Urban Sanctuaries: Creating Peaceful Havens for the City Gardener - Softcover

Anderton, Stephen

3.58

12 ratings by Goodreads

9781845332419: Urban Sanctuaries: Creating Peaceful Havens for the City Gardener

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1845332415 ISBN 13: 9781845332419

Publisher: Mitchell Beazley, 2006

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The book is thematic in structure and is full of ideas that will make every urban gardener review their garden in a different light. As well as suggesting ways in which urban dwellers can create their private dream gardens, the book has practical advice on the basic design elements necessary to create an urban sanctuary, including a consideration of light, soil, space, scale and water, together with plant use and appearance. The main section of the book looks at how to create different styles of urban sanctuary - from low maintenance and family havens to those with water features, roof terraces and balcony retreats, indoor-outdoor rooms, and gardens of a more natural style. An A-Z plant directory recommends a wide range of essential plants.

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Review:

Whether you have little more than a glorified big-city fire escape or a small-town backyard, British garden writer Stephen Anderton claims you can create a peaceful oasis in a hectic environment. The emphasis in Urban Sanctuaries is on the traditional backyard, but Anderton's key concepts will apply to smaller areas as well. The scale of the plantings must be kept in mind. If the area is to be a garden, water and soil supplies must be considered carefully. The pace of movement through the area should be slowed to make it seem larger. And the haven must have a place to sit, which seems obvious, but actual leisure time is often overlooked in the design stage. Copiously illustrated with colour photographs of scores of small gardens and outdoor seating are as, the book features gardens of every persuasion, from spare minimalist retreats to veritable urban jungles. Unfortunately, few of the gardens are identified by geographic location, though many of them look decidedly rural. Eight gardens are displayed in double-page spreads with original plans and initial design considerations are detailed. Anderton also provides a practical listing of 72 plants suitable for small gardens--tough varieties with long growing seasons. --Liana Fredley

Review:

This is not just another glossy design book; it is different, so fresh and lively that there is never the slightest inclination to skip a page. The ideas that Anderton provokes are ones that all gardeners, not just townies, will want to think about...This is a terrific book on the principles of design for any gardener. Mary Keen, The Daily Telegraph

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