John Brookes MBE with his pug, Mabel, seated on one of his iconic blue benches as Denmans Garden.
John Brookes MBE was one of the most influential garden designers of our time. Renowned as ‘the man who made the modern garden’, he transformed the way we think about outdoor spaces, making them not just places for plants, but true extensions of the home. Discover his timeless wit and wisdom in this second edition of How to Design a Garden.
In the fifty essays, articles, and lectures written by John Brookes and included in How to Design a Garden, Brookes shares his groundbreaking design philosophy, practical methods, and enduring advice drawn from decades of teaching, writing, and lecturing around the world.
‘We should strike a bargain with nature and learn from it. Put away your manuals of horticulture for a moment and learn from your landscape.’
Whether you’re a professional designer, a student of landscape architecture, or a passionate home gardener, this book will inspire you to create outdoor spaces that are both beautiful and liveable.
Inside you’ll find:
- A clear, practical approach to designing gardens that suit contemporary lifestyles
- Brookes’ four seminal lessons on garden design using his grid method
- Brookes’ five step approach to creating a planting plan and a directory of his favourite 50 essential plants
- Brookes’ insights on environmental sustainability and biodiversity
- Brookes views on connecting garden and landscape design the local surroundings, culture, and history
- Inspirational ideas and real-world tips from one of the most respected voices in garden design
‘There is a misconception that a garden is a collection of growing things alone, and that the sooner that we start establishing them to achieve some non-focused end result, the quicker we will have ‘a garden’.’
This revised and updated edition of How to Design a Garden reminds us why John Brookes’ ideas remain as relevant today as when he first introduced them. Thoughtful, practical, and visionary, this is book is the ideal companion to his design books and a must-have for anyone who wants to design a garden that truly ‘works’ for the people who use it.
The book’s editor, Gwendolyn van Paasschen, is the current owner of Brookes’ former home in Sussex, Denmans Garden, and was one of his many students. She worked with him for over ten years on a 400-acre estate in upstate New York, and as well as being a close friend, collaborated with him on his autobiography, A Landscape Legacy (Pimpernel Press, 2018). In this blog post published when the first edition of How to Design a Garden was released, she talks about editing the collection and working with John
‘A relationship of shapes which is what a garden’s design is all about — The shapes of a garden, and its masses and voids, create the ‘wow’ factor.’
Past Reviews of How to Design A Garden:
‘It’s a fascinating study of John Brookes’ method of working…there is a great deal of both common sense and inspiration…whether you are a garden owner starting out or a seasoned practitioner seeking further inspiration, there is every reason to read it. It will engender curiosity and set your mind working along many different and fascinating paths’ . David Stevens, Garden Design Journal
‘I met John years ago and was amazed at how he looked at and read a garden….Such a great book, full of John’s insights, tips and more.’ Mark Lane, BBC Gardener’s World
‘A reminder, not only of John’s skill as a designer and educator but also that he was ahead of his time in thinking of environmental sustainability. John had a huge influence on the development of many designers around the world. The most inspired and inspiring teacher of garden design’’. Cleve West
‘The collection of essays, articles and lectures gathered in How to Design a Garden are simple and instructive whilst also illustrating Brookes’ way of thinking, characterised by great care and wisdom offset by a witty lack of beating about the bush…Practical, insightful and innovative, Brookes’ reflections as set down in this anthology are enduringly sharp – an essential book to have in your garden library’. Rake’s Progress magazine
‘The distilled essence of common sense. It makes you think about what you – or your client – needs, it makes you consider how the space will be used and how it sits in its landscape. What’s more, its focus on sustainability is well ahead of its time…. When it comes to separating the wheat from the chaff and the things you need from those you don’t, it tells you and it tells you straight. This is a book that delivers a firm talking to, in a good way. And, as John himself would say, if you stop and look, the answers are all there’. Naomi Slade, Garden News
‘For those wishing to know more about how to design gardens, including their own, this inexpensive soft back will act as mentor and guide’. Ian Hodgson, Garden News
‘I feel many will treasure this book and value John’s design advice and philosophy which remains completely relevant and forward looking today.’ Reckless Gardener
‘How to Design a Garden is a collection of some of [Brookes’s] best writings and lectures, lest we forget what a witty, opinionated, clever man he was, with an acute eye for topography and the local vernacular, and an unsnobbish sympathy for ordinary gardeners with small gardens. All these virtues are present in horticultural spades in this anthology. The times were ripe in the 1960s for a humane ‘less is more’ modernist, and thanks to the books that Brookes has left behind, his influence should endure. No one will ever make another Rousham or Bodnant again but, with this kind of help, plenty of smaller earthly paradises.’ Ursula Buchan, The Spectator, Books of the Year
‘Portmanteau collection of writings, some previously unpublished, by the great modernist space maker’ Sunday Telegraph
‘The book’s title is a fair reflection of its content…it does talk about design, structure, placement, context, clients, sketching, planting and so on. But it’s the richness of all of the other of John’s observations that make it so much more. Environmental awareness and responsibility; vernacular architecture; native plants and biodiversity; modern art influences…even veg growing and composting!’ Chris Young, Horticulturist
‘There are many design truisms that remain pertinent, or perhaps timeless, and a review of John’s favourite plants may prove useful. His commentaries are fascinating’. Andrew Wilson, The Garden
How to Design A Garden is available from the Denmans Gift Shop or online in the UK at:
Bookshop.org (supporting independent booksellers)
