[.ca] Tropical Garden Design (ISBN 0794602428)

You will not learn how to design a tropical garden with this:
If you are looking for a "How to" book then this is not it. It has nice pictures of tropical greenery but I did not see any outstanding "designed" tropical gardens in the book. A big disappointment.

Witty Writing and Fine Photographs:
With chatty wit, the inexhaustible landscape designer Made Wijaya seemingly shares all his knowledge of tropical gardens. Wijaya (born Michael White in Australia) known for his intimate knowledge and appreciation of the Balinese culture, reveals a well-traveled, discerning eye for garden style in a wide area of the Asia-Pacific tropics. Richly illustrated with sketches and fine photography, this has the appearance of a coffee table book. Yet Wijaya's anecdotes and criticisms make for a good read. While the author does not get into the nitty-gritty gardener's how-to's, it is an indispensable reference book for anyone wanting to learn more about tropical landscaping. To impart an understanding of the tropical vernacular, Wijaya brings out a variety of sources for illustration. One entire chapter is devoted to an historical overview of the tropical garden, and it is peppered with old prints and photographs. Throughout the book are paintings, colonial-era vignettes, and nicely drafted sketches. Also useful is Wijaya's list of (mostly) Asian gardens that can be visited for reference or pure enjoyment of the tropical garden. Although the author includes a list of plants that flower in the wet season, there is no other list of botanicals, which would greatly assist the reader seriously involved in garden design. Tropical Garden Design is a style book, and a very entertaining one, at that.

Tropical Garden Design:
Made Wijaya, southeast Asia's most successful landscape artist (he has designed four hundred tropical gardens worldwide including the U.S. ambassador's house in Jakarta), has put out a captivating volume of tropical garden color photos highlighting his adopted home island of Bali. Tropical Garden Design shows off Bali at its luxurious palm and bamboo best: feast your eyes on floating pavilions, water gardens, walled compounds, planted terraces, patios, and his own personal havens in Sanur and Villa Bebek. It successfully wows the reader with its green, sunlit images of Bali's cornucopia of artistically enhanced earthly delights.

Nice picture book, No how-to:
This is a beautiful picture book to pick up and browse and transport yourself to the wonderful tropical gardens displayed in large colorful photographs throughout the book. If you are actually planning on designing a tropical garden as the title implies--forget it. There is little practical how-to information that is found in the book. The one page devoted to palms doesn't say much more that they are vital.The chapter on the brief history of early tropical gardens is the strongest chapter in the book.

Nice picture book, No how-to:
This is a beautiful picture book to pick up and browse and transport yourself to the wonderful tropical gardens displayed in large colorful photographs throughout the book. If you are actually planning on designing a tropical garden as the title implies--forget it. There is little practical how-to information that is found in the book. The one page devoted to palms doesn't say much more than they are vital.The chapter on the brief history of early tropical gardens is the strongest chapter in the book.