OPEN STUDIO
A WHAT’S IN OUR LIBRARY?
English Garden culture that is part of our
proud heritage and serves an invigorating
reminder to keep a joyful width in planting
palette and explore new combinations.
Robyn (associate director):
The book I use most is Notcutts Book of
Plants for checking up on plant species.
It has a really handy section on different
uses (ie dry shade, June flowering, hedging
material etc). It is a great memory jogger
and a really useful size and format, but
would be better with pictures. Another
favourite is Christopher Alexander’s A
Pattern Language series. This gave me
inspiration whilst at college and was the
basis for a final project a degree level. It
makes you think in a different order.
My very favourite book is a really old
one on Gertrude Jekyll designs with colour
plates and planting layouts. Many of the
gardens are now lost. It is being left to me
in a will by a family friend. I’d love to write
a modern Honeywood File, bringing it up to
date with technology and all its pitfalls!
Keith (Chartered Landscape Architect):
My two favourite design books are
Contemporary Landscape Architecture by
Sergi Costa Duran and Avant Gardeners by
Tim Richardson. These are full of unusual,
unique, often startling spaces which are
a great source of inspiration as to what
a landscape can be, how it can function
and the delight and wonder that can be
created by sometimes simple interventions.
They are a useful kick-start to the
creative process and a reminder of some
of the things that drew me to landscape
architecture from theatre design.
Trees in Britain and Wild Flowers
of Britain, both by Roger Phillips, are
both invaluable guides to our native
flora featuring close up photographs of
each specimen and enabling us to really
examine the qualities of the plants as they
may be experienced in the field. They
also enable us to identify specimens we
may see on site and also show us what the
visual effect might be of certain ecological
enhancements. It shows that native plants
can also have considerable aesthetic
appeal and that they, or ornamental
cultivars, can be easily incorporated into a
scheme which might more usually rely on
traditional amenity planting.
Hillier’s Manual of Trees and Shrubs is
an old favourite. The equivalent of Delia’s
Compete Cookery Course. Endlessly useful
and reliable and always there when you
are a bit stuck. My copy was given to me
as an 18th birthday gift as I was preparing
to head off to Sheffield to study landscape
architecture. That didn’t happen that
time, but more than 20 years later when I
eventually ‘returned to the fold’ Hillier’s
Manual with its concise descriptions,
endless sub-species and cultivars, and
useful lists of plants for specific sites was
still there waiting for me to return to it.
Interesting! None of us mentioned
the Guidelines for Landscape and Visual
Impact Assessment, our copy of which is
certainly very well-thumbed. A highly
technical book and a bit dull when
compared with some of the design or plant
books available, but nevertheless critical in
informing this area of practise.
We have many of these books in the
office library and lots more besides. When
we move to our new studio later this year,
great care will be taken transporting our
books and the plan is to have a good clear-
out in the process of moving. No doubt we
will then be on the lookout for new books
to add to our collection. I can’t wait!.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alison Galbraith is associate director of The Terra Firma Consultancy, a professional landscape architecture practice specialising in
all aspects of landscape planning, assessment and design; at all scales, in all sectors, throughout the UK and overseas. Launched by
ex-Portsmouth City Chief Landscape Architect John Wigham in May 1985 and since 2000 under the leadership of ex equity partner
Lionel Fanshawe, Terra Firma has worked in 30 countries, currently employing over 30 directors and staff across 4 offices in Hampshire,
London, Vilnius & Dubai.
CONTACT: 01730 262040 | www.terrafirmaconsultancy.com
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Landscape Insight | August 2017