The Layered Garden

Starred review from August 1, 2012

Readers familiar with Culp through his work in Horticulture magazine or appearances on HGTV will relish this opportunity to learn more about the layering technique he's mastered at his two-acre Brandywine Cottage in Pennsylvania. Culp eloquently explains the design process he used to create his stunning garden, lush with plant combinations that provide a succession of peak garden moments throughout the year in his Zone 6 garden. Spellbinding writing and Carillo's breathtaking photos entice readers through Culp's woodland garden, large perennial border, kitchen garden, shrubbery, and walled garden. Along the way, Culp shares warm childhood memories and modestly relates why a Galanthus bears his name. With the passion of a plant collector and a wordsmith, he ends the book by describing signature plants for all four seasons, recommending some of his favorite gardening books, and sharing his optimistic attitude on beauty. VERDICT In the tradition of classics like Beverly Nichols's Merry Hall, this is a marvelous account of how one gardener created his garden and a sense of place. It's an essential title in the "how I did it" genre of garden writing.--Bonnie Poquette, Whitefish Bay, WI

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2012
A spartan home sits on a modest piece of property tucked into the suburban sprawl of southeastern Pennsylvania. It is surrounded by an effusive explosion of plants of every shape and hue. Vibrant magenta alliums send their pom-poms skyrocketing over drifts of pale blue forget-me-nots. Hillsides overflow with cascading ferns and hostas, while a vegetable garden banked with perennials dominates the sunny foreground. Rainbow pots of herbs and annuals carry the eye on a radiant journey of discoveryan ancient stone trough here, a gnarled wooden trellis there. So imaginative is Culp's genius and so resourceful his passion for plants and design that his layered garden offers more sensory delights per square foot than most gardens manage to achieve over acres. In no mere how I did this memoir, Culp, with help from award-winning garden writer Levine, offers solid advice on design technique and plant selection. Famed garden photographer Rob Cardillo's swoon-inducing inages showcase Culp's vision for maximizing a garden's potential. A stunning chronicle of the way Culp and his garden evolved over the years.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)