A Pattern Garden

Anyone can create a welcoming, harmonious garden by following certain simple, time-tested rules or "patterns." Building on the ground-breaking "pattern language" of celebrated architect Christopher Alexander, Valerie Easton gives us the tools for creating our own highly satisfying garden spaces. Alexander identifies certain key patterns, or elements of urban and architectural design, that help us to understand why we feel comfortable in a space. In this volume, Easton identifies a similar group of patterns for garden design that will enable the reader to turn any home landscape--regardless of style, site, or climate--into a memorable and nurturing retreat. The key to Easton's pattern choice is their universality. Human nature tends to respond, again and again, to certain intangible elements that enhance our senses and experiences. Among the patterns that Easton discusses are: fostering a sense of arrival; establishing a vital connection between house and garden; facilitating movement through the garden; enclosing areas to create a feeling of security; creating destinations for seating, dining, and relaxing; and incorporating the soothing influence of water features.

Easton also identifies key plants that can be used to enhance the archetypal patterns of garden-making. A Pattern Garden opens up a range of exciting possibilities and changes the way we see and think about the garden spaces around us. It articulates the difference between a garden that is merely well-tended, and one that appeals to our real human need for beauty, respite, and meaning.