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The American Woodland Garden: Capturing the Spirit of the Deciduous Forest
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About The American Woodland Garden: Capturing The Spirit
Product Description North America's eastern half, roughly from the Midwest to the Atlantic, was once a great deciduous forest. Although centuries of human intervention have cleared much of the land, the timeless forest remains in the spirit of the place. Today, even the shortest period of human neglect allows for the resurgence of the process of forest creation. The greatest gardens — and happiest gardeners — in this area will be those that take into account the nature of the land. In his unique, and often thought-provoking new book, award-winning author Darke promotes and stunningly illustrates a garden aesthetic based on the strengths and opportunities of the woodland, including play of light, sound, and scent; seasonal drama; and the architectural interest of woody plants. While written from a compelling and fresh perspective, The American Woodland Garden never strays from the realistic concerns of the everyday gardener. Information on planting, soils, and maintenance provides a firm foundation for horticultural accomplishment. An alphabetical list of woodland plants offers useful advice for every garden, emphasizing native trees, shrubs, vines, ferns, grasses, sedges, and flowering perennials that fit the forest aesthetic. More than 700 of the author's stunning photographs show both the natural palette of plants in the wild and the effects that can be achieved with them in garden settings. Many of the most striking photos in the book were taken at classic gardens that are paragons of an ecological style. The American Woodland Garden is a clarion call to a new awareness of our relationship to the natural world. This book will take its rightful place among the classic works that have influenced our concept of the American landscape. From Booklist With a fine book on ornamental grasses to his credit, Darke turns to summoning forth the spirit, beauty, and natural order of a woodland in the gardens he creates in its image. Darke defines a "Forest Aesthetic," bringing intensity and passion to his revelations of seasonal rhythms and the lyric qualities of light occurring in deciduous environments. Decades spent studying a Pennsylvania locale, Red Clay Creek, form the basis of a subsequent chapter in which Darke melds an authentic ecological stance with the desire to create a garden sanctuary. Identifying aesthetic elements in the most subtle of manifestations, from a tiny dormant bud to dramatic silhouettes of fallen tree trunks, Darke shares a reverie on nature and observations of an applicable artistry. As responsible stewards of the land, gardeners can look to Darke's unorthodox design manual to transcend trite solutions with a wise and vital philosophy, and with its cache of inspiring photographs, this is sure to inspire all who garden east of the Rocky Mountains. Alice Joyce Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved Review “A must-have for anyone interested in woodlands and gardening.” —Bristol Herald Courier “A fabulous guide to designing, planting, and maintaining a garden in the woods.” —Burke Connection Book Description In his unique and often thought-provoking book, Rick Darke promotes and stunningly illustrates a garden aesthetic based on the strengths and opportunities of the woodland, including play of light, sound, and scent; seasonal drama; and the architectural interest of woody plants. An alphabetical list of woodland plants offers useful advice for every garden, emphasizing native trees, shrubs, vines, ferns, grasses, sedges, and flowering perennials that fit the forest aesthetic. More than 700 stunning photographs, taken by the author, show both the natural palette of plants in the wild and the effects that can be achieved with them in garden settings. From the Author Rick Darke was a member of Longwood Gardens' staff for twenty years, first as assistant taxonomist and then as Curator of Plants. About the Author Rick Darke is a landscape design consultant, a
