Product Description

What gardener hasn't been disappointed with borders after spring blooms have faded? Designing a garden with the focus on flowers is missing half the fun, according to the author, an expert plantswoman and popular horticultural educator. Working on the premise that the form of the leaf is the most important design element, Glattstein explains the basic leaf shapes and how to balance them pleasingly. Color also adds dimension to plantings, and Glattstein includes individual chapters focusing on specific tonal palettes. Each chapter is filled with plant suggestions and hints for successfully incorporating foliage into the garden. More than 110 photographs illustrate foliage effects, from subtle to dramatic. This lively and information-rich book will benefit gardeners and landscape designers alike.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #862780 in Books
• Published on: 2003-02-01
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 308 pages

From Booklist
Whether ruffled, woolly, with a metallic sheen, or filigreed like lace, leaves are among the most significant elements to be considered when planning and planting visually exciting garden displays. Writing in an engaging style that should inspire gardeners regardless of skill level, Glattstein makes a case for thinking long and hard about using the foliage aspect of plants to best advantage, including an entire palette of perennials, trees, shrubs, vines, and tender annuals. With her eyes trained on the details, Glattstein reveals myriad ways of incorporating plants with interesting or unusual leaves, whether one is developing new areas of the garden or integrating plants into an existing scheme. Always stressing a well-considered overall design over the mere gathering together of odd or bizarre specimens, Glattstein shows her value as an instructor by explaining concepts clearly, suggesting appealing species and cultivars for diverse climates and conditions, and providing options enough to challenge budding designers while also giving the experienced green thumb plenty to think about, too. Alice Joyce
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"Consider the Leaf helps you add plants that will provide interesting leaf forms, textures and colors."—San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles, November 2003 (San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles )

"Glattstein explains basic leaf shapes and how to balance them plasingly."—Publishers Weekly, May 17, 2003 (Publishers Weekly )

"If you're one of those gardeners with a boring, yew-infested yard, and don't have time to plant and care for a lot of here-today, gone-tomorrow flowers, this book is your game plan."—George Weigel, People Places Plants, Summer 2003 (George Weigel People Places Plants )

A substantial read for serious gardeners. -- — The Bookseller, January 17, 2003

Consider the Leaf helps you add plants that will provide interesting leaf forms, textures and colors.San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles, November 2003 (San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles )

Glattstein explains basic leaf shapes and how to balance them plasingly.Publishers Weekly, May 17, 2003 (Publishers Weekly )

If you're one of those gardeners with a boring, yew-infested yard, and don't have time to plant and care for a lot of here-today, gone-tomorrow flowers, this book is your game plan.George Weigel, People Places Plants, Summer 2003 (People Places Plants )

The text . . . offer[s] helpful suggestions for beginning gardeners as well as providing inspiration for professionals. -- — Suzanne Hively, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, February 13, 2003

From the Author
Judy Glattstein is an instructor at the New York Botanical Garden and the Cook College Office of Continuing Professional Education at Rutgers University.

Customer Reviews

This Book Might Change Your Thinking on Garden Design
The leaf itself is not only worthy of consideration, it should be the determining factor, says this author. A plant doesn't earn its keep unless it has an interesting leaf that contributes to the esthetics of the garden. This is a different way of looking at garden planning, as most people choose plants based on their flower.

I used the book this spring when I redesigned my front herb and flower gardens, a task which was prompted by tree growth that had turned a formerly sunny garden into a shade garden. I learned that by "considering the leaf," I could have my flowers early in the season while the tree leaves were unfurling. Peonies, daylilies, ferns and hostas, arranged with respect to their leaf shape, gave me foliage and flowers throughout the summer. Furthermore, when arranged by leaf shape and color, I found I had an attractive display even when there were no blooms going on.

I found that design using this principle resulted in more color than what I would have otherwise. There are several sections of color plates to illustrate the different approaches and I am excited about using some of these ideas next year.

The Importance of Foliage
It is often the flower that entices us to begin gardening. But as time passes, the experienced gardener begins to "consider the leaf". Perhaps it is first in shade gardening, that one realizes the importance and beauty of foliage. Eventually we come to see that a beautiful garden is always made more so by the subtle textures, colors, and shapes of its foliage. Consider The Leaf is a fascinating look at designing with foliage.