Product Description

THE BEST OF EVERYTHING A GARDENER COULD WISH FOR In more than forty years of travel, Stafford Cliffdesigner and gardenerhas gathered a planets worth of inspiration on elements to enhance a garden. The result is 1000 Garden Ideas, a visual encyclopedia bursting with just about every garden idea ever invented by man or inspired by nature, artfully presented in more than 1000 photographs. Plantings may be the essence of the garden, whether its a tiny patch in the backyard or acres of land extending for as far as the eye can see. But elements worthy of the planting can take a garden to unique and exciting new heights. With a designers eye and a gardeners heart, Cliff has assembled an endless array of ideas, from all over the world, to make a garden more personal: fences and pools, paths and benches, statues and waterfalls, borders and bridges even birdhouses and follies. Within each category are hundreds of illustrated examples, ranging from traditional to contemporary; from simple to complex; from homey and rustic to downright Byzantine. Its all here, whatever your taste, your need, or your fantasy. And if youre breathless with so many choices, Stafford Cliff is there to help you arrive at the best decisions for your own particular space, through a series of questions: Do you want privacy or maximum light? Do you envision a contrast to the style of your home or neighborhood, or complete harmony? Do you prefer peace and quiet, or the soothing sounds of rustling leaves, bubbling water, and bird song? Theres glorious visual advice on plants and plantings: what kinds of containers to put them in; how to use them in your space; what to surround them with; and much more. In addition, an extensive list of suppliers makes it possible for you to turn inspiration into reality. If youre a seasoned gardener, or even if youre an aspiring one, this is a book for you, lush with ideas for the garden of your dreams.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #288016 in Books
• Published on: 2008-01-07
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 208 pages

About the Author
Design consultant and art director Stafford Cliff has spent a lifetime designing catalogs and magazines relating to the home. Working with Sir Terence Conran he produced the very first Habitat catalogs and, in 1974, designed The House Book, one of the first truly design-led guides to interior furnishing, which became the biggest selling home book of all time. Since then he has produced dozens of books on aspects of design and the home most recently The Way We Live, a remarkable 480-page survey of homes around the world, and two titles for Artisan: Home, a groundbreaking investigation into how we feel about our homes, and 1000 Garden Ideas, a visual sourcebook featuring garden and patio elements from around the world.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Every country has its tradition of small garden structuresas a place to take tea or take in the view, play music, or write a great novel. A pavilion can provide shade in the summer or shelter from a storm, and the perfect focus for a garden party. It's a chance to set your architectural imagination free. A garden structure can be as simple as a poolside cabana, a rustic miniature English cottage, a sturdy Dutch gazebo, or a tranquil Japanese tea house. Such historic forms are inspiration for those who want a sylvan refuge in which to work, write, or entertain friends. Indeed, the garden structure is a building that brings you closer to nature. More practical are those garden structures that, while sometimes framing a view, serve primarily to support vines, roses, and other climbing plants. These are the arches, the pergolas, and the arbors, whose appeal lies not only in their appearance from a distance but in the experience of walking or sitting beneath them. Although a long pergola is suitable only for larger spaces, or to transform an awkward area along one side of a town house garden, an arch is ideal for creating a focal point, embracing a seat, or showcasing a spectacular flowering climber.