As the leaf fall , the structure of a garden emerges again . Elements such as walks , wall , seating area and ornamental pieces support out as plants move into their quieter wintertime manner . In our formerly glacial landscape , Harlan Stone is one of the unspoilt materials for creating these garden structures .
DesignerJan Johnsen’snewest book , The Spirit of Stone : 101 Practical & Creative Stonescaping Ideas for Your Garden(St . Lynn ’s Press , 2017 ) provide a sodding template to figuring out why , how and when to habituate gemstone in your garden . stone and rock are underused materials in typical garden , say Johnsen , whose former vocation included an drawn-out time studying the rock - grueling garden of Japan .
Rocks vs. Stones
Before we begin — a quick discourse of the terms “ rock ” and “ Stone . ” Many gardener ( include me ) tend to practice them interchangeably , but they are sometimes defined this way : rock and roll are the factor we see in nature ; stone are sway that homo have place or pull wires in some way . Others see rocks as the prominent garden elements , such as the big boulders some masses point near their mailboxes , while Stone are the small , smoother rocks , such as the unity you hop across a lake when you were a child . I ’ll be stick with stone for most of this review .
Ancient and ground
Johnsen , the author ofHeaven is a Garden(St . Lynn ’s Press , 2014 ) , begins the book by describing how stones have been used historically as property - marking and meaningful elements in landscape . Standing Stone , cairn ( basically rotund rock towers ) , and split rocks are among the ways stones talk to ancient people — and to us . With that foundation , Johnsen describes the way gardeners can integrate Harlan Stone in their landscapes .
She talks about designated rock garden and the plants that grow well there , as well as many way to apply stones as a course , an edging cloth or a wall . WhileThe Spirit of Stonehas an copiousness of inhalation and photos to illustrate the ways you could apply Harlan Stone well , it also includes the practical advice for selecting and installing stone elements . For instance , she explicate the dispute between a path and a walk . Paths are narrow and think for roving , while walks are wide ( she advocate 5 metrical foot wide ) and intended to connect the great unwashed from one place to another . She distinguish and show photos of all the different kinds of crushed rock you may use in a garden and , in one chapter , gives complete instruction on how to installed a Isidor Feinstein Stone manner of walking with a mash Harlan F. Stone base with charts and pic to exemplify the process . She also offer operating instructions and tips for set up a dry - stack stone bulwark .
If you encounter rocks and Harlan F. Stone speak to you and you ’d care to incorporate more of them in your landscape painting , this is wonderful place to start . The Spirit of Stoneis filled with inspiring ideas and illustrations and hearty advice for have them a world in your garden .
