Gardening With Light & Color

By Marylyn Abbott

Her experience of nurturing gardens in both Australia and England has helped the author of this book to explore and develop theories on light and colour in the garden. Magenta, for example, a colour... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 185626324X
• ISBN13: 9781856263245
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Cathie, Kyle Limited
• Length: 159 Pages
• Weight: 2.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 10.3" x 10.3"

Customer Reviews

A Jewel of a Book

Just when you think there is nothing new in the world of gardening books along comes a book that restores your faith. Marylyn Abbott's "Gardening with Light and Colour" is such a book. Ms Abbott has not one but two world class gardens - at opposite sides of the world. One is a lovly old English garden that she restored and the other is in the highlands of New South Wales, near Sydney, Australia.The writer stated out gardening in Australia where seasons change abruptly, there are long spells of 30 degree heat and the sunlight is strong and harsh. Given the opportunity to restore an English garden blessed or cursed with the English damp and misty climate she says "I did not even have the sense to be terrified."Where she found the energy to create and maintain, even with paid staff, TWO such gardens, and write a book I cannot imagine - but I'm glad she did. (Maybe she had nothing to do on the plane flying back and forth.) This is one of those rare boos that delivers exactly what the title promises; in this case how light and colour in two very different locations affect the choices made in landscape design and plant selection.The writer has organized her material into eight chapters. The first five each feature a colour, or related group of colours and offer ideas on how best to incorporate them. Chapter Six, "A Rainbow Garden" is about potager gardening and working with the colours of vegetables and herbs. The last two chapters, "Light, Shade and Colour" and "Sparkling Light" talk about ways to work with the colours that already exist around the garden - the house walls, the colour of the soil, the foliage of large trees, shady places, winter light and the light reflected from water.The tone of the book is light and conversational. The writer is knowledgeable without being infallible. She explains some of her mistakes and what she has learned from them so the reader is less likely to spend time energy and money making similar mistakes.The illustrations are sensational, possibly the best I've seen in a gardening book. Not only are they great photography but they actually relate to he text.This is a book both to enjoy and to learn from. Buy it for yourself or as a gift for a gardening friend..

Excellent Reference for the Color Challenged!

The photography in Gardening With Light & Color by Marylyn Abbot, et al is stunning! Great care is taken with the choice of light (such as time of day) the choice of film - (obviously high quality) and the speed at which the image is taken. Truly, a professional photographer, with an eye for color has collected a beautiful journal of some very well planned and groomed gardens.The artist has an eye for structure and design.These gardens actually sing!Because the writer is so conscious of these design elements- they are depicted in the choice of photographs and discussed within the chapters. The size of the garden is discussed and tips to avoid Dull, dreary gardens are discussed chapter after chapter.These gardens create a mood which will be very helpful to anyone trying to choose what they want to do with their gardening space.Another book- that I would NOT PART WITH!