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27 Books Every Landscape Designer Should Read

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic (by 1 person)   Your rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic

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27 Books that have made me a better Landscape Designer

 

This is my partial book list that I think every Professional Landscape designer should have/read:

This is only a partial list of my library. The 27 I have suggested in this list have truly made a difference in my professional career. I know that I am missing a few from this list(more likely it should be 32-35) and when I figure out which ones, I will post those.

Props to Victoria Scott at Mississippi State for prompting me to write this list. I hope it will be as helpful to you and all other students who want to enter such a great field has they have (and will continue to be) for me.

Have something you think I should read, or a comment on the above list, let me know . . .

Is it the list for every LD, no? Various styles, influences, regions of the country(or World) may lead you down a different path. 

 

The Whispering Crane Institute 

"The Knowledges is Given to the Crane from Above".

5 of 27 

Gardens Are For People, Third edition

Amazon Price: $26.37 (as of 07/24/2008)

Natural Pattern Forms: A Practical Sourcebook for Landscape Design

Amazon Price: $69.10 (as of 07/24/2008)

Zen of Seeing: Seeing/Drawing as Meditation

Amazon Price: $14.28 (as of 07/24/2008)

The Tao of Architecture

Amazon Price: $13.95 (as of 07/24/2008)

Space and Illusion in the Japanese Garden

Could be out of print

Amazon Price: (as of 07/24/2008)

The WCI Blog 

Where it gets posted 1st on the WCI

My hope is to use this site to spread some info about the art and practice of Landscape Design. It is a very misunderstood profession; I do not cut grass like the next door neighbor's cousin who carries 3 mowers and a blower in the back of his truck. I will also pass along comments on industry happenings, events, etc., and any maybe a few other adventures going on in my world-after all this is "my" blog.

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5 of 27 

The Inward Garden: Creating a Place of Beauty and Meaning

Amazon Price: $25.55 (as of 07/24/2008)

Designing with Plants

Amazon Price: (as of 07/24/2008)

The Landscape of Man: Shaping the Environment from Prehistory to the Present Day

Amazon Price: $23.07 (as of 07/24/2008)

CREATIVE GARDENS

Definitely out of print, old bookstore or maybe E-bay, definitely worth finding.

Amazon Price: (as of 07/24/2008)

Residential Landscape Architecture (5th Edition)

Coming out just recently, some consider it the textbook.

Amazon Price: $99.20 (as of 07/24/2008)

The 27 Books 

These 27 have made me a better Designer

They are listed in no particular order. Nor are they listed as favorites, or which order they were read.
  • Gardens are for People, by Thomas Church
  • Natural Pattern Forms, by Richard Dube'
  • The Zen of Seeing, by Frederick Franck
  • The Tao of Architecture, by Amos Ih Tiao Chang
  • Space and Illusion, by Teiji Itoh
  • Secret Teachings in the Art of Japanese Gardens, by David Slawson
  • Siftings, by Jans Jensen
  • Isamu Noguchi "Space of Akari & Stone, Chronicle Books
  • In the Company of Stone, by Dan Snow
  • Drawing and Designing with Confidence, by Mike Lin
  • The Inward Gardener, by Julie Messervy
  • Designing with Plants, by Piet Oudolf
  • The Landscape of Man, by Geoffery and Susan Jellicoe
  • Creative Gardens, by James Rose
  • Residential Landscape Architecture, by Booth and Hiss
  • Architecture in the Garden, by James Van Sweden
  • Gardens by Design, by Noel Kingsbury
  • Planting the Natural Garden, by Piet Oudolf
  • Introduction to the Study of Landscape Design, by hubbard and Kimball
  • Noguchi "East and West, by Dore Ashton
  • The Golden Bough, by Sir James George Frazier
  • As a Man Thinketh, by James Allen
  • Who moved my Cheese, by Spencer Johnson
  • Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, by Mike Dirr
  • The Native Plant Primer, by Carole Ottesen
  • Zen Seeing, Zen Drawing, by Frederick Franck
  • From Concept to From in Landscape Design, by Grant Reid

5 of 27 

Secret Teachings in the Art of Japanese Gardens: Design Principles, Aesthetic Values

Amazon Price: $19.80 (as of 07/24/2008)

Siftings (American Land Classics)

Amazon Price: $19.95 (as of 07/24/2008)

Isamu Noguchi Space of Akari & Stone

Probably out of print, mostly images of great Noguchi work.

Amazon Price: (as of 07/24/2008)

In the Company of Stone : The Art of the Stone Wall

Dan's book should still be in print, or available

Amazon Price: (as of 07/24/2008)

Drawing and Designing with Confidence: A Step-by-Step Guide

Amazon Price: $44.07 (as of 07/24/2008)

5 of 27 

Architecture in the Garden

Amazon Price: $26.37 (as of 07/24/2008)

Gardens by Design

Amazon Price: $23.07 (as of 07/24/2008)

Planting the Natural Garden

Amazon Price: $23.07 (as of 07/24/2008)

An Introduction to the Study of Landscape Design

Definitely out of print written around 1910.

Amazon Price: (as of 07/24/2008)

Noguchi East and West

Amazon Price: $25.95 (as of 07/24/2008)

Links to other Whispering Crane Institute sites. 

These will let you find it all about the WCI

Blog, Static web-site, Images stored, pretty much says it all. Other Squidoo sites.
The Blog
Constant updates, case-studies, and other industry happenings.
The static web-site
The traditional (sort-of) stuff, that you would see in other pages of this type. Except my work is a little different.

Projects and graphics
Images on Fotki
Images separated by jobs, and the graphics that go with the work. Lots of graphics, a lot. Plus before and afters when I was able to do so.

5 out of 27 

The Golden Bough. A Study in Magic and Religion (1 Volume, Abridged Edition)

I'm surprised Amazon didn't show this in print.

Amazon Price: (as of 07/24/2008)

As a Man Thinketh (The Tarcher Family Inspirational Library)

Amazon Price: $7.95 (as of 07/24/2008)

Who Moved My Cheese?

Amazon Price: (as of 07/24/2008)

Native Plant Primer, The: Trees, Shrubs, and Wildflowers for Natural Gardens

Amazon Price: (as of 07/24/2008)

2 of 27 

Zen Seeing, Zen Drawing: Meditation in Action

Amazon Price: $12.92 (as of 07/24/2008)

From Concept to Form: In Landscape Design

Amazon Price: (as of 07/24/2008)

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rickanderson

About rickanderson

I am a Professional Landscape Designer, Writer, Lecturer, Teacher, Speaker and "mover of boulders". I mainly work in residential design, though I do some industrial, and institutional work.

Whispering Crane Institute.

The WCI ws originally formed to act as the umbrella for the Philosophy of Design Forum.

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