Read This: Gardentopia

June 12, 2019

Many would-be gardeners, and even gardeners with plenty of experience, feel overwhelmed by the idea of making a design for their yard. Those with a passion for collecting plants may find themselves especially puzzled by how to bring their garden together cohesively and creatively.

If this describes your feelings about garden design, check out Gardentopia: Design Basics for Creating Beautiful Outdoor Spaces (The Countryman Press, 2019) by Jan Johnsen, a New York-based landscape designer and author of The Spirit of Stone. Eschewing a linear, how-to format, Gardentopia offers bite-sized morsels of design techniques, creative ideas, and selected plants. Each tip appears on its own page with pretty, illustrative photos. Reading the book is like touring a well-designed garden with the designer as she points out various features, absorbing her advice and experience along the way.

Johnsen’s design pointers include: Hide and Reveal–The Mystery of the Unseen; Framing a Garden; Everyday “Art” in the Garden; How Big a Patio Do You Need?; One-Color Gardens and Planters; and Love Your Slope. A total of 135 design tips and how-tos are organized in 5 chapters: Garden Design and Artful Accents; Walls, Patios, Walks, and Steps; Theme Gardens; Color in the Garden; and Plants and Planting. For my local Texas readers, keep in mind that plant lists in national gardening books are generally not applicable to our climate. Design ideas, however, work just as well under the Texas sun as in leafy and cool New York.

Johnsen writes unselfconsciously about the spiritual aspects of gardening, as attuned to finding meaning in the garden as making sure a patio is well laid. The result is a charming and practical book that demystifies the process of design.

Disclosure: The Countryman Press sent me a copy of Gardentopia for review. I reviewed it at my own discretion and without any compensation. This post, as with everything at Digging, is my own personal opinion.

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Digging Deeper

Come learn about gardening and design at Garden Spark! I organize in-person talks by inspiring designers, landscape architects, authors, and gardeners a few times a year in Austin. These are limited-attendance events that sell out quickly, so join the Garden Spark email list to be notified in advance; simply click this link and ask to be added. Season 8 kicks off in fall 2024. Stay tuned for more info!

All material © 2024 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.

7 responses to “Read This: Gardentopia”

  1. I like the sound of the book and i trust your judgement. All that color on the cover is a turnoff for me, but I bet it is a big selling point for others.

    • Pam/Digging says:

      I confess the cover image is not a grabber for me either, but I’ve learned that authors rarely get to choose their cover image(s) or even their titles. The inside content is what matters, and Jan does a great job with that.

  2. Lynn says:

    Johnson wrote “Heaven is a Garden” so I’m intrigued to see the connection of meaning and practicality in this book. Great review, Pam.

  3. Tom E says:

    Hello from Canyon Ranch in the Big Horn mountains. The iris are starting to bloom up here! I like the way you’ve described this book. I like how there is continuing opportunity for creative design in our gardens — it’s half the fun! I hope my friends and family are taking care of our Bonnie Brook garden down home in the tropics where you are….

    • Pam/Digging says:

      I was actually in Colorado myself when you left your comment, Tom. Perhaps you’re back home in the “tropics” now as well. Thanks for your comment, and I hope you had a wonderful trip!