The Water Gardener

Book excerpt: Over 160 full-color photographs and 80 schematic diagrams. Nothing so completely transforms a garden as a water feature, whether it is a placid pool or pond, a flowing stream, a burbling fountain, or a cascading waterfall. Water draws the light and provides a baseline to which all neighboring elements relate. Its horizontality makes it an ideal foil to the vertical lines of trees, reeds, and other plantings. Filled with ideas and practical suggestions, this profusely illustrated guide offers all the knowledge needed to incorporate any water feature, large or small, into any garden. This volume demonstrates the many ways in which water can enhance a scene and shows how to exploit its myriad moods in imaginative and practical ways. Finally, it raises the art of garden design with water and the craft of its usage to new levels of excellence.