Designing Borders

by Noël Kingsbury and Noel Kingsbury

Book Overview

Seven renowned masters have created a brilliant handbook of stylish borders that anyone can copy at home. Such well-known names as Penelope Hobhouse, John Brookes, Piet Oudolf, Sandra and Nori Pope,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1844030105
• Release Date: May 2003
• Publisher: Cassell
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 2.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 10.0" x 0.8" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

Masterful Borders from Master Garden Designers

As a garden designer, I need the simple version. I picked up this book hoping to get some ideas for improving the borders around my home. I was delighted to find that the book exceeded my expectations . . . both in describing the principles of border design and in providing beautiful examples which I could use as templates. The book contains twenty-four original border designs by the accomplished John Brookes, Rupert Golby, Penelope Hobhouse, Noel Kingsbury, Piet Oudolf and Sandra and Nori Pope. Each one brings a unique and fresh vision of borders that expanded my imagination enormously. The photographs by Mark Bolton make this book a treasure to have.The designs begin with a rough sketch or the sort that even I could create. That eased my tension quite a lot. I once had a series of borders designed and the plans were exceptionally detailed and complex. Not being a draftsman, I had felt intimidated ever since about what could be accomplished. The photographs assume that many readers (and certainly including me) will not know what many of the plants are so you see examples to give you a feel of the appearance and shape of these plants. The designs make use of plants that I would never have considered including many foliage plants and colorful vegetables. It's inspiring. There's a good discussion of the conditions needed for each design and when blooms will occur and what colors will be available.But the book goes beyond designing and helps you understand how to prepare and maintain your borders. There are excellent planting directions for how thickly to place the plants. If you only read one book on borders, this one is a fine choice!