The Essential Garden Design Workbook

Would be a good resource for an academic library or for people who wish to start up their own landscape business, would not recommend to hobby gardeners, but for anyone who wishes to design gardens professionally.

I already have the second edition of this book and when the opportunity to review an advance copy of this third edition came up I was interested to see what changes had been made. Rosemary Alexander is Principal of the English Gardening School, a well established & well-regarded garden design school. I bought the earlier edition whilst I was studying for a diploma in garden design at another garden design school. The book was a great introduction to the subject, looking at the practical aspects of surveying and assessing a garden, through to the design and the factors affecting its implementation.

The third edition is heavily revised and in my opinion is an improvement. Some material has carried across from the old edition but it has been enhanced and expanded, possibly owing to the involvement of garden designer Rachel Myers. There is much that is new too. By way of example, I think the information on surveying and assessing the existing site is much better and clearer, as is the section on planting design which also includes advice on the recent trend for wildflower meadows. There is a good section on working with contractors which wasn't there before. Overall, the practical aspects of running a garden design business have been beefed up which will be of benefit to students of garden design. Whilst the target audience is the budding garden designer, a committed amateur looking to develop their garden would find the book useful too, particularly as a way of improving their vision for the garden and thinking through the process in a logical manner.

Overall, this is a comprehensive guide to the subject, following a logical progression from initial site visit through to post-construction phases. It is necessarily limited in its ability to examine certain areas in depth (there is a good bibliography for further study). Usefully, it now incorporates more contemporary garden design influences although not at the expense of traditional design elements.

Helpful and useful for complex garden planning.
Thanks to NetGalley and Timber Press for the opportunity to read and review The Essential Garden Design Workbook by Rosemary Alexander and Rachel Myers!
I thought this book was for a layperson to help with designing landscapes but it's geared more toward professional landscapers. The design phase section is helpful to both with tips on shapes, patterns and unification of gardens. Helps on furniture and containers are included also. The garden layout plan section helps to visualize what you want your landscape to look like. Some photos are included but most of the book is illustrated. Helpful but a little too complex for the average gardener; still deserves a 5 star rating for the complete directions of landscaping from start to finish!

While this workbook is geared more toward a budding professional landscaper than most home gardeners, it provides useful information for the entire spectrum of garden design and designers.
Personally I found the design & post-design phase sections most useful for my home garden. For me it was valuable to learn tips for measuring and creating a rough layout sketch to both the existing elements and my goals for the space. This skill allows me to work more effectively with a professional.
My own work assists clients in organizing and utilizing their business information, so I found this part of the book beneficial as well. The basic forms and checklists will help get a new landscape designer started on the right organized foot.
This third edition is a welcome update to this title.