Plant-Driven Design: Creating Gardens That Honor Plants, Place, and Spirit

摘要

Andscape architects don't know enough about plants." Who hasn't heard (or even uttered) this charge? While many devoted plantspeople in the profession put the lie to this generalization, in this era of highly designed gardens that seek to be kitchens or living rooms-complete with stainless steel appliances, big-screen TVs, upholstered furniture, and outdoor carpets resting on expanses of hardscape-it's hard to argue that plants often play only supporting roles. Husband-and-wife garden design team Scott Ogden and Lauren Springer Ogden use this notion as a jumping-off point for their new book, Plant-Driven Design: Creating Gardens That Honor Plants, Place, and Spirit. Don't let that subtitle, or a few mushy-sounding chapter titles such as "Plants as Heroes" and "Plants Honored," put you off. This is not a New-Agey or Luddite celebration of nature untouched by the human hand. Instead it's an idiosyncratic ode to using plants, not at the expense of design, but as tools to realize ambitious, dynamic, and context-sensitive designs.