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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #128921 in Books
• Published on: 2002-08-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 378 pages

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 (Bristol Herald Courier )

A gallery of breathtaking images of native woodlands in all seasons...This is an inspiring reference that synthesizes ecology and horticulture, presented by a philosophical author with an artist's eye.Virginia Small, Fine Gardening, January/February 2003 (Fine Gardening )

An accomplished work of epic proportions. ... Wherever you garden and no matter how extensive or small the woodland you tend even if it is just a single birch tree The American Woodland Garden offers the most comprehensive, inspiring, and thought-provoking advice you are ever likely to find within the confines of a single volume. As the text on the inside jacket correctly claims, this book is destined to become a classic.Bob Purnell, Gardens Illustrated, December 2003 (Gardens Illustrated )

Reads like a memoir. It's also a visual showcase, with more than 700 of Darke's exceptional photographs gracing its pages, all documented with an attention to detail gardeners will appreciate ... A valuable reference for those who seek to follow Darke's call to 'capture the spirit of the deciduous forest' in their own spaces.Moira Sheridan, People Places Plants, Spring 2003 (People Places Plants )

About the Author
Rick Darke is a landscape design consultant and widely published author and photographer focused on regional landscape design. He has received the Scientific Award of the American Horticulture Society, and two of his books, The Color Encyclopedia of Ornamental Grasses and The American Woodland Garden, have earned book awards. He lives in Landenberg, Pennsylvania.