Gardens Are For People, Third edition

by Thomas D. Church, Grace Hall, Michael Laurie

Overview

This classic of landscape architecture has been required reading for the residential garden design professional, student, and generalist since its publication in 1955. Gardens Are for People contains the essence of Thomas Church's design philosophy and much practical advice. Amply illustrated by site plans and photographs of some of the 2,000 gardens Church designed during the course of his career, the third edition has a new Preface as well as a selected bibliography of writings by and about Church.

Called "the last great traditional designer and the first great modern designer," Church was one of the central figures in the development of the modern California garden. For the first time, West Coast designers based their work not on imitation of East Coast traditions, but on climatic, landscape, and lifestyle characteristics unique to California and the West. Church viewed the garden as a logical extension of the house, with one extending naturally into the other. His plans reflect the personality and practical needs of the homeowner, as well as a pragmatic response to the logistical demands of the site.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780520201200
Publisher:	University of California Press
Publication date:	06/12/1995
Edition description:	Third Edition, With a new preface
Pages:	280
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Thomas D. Church (1902-1978) was an internationally acclaimed landscape architect and the recipient of many awards during his lifetime. GraceHall was Church's assistant, and Michael Laurie is Professor and Chair of Landscape Architecture at the University of California, Berkeley.

Table of Contents

Preface MICHAEL LAURIE
Selected Bibliography MICHAEL LAURIE
Foreword GRACE HALL

Design
1 Introduction
Discussion of historical precedent and the current attitude
toward gardens.
2 The Site Affects Design
Organization of the garden related to the characteristics of the
site, its topography and soil, orientation and views, existing
features and trees adjoining the property, and climatic
conditions.
3 Design Principles
Involving the principles affine art, unity, function, simplicity,
and scale. Family needs, specific tastes and interests, upkeep.
4 Garden Architecture
The house, entrance and other structures, pergola, pool house,
steps, gazebo, etc. must interrelate with the design of the
garden in terms of materials and forms.
5 The Palette
Gardens are composed of a variety of materials and components.
In this chapter these are illustrated as a vocabulary of design,
including paving, pattern, plant materials, shadow, sculpture
and water.
6 Swimming in the Garden

A Garden Tour
7 Town and Country Gardens
An informal walk through the gardens showing how some of the
initial problems were solved, and how the application of good
design principles produced the desired effect.
8 The Author's Garden

Index