for future use for both experienced contractors and begineers. I would highly recommed ypu read this book. It is well worth the investment! ... Read more

Book Description

Get answers FAST with the Landscape Architect’s One-Stop,Take-It-Anywhere Guide

In the office or out on the job, the Landscape Architect’s Portable Handbook puts the 20% of information you need 80% of the time at your fingertips! You get instant data for every architectural landscaping project: public and private gardens…athletic facilities…highways…urban/suburban settings…MORE! From project administration, planning, design standards and analysis to site development, construction, materials, field techniques, and common rules of thumb, hundreds of handy tables, diagrams and schematics, checklists and field guides give you the accurate how-to’s and expertise you need – ANYWHERE, ANYTIME! It packs easily in your briefcase, so you can cut down on time-consuming trips and calls between field and office, or get satisfyingly fast facts and guidelines when you’re catching up on work at home. It’s a distillation of the entire profession… and provides the perfect ASLA registration exam review. You get:

* A framework for interpretation, conceptualization, evaluation, and communication at multiple scales, regardless of the type of landscape planning or design project
* Standards, techniques and devices
* Analysis-to-project administration guidelines and checklists
* Step-by-step procedures
* Mechanics and design calculations, formulas,worked examples and models
* 193 clarifying illustrations -- from USDA plant hardiness zones to basic layouts and schematic diagrams…from approval processes flow charts to a CPM bar chart
* 98 quick-check tables let you instantly pinpoint area space standards…tree mortality causes and remedies…recommended live loads for different decking uses and maximum decking spans…irrigation system selection criteria – and much, much more* Scores of easy-to-use, easy-to-remember rules of thumb
* General unit cost factors for materials, systems, and construction
* More!

From the broad overall aspects of a project to the smallest detail, find the specific data you need on…Project Management; Permits; Site Selection and Clearing; Grading; Drainage; Decks; Fences; Lighting; Paving; Plants; Ponds; Pools; Retaining Walls; Billing; More ... Read more

Book Description

This book describes how to create a residential landscape plan drawing for presentation. Clearly written and highly illustrative, it takes advantage of tips and techniques that many designers have learned over the years. It serves as a resource for ideas, illustrates the use of symbols and textures, and also includes a section on the use of computer software in landscape drawing.Topics include presentation graphics, tools for accurate plan drawing, line drawing, good lettering, symbol drawing and symbol category descriptions, defining the ground plane (turf, hardscapes, mulch, and groundcover), plan drawing, color techniques, section-elevation drawing, and computer graphics and landscape drawing software.For residential landscape designers and architects. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great Book!
Great book, this guy knows what he's talking about.

Great design graphics. Great information. All in one easy to read text.

Rock on Tony.

Did I say this book is great?

I only wish I'd gotten this book sooner.
I am a landscape architecture student and was unhappy with the books suggested by the teachers, so I decided to try this book and I am very glad that I did. It explains everthing from site plans to coloring your design in easly understandable terms. It basically combined all of the elements of my classes into one book, so that I have a reference to take me from the beginning of a design to its completion. ... Read more