Updated Version of Why Write This Book
As a lifelong garden designer and an admirer of the principles of the Arts and Crafts movement, I am frustrated by the lack of information that is specifically related to Arts and Crafts gardens. It’s easy to find information on bungalow style and updating bungalow interiors. It’s easy to find scads of information on Arts and Crafts pottery, glass, and metalwork; yet few facts exist about the gardens of the period. Traveling to England, the birthplace of the Arts and Crafts Movement, it is easy to find Arts and Crafts gardens, but the concept of how to recreate them is missing—and most of these gardens are wrapped around century old country estates once belonging to England’s elite.
The social philosophy from which The Arts and Crafts movement emerged was quite contrary to the reality of England’s elite Arts and Crafts gardens. The movement represented the emergence of a philosophy geared towards everyday people and sought to make art affordable to all and to improve the lives of artists who created the crafts and the people who purchased them. The movement set the stage for a way of life that fostered a connection to nature by creating products that highlighted the natural world’s raw beauty.
It is this way of life that most intrigues me; it is the core of this book and it influences the design process which I describe in detail. The Arts and Crafts philosophy is based on principles of living in harmony with nature, of embracing life. And these principles are as applicable today as they were one hundred years ago, perhaps more so now than ever.
This book emphasizes the principles of Arts and Crafts style as they apply to home garden design—a style that can be applied to any type of home, anywhere. This first chapter presents an overview of the beginnings of the Arts and Crafts Movement and some of people who helped shape it. While I am not a historian, I have relied on those who are, most notably, Judith B. Tankard. Many books have been written on the history of the Arts and Crafts movement. I sight several of them and offer an extensive bibliography for those interested in exploring the remarkable development of this movement.
The second chapter begins by underscoring the universality of garden design principles by presenting an overview of design fundamentals. These are concepts that apply to all aspects of art. They represent the vocabulary of design and include concepts such as line, form, color, texture, and the like. From design fundamentals chapter two moves on to an explanation of the principles of Arts and Crafts gardens style.
Chapter three, Designing Your Own Garden, continues with a complete exploration of the garden design process. Here I explain all aspects of garden design with an emphasis on employing Arts and Crafts Style. From design theory chapter four moves on to building materials and furnishings, all with an emphasis on environmental responsibility and local products.
In chapter five I introduce special features including how to incorporate water in the garden, types of paths, and creating space for vegetables and herbs. This chapter concludes with how to create your own personal sanctuary; your escape from the drone of technology and the business of life.
One of the prime tenets of Arts and Crafts garden design is to have an authentic experience of nature. Whereas chapters four and five focus on the experience of nature outside the home, chapter six focuses experiencing nature inside the home through the use of nature inspired fabrics, color palettes and furnishings that highlight the natural beauty of the materials they were crafted from.
Recognizing that Arts and Crafts style represents a trend which evolved organically, first throughout England and then in the United States, chapter seven looks at typical bungalows in four distinct regions and offers template gardens that can be applied to standard lots in each of these regions.
Following the templates, chapter eight introduces regional plant lists for bungalow gardens. These plant lists can be applied to the generic templates given in chapter six to create unique gardens that offer homeowners a relationship to their local flora.
From plants, chapter nine details materials for garden construction and, in chapter nine, covers special features like water, paths, vegetables, and herbs. After an investigation of how to bring the garden into the home in chapter ten, the book concludes with turning your back yard into your own personal sanctuary; a place to connect to nature, your family and friends, and ultimately, to yourself. This chapter offers guided meditations and heart opening practices that take us away from the busyness that today’s technology has placed upon us.
As one of my clients recently said so well, “I believe the garden has many things to teach me and I would like to learn more. So the process is not just to install a garden but to work toward its potential. I want to deepen my relationship to my little piece of earth and have guidance [in doing so].” I hope that this book will make that guidance available to all of its readers.
