Plant-Driven Design: Creating Gardens That Honor Plants, Place, and Spirit Hardcover – October 14, 2008

I am definitely a 'magpie' when it comes to obtaining plants. I often buy just one of something that catches my eye. I bring it home, and then wonder where I can squeeze it in. I absolutely, unabashedly, adore gardening this way. I love moving plants around and dividing them. I seldom consider the big picture and just look for opportunities to fill in and enjoy the process. I live in the moment of my garden and love each and every one of my plants.I think, for me, the approach in this book is great - put the plants first. Don't make a plant do cartwheels for you. Don't think of a plant as a decoration or architectural element. I never do that. I always try to consider the needs of the plant and don't try to abuse its beauty by forcing it to perform in my yard.In the end this book is simply just too sophisticated for me. I am a TARGET t-shirt kind of person. I don't shop in boutiques or appreciate the construction of a $100 top that I have to hand wash. I love flowers and want to walk around my yard in anticipation of all that is going on while waiting for a new plant to reveal itself. I sow a whole bunch of seeds in the winter or early spring with no plan in mind and deal with it in the spring when I have too many plants and not enough space. I love garden problem solving. I do exactly what the subtitle of this book declares 'creating gardens that honor plants, place and spirit' but in a way that doesn't make me stress about the details of whether the angle of the light will fully illuminate the beauty of the plant.If I had to design gardens for a living I would call this the bible of gardening. For the person who just wants to enjoy the ride this book is over the top. Kudos to the authors for not being cookie-cutter but it is just not for me. I make no apologies for my crazy quilt flower beds.

With "Plant-Driven Design," she does it again! Back in the early 90s, Lauren Springer-Ogden's "The Undaunted Garden" re-opened my eyes to plants. In the pursuit of field experience through out college (and grabbing a degree earned under the tutelage of landscape architects) my gardening drive had been beaten into a practical, submissive landscape mentality. "Plant-Driven Design," by Scott & Lauren, peeled out across my desk with an elegant howl, sending compost in every direction. It bellows practical insights: what plants & gardening truly are and mean.Immersed as I am in the grind of contractors, landscape laborers and clients, the book's Introduction and opening chapter were an elixir. Words such as Living & Evolving, Soul & Nurture, Ecology & Plants, once again became relevant. "Plant-Driven Design" obliterates the non-sense of static, minimal species landscapes & the incongruities of the "get in, get out" mentality that ails the green industry."Plant-Driven Design" redefines gardening, lifting it above trends & marketing, the latest fads of "Exterior Design" and the "Photo Shoot" approach to gardens and gardening culture. From site analysis to ecological plant systems, plant characteristics to design cues, this book brings us back to our natural gardening roots, free of the status quo.While the photography is vibrant and an endless source of new inspiration, this is no coffee table book. I will continue to read, devour and learn from it over and over. Thank you, Lauren & Scott

Wow. I got this book a week ago and have been reading every night. It is going to take me a while to read it, let alone digest it!Honestly, I think the premise of the book is a little contrived. Whether you first have a site and want a plant that conveys a certain atmosphere, or whether you first have a plant and then find the right spot for it - it doesn't make a difference. For both approaches, you have to know a lot about plants, their provenance, and their culture to have a stunning result. But, if Lauren Springer Ogden and Scott Ogden needed a catchy phrase to build their new book around, so be it.I hadn't read Scott Ogden's other books, but I will definitely read his other titles now.The book is full of fantastic plant lists, outstanding photographs, and and and. I wonder whether steppe gardens are going to become all the rage now? I hope not. I hope what all gardeners will take home from reading this book is to follow their own design instincts and build the garden of their dreams.

I have read a lot of gardening books over the years. Scott Ogden's book on Bulbs for the South is one of my very favorites, and a primary reason I bought this one.This book is in another league altogether. You won't find information on HOW to grow plants, but you will receive much food for thought that will help you design more beautiful, more enjoyable gardens wherever you live. If you happen to live in the South or in the west, lucky you!Regardless, I strongly suggest that you keep a pen in hand as you read, so that you can jot down the ideas for your own gardens that are generated by the ideas Ogden shares.If you love gardening, but feel that your beds look like a hodgepodge, and never quite move you the way you hoped they would, this is a very good place to start learning how to rectify the situation. I have already read the book through twice, and will probably read it through many more times. And, oh, the pictures alone are worth the price of the book.

These authors have clearly mastered their subject matter. They combine scholarly knowledge with practical experience (their own and others’ to form their approach to garden design. I did not expect to learn something new about camels in a garden design book, but there you go. I’ve read many gardening books, and applaud this for the level of expertise that is evident on every page. I highly recommend this if you are looking to dive deep.

Eines meiner zahllosen Gartenbücher, aber ich werde nicht so recht warm damit. Der Titel ist sehr vielversprechend, denn im Prinzip ist mir das plant driven design für meinen Garten ja ganz wichtig. Was mir nicht gefällt, ist das zu viel geredet wird - das brauche ich in einem Gartenbuch nicht . Ok, einige Tips sind nett, aber es ist auch viel Gelabere... was mir auch gar nicht gefällt, ist der Stil der vorgestellten Gärten. Dies ist ein Buch von amerikanischen Autoren des Mittelwestens (glaube ich) und demnentsprechend sind auch die Gärten! Viele Gräser, Prärie, und v.a. Pflanzen, die es bei uns überhaupt nicht gibt. Präriegärten schön und gut (mein Geschmack ist es nicht, ich mag lieber englische mixed borders schön farblich abgestimmt) - aber viel ist einfach auch überhaupt nicht auf unsere Bedingungen übertragbar.