Power of Gardens

Nancy Goslee Power has become one of the outstanding garden designers of her time and has helped set the standard for site- and climate-specific landscapes. In Power of Gardens, she shares her design process through eighteen projects, from her own tiny Santa Monica garden, to the gardens of the rich and famous, to the school gardens that have become her passion. The story of her discovery of, and love for, mediterranean-climate plants, following her move from the East Coast to Southern California, and of her development as an innovator, is both personal and powerful.

Power fills her book with beautifully inspiring color photographs of each garden. More importantly, she weaves into the story of each garden the influences and significant collaborations that have helped shape her design philosophy. She embellishes the text with anecdotes about some of her more famous clients (such as tales of Frank Gehry’s neighbors), along with stories of the Mexican artisans who craft the masterful stonework seen in many of the designs.

Power’s lists of favorite plants and sources for materials are invaluable. Her suggested reading list will stretch the mind of anyone interested in design; it includes books that will be unfamiliar and unexpected in addition to those that are old friends. Power of Gardens is a book to spend time with, to learn from, to savor and enjoy.

Alta Tingle, The Gardener
Berkeley, California