27 Books Every Landscape Designer Should Read

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".

Subscribe to The Whispering Crane Institute by Email

5 of 27

Gardens Are For People, Third edition

by Thomas D. Church, Grace Hall, Michael Laurie

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

Natural Pattern Forms: A Practical Sourcebook for Landscape Design

by Richard L. Dubé

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

Zen of Seeing: Seeing/Drawing as Meditation

by Frederick Franck

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

The Tao of Architecture

by Amos Ih Tiao Chang

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

Space and Illusion in the Japanese Garden

by Teiji Itoh

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.

Fetching RSS feed... please stand by

5 of 27

The Inward Garden: Creating a Place of Beauty and Meaning

by Julie Messervy

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

Designing with Plants

by Piet Oudolf, Noel Kingsbury

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

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

by Geoffrey Alan Jellicoe, Susan Jellicoe

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

CREATIVE GARDENS

by James C. Rose

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)

by Norman K. Booth, James E. Hiss

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: (as of 07/24/2008)

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

by Dan Snow

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

by Mike W. Lin

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

5 of 27

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

Noguchi East and West

by Dore Ashton

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.