Architecture in the Garden

In this first-person how-to, van Sweden builds on the success of Gardening with Nature and Gardening with Water to reveal more about his own process of developing a garden design, showing readers how to come to their own decisions along the way. A landscape architect in partnership with Wolfgang Oehme for the last 35 years, the Washington D.C.-based van Sweden has a knack for cool, precise prose that matches the carefully planned yet free-feeling pathways that he finds essential to a garden's ""good bones."" After three opening chapters covering van Sweden's ""Inspirations,"" ""The Gardener's Need for Architecture"" and ""Elements of Garden Architecture"" respectively, van Sweden presents six case studies of differing sites, from ""country"" to ""town"" to ""seaside"" gardens of varying scales, climates and surrounding architecture. Bullet-pointed questions at the end of each chapter train readers to notice the elements of their own terrains and begin to work with them in terms of, for example, plant choice and ""slope"" as a means of creating ""drama."" A final ""Gallery of Architectural Features"" shows paths, decks, edging, stone, fences and gates, walls and many more ""features"" in situ; van Sweden's calm intelligence shines throughout. (On sale Jan. 21)