Designing with Succulents

by Debra Lee Baldwin

Book Overview

"Designing with Succulents is inspiring, practical, and complete--a treasure for any gardener who loves these otherworldly beauties." --Kathleen N. Brenzel, Sunset Succulents offer dazzling... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 088192816X
• ISBN13: 9780881928167
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: Timber Press (OR)
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 2.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 7.9" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

A unique and well-written book on design and landscaping

Most of the existing books on landscaping can be put into one of the three categories: a. Coffee table books with pretty photos. b. Encyclopedia of plants. c. Horticulture books. Only a few of the books on landscaping actually discuss design. "Designing with Succulents" is so unique that it fits in all three categories and it is also a well-written design book. It has striking color photos, useful horticulture information, and it is an encyclopedia for succulents. This book also has detailed information on planning and design for gardens. Debra started with discussions on sun consideration, basic of garden design, front yard ideas, street side gardens, pathway plantings, slope and terraces and some useful and practical information on evaluating the soils, water and irrigation, and preparing and repairing. If you mention succulents, most people will think of them as sculptural plants with green-tone or gray-tone colors. Debra provided some fresh ideas and introduced succulents with vivid, colorful leaves and brilliant flowers into garden design. She also explored the issues of landscaping and fire safety, the design of green roof gardens, rock and boulder gardens, desert and cactus gardens, beach gardens, sea-themed succulent gardens, geometric plantings, as well as tapestry and labyrinth gardens with the use of succulents. "Designing with Succulents" has a special chapter on pots, wreath and container gardens, including style and sizes, design principles and creative ideas for pots, wreath or topiary, and soils, sun and fertilizers, and water and drainage. I found this information to be very useful, especially for gardens with tight spaces and for remodel projects where planting areas are limited. This book also has information on growing succulents in colder climate, and plant care and propagation, and separate chapters for huge succulents, mid-sized succulents and small succulents. "Designing with Succulents" has 256 pages and color interior photos. It is a must-have for both gardening novices and seasoned professionals. Gang Chen, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Author of "LEED GA Exam Guide," "Architectural Practice Simplified," "Planting Design Illustrated," and other books on various LEED exams, architecture, and landscape architecture

Love this book

This is a great book on succulents. Debra Lee Baldwin has tackled a large body of material. She has explained it all very well in an interesting way. Well organized,well illustrated ,with great photos (most of which were her own). She has put a lot of work into this. It must have taken years of research followed by years of writing to get this all put together. This not just an encyclopedia on succulents, but a very readable treatment of the whole subject of how to use them and work with them in your own garden. She tells you everything you would want to know from propgation to pests. I can't say enough good things about this book . A real gem.

An extraordinary book

I've only recently gotten into succulents, which I find fascinating since they always look like they're from Mars. I can't imagine there is anywhere in the world a better book on succulents than Ms. Baldwin's. It's superb. It's comprehensive; it's detailed; it's perfectly structured, so that the sheer volume of information isn't in any way intimidating; and the artwork alone--the photographs--are worth twice what the book costs. It seems crazy to say, but I would recommend this book to anyone at all: gardener, computer geek, car salesman, anyone. If you've ever been awed by nature, this book will resonate with you. It's that good. And if you ARE a gardener--then holy cow, what are you waiting for?

Exceptional work, brilliantly photographed.

As a Landscape Architect with almost 30 years of experience designing gardens in Southern California, I have been a longtime fan of the excellent works created by Debra Lee Baldwin. It is no small coincidence that "Designing With Succulents" is well written, concise and wonderfully illustrated with stunning photography. This is a book that everyone from professional designers to home gardeners will want to keep very close to their desks for reference. Living in an environment with precious water resources and little natural rainfall it will become essential for all of us to take a more aggressive stance utilizing low-water plants in our design work. I congratulate Debra for giving us a design reference filled with great inspiration and helpful technical information.

Well Written with Beautiful Photographs

If you like the idea of growing succulents, but haven't a clue how to use them in combination with other plants in your garden, then this is the book for you. The beautiful photographs are rich with ideas and inspiration, and the indepth captions answer any question you might have about the plants in the pictures and even the location of the gardens. I was particularly drawn to the two top photos on page 234 and one of an Agave franzosinii taken at Mission San Juan Capistrano in California (page 150). Baldwin's writing style is delightful; easy to read, entertaining, and informative. Clearly she is writing from experience so you know what she says will be helpful and accurate. I highly recommend this book.