Recent and Readable: A Terrific Design Duo
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- Barbara Bell
- jerrib
- Kirk_Johnson
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Georgene A. Bramlage
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Georgene A. Bramlage
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Georgene A. Bramlage
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» Barbara Bell - Welcome back, Georgene!
It's so good to see a new article from you! And this is a double dose of "good stuff" - I'm always eager to find new garden design books, even if all I do is read and dream...I love to watch garden/landscape design shows on TV and am constantly amazed that most backyard water elements of any size (such as a pool or hot tub) are not secured against children accidentally falling in. In my state, there is a law requiring fencing around a swimming pool, with a locked gate. From the TV shows, one assumes that in California, for example, this is not required.
Is this safety issue addressed in these books?
-- posted by Barbara Bell
» Kirk_Johnson - David Stuart
Have you read David Stuart's The Garden Triumphant: A Victorian Legacy?It is a great resource.
-- posted by Kirk_Johnson
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Georgene A. Bramlage
- Re: Welcome back, Georgene!
Hey Bici,
Thanks...Glad you enjoyed the review.
In answer to your questioning observations: The Stewart book mentions nothing about safety features.
Alexander makes mention of the fact that children can drown in as little of 2 cm. of water and addresses some safety issues from a design point of view - ie. straight pool sides vs. sloping sides; netted pond tops vs unnetted tops, or foregoing open water features until children in the household are older.
One water design feature she mentioned very basically which I really like and have seen used on a large scale at "Downtown Disney" in Orlando, FL is a recirculating bubbling fountain with the reservoir completely covered. At Disney children could run in and out of the fountain because the footing was safe with some kind of nonskid tiles.
This Old House Complete Landscaping also shows on p. 56 a sophisticated variation of this basic design.
Most garden design and construction how-to-do-it books either say nothing about safety features or securing the water feature or say something similar to what is in the This Old House Complete Landscaping book: Usually, ponds less than 24 inches deep don't require a building permit, but check with your local building department about any requirements for property setbacks and fencing with self-latching gates.
-- posted by Georgene A. Bramlage
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Georgene A. Bramlage
- Re: A little planning does make a lof of difference,
Yes, Jerri,
Planning makes all the difference...These are, IMHO, a couple of fantastic books because they are not coffee table but based in reality. They are keepers. Lists of plants, of course, need to be adjusted for the climate and market availability in which one gardenes.
The picture is one of mine taken of a backyard / courtyard garden of a private residence in Amsterdam, NL. It is very well planned, and meticulously executed and maintained. The Hidden Gardens of Beacon Hill Boston, MA are very similar to these in Amsterdam, but most Beacon Hill gardens I've visited are not nearly so lavish or comfortable 
-- posted by Georgene A. Bramlage
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Georgene A. Bramlage
- Re: David Stuart
Yes, Kirk...
I do own this Stuart book on Victorian Gardens as part of my reference collection. It is an old one (1988), but a good one for anyone interested in garden and their historical associations, or recreation of an historical garden.
-- posted by Georgene A. Bramlage
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