A Pattern Garden

by Valerie Easton

A Pattern Garden gives us the tools for creating our own highly satisfying garden spaces. Easton identifies 14 garden patterns that she sees as fundamental to successful design and that will turn any landscape into a memorable and rewarding retreat. This book will help you identify what pleases you, and why, and provide inspiration and direction in the planting and layout of your own garden. Discussions of essential patterns, such as the creation of paths or the incorporation of water into the garden, are complemented by concrete advice about plant selection.

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction

216 pages, Hardcover

First published February 15, 2007

Reviews

[Cate (Kate) Caruso · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty good garden design book, but better suited to someone who is just beginning their Garden design journey. I liked her approach and philosophy of design - and the illustrations/photographs are lush and appealing - although, in my opinion, some were a bit annoyingly misplaced. Nonetheless, a worthy book, but not quote worthy enough to make my Best Gardening list.

[Echo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty good book for those who are interested in gardens, design, or both. The title is somewhat misleading because the elements of gardens covered were not patterns (from a design perspective, especially having read such books as Designing Patterns: For Decoration, Fashion and Graphics by Lotta Kühlhorn).

Instead, it focuses on themes or motifs that are present in gardens around the world and that are helpful considerations in designing one's own garden. This book, (in addition to the show Big Dreams, Small Spaces) expanded my purview of what I was capable of doing in my garden (for all that it is small and I am on a budget) as well as gave me ideas for including elements I had not even considered.

The book is necessarily broad in scope and its weakness is when it gets too specific (i.e. why it gets four stars instead of five). For example, one of the patterns discussed is bridges; since my garden is flat, arid, and small, for what f***ing purpose do I need a bridge!? Similarly, the end of the book has a list of plants, but what determines these as the choicest plants? They are mostly not appropriate for my (desert) environment. Also it seemed to get a bit repetitive in some of the "patterns": they did not seem altogether distinct.

There's a couple other things that I wish were covered in this book. The first is the way that garden design should reflect the purpose and use of the garden, and then how to achieve that. The second is the history and different styles of gardens (I have been having difficulty defining my target style and aesthetic). But a book cannot do all the things and I shall just have to read more books on garden design.

Overall, a very useful and different take on garden design than one usually sees.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is really good. Easton has a Japanese-informed garden aesthetic, which I really liked, and I feel like she’s thought through her philosophy and can express it. It did some of the same things as a good lit crit book. It felt practical and helpful for thinking through the issues of setting up my own garden. I would like to add it to my permanent collection.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah, if only my yard looked like this.

[uosɯɐS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Has a good plant list, including a list specifically of fragrant plants.