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David L. Culp

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The Layered Garden: Design Lessons for Year-Round Beauty from Brandywine Cottage Hardcover – Illustrated, October 16, 2012

by David L. Culp (Author), Adam Levine Rob Cardillo (Photographer)

4.6 748 ratings

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“Gardenmaking, in its finest form, is a celebration of life and of love. David and his book epitomize this.” —Lauren Springer Ogden

Brandywine Cottage is David Culp's beloved two-acre Pennsylvania garden where he mastered the design technique of layering—interplanting many different species in the same area so that as one plant passes its peak, another takes over. The result is a nonstop parade of color that begins with a tapestry of heirloom daffodils and hellebores in spring and ends with a jewel-like blend of Asian wildflowers at the onset of winter.

The Layered Garden shows you how to recreate Culp's majestic display. It starts with a basic lesson in layering—how to choose the correct plants by understanding how they grow and change throughout the seasons, how to design a layered garden, and how to maintain it. To illustrate how layering works, Culp takes you on a personal tour through each part of his celebrated garden: the woodland garden, the perennial border, the kitchen garden, the shrubbery, and the walled garden. The book culminates with a chapter dedicated to signature plants for all four seasons.

Print length

312 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Timber Press
Publication date

October 16, 2012
Dimensions

7.75 x 1.13 x 11.38 inches
ISBN-10

1604692367
ISBN-13

978-1604692365
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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

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 discovery—an 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. --Carol Haggas

Review

“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.” —Booklist

“Spellbinding writing and Cardillo’s breathtaking photos entice readers through Culp’s woodland garden. An essential title in the ‘how I did it’ genre of garden writing.” —Library Journal

“I love the book. . . . It teaches us how to design and maintain a complex, layered garden.” —Garden Rant

“Offers the perfect blend of inspiration and practical advice. Readers will come away with plenty of ideas and guidance to create their own layered, four-season gardens wherever they live.” —American Gardener

“This is one for your must read list. . . . and it would make a wonderful gift for anyone who loves plants and gardens.” —A Charlotte Garden

“Culp shares the beauty of Brandywine and some of his garden-design secrets.” —McClatchy-Tribune News

“If you are planning to design or redesign a space next spring and summer, this is a wonderful guide to choose.” —Northern Gardener

“A visual feast of inspiration combined with practical advice on how to put together a garden that shines throughout the year. A great winter read.” —Detroit News

“A good choice for people trying to correct their jumbled mess of a landscape.” —Harrisburg Patriot-News

“An overview of how to plant for climate change and aesthetics to create a garden that’s dynamic in every season.” —The Strategist

From the Back Cover

What is a layered garden? It’s a garden that offers four seasons of beauty from a single patch of ground. From the first snowdrops of spring to the last branches, berries, and bark of winter, a layered garden is rich with wonder. And it’s within your reach. In these pages, renowned gardener David Culp shows you the plants, tips, and techniques that he uses in his own garden to create dazzling combinations that you can emulate or adapt. Guided by his wisdom and experience, you’ll soon have a layered garden of your own that will grow in loveliness with each passing year.

About the Author

Along with his partner, Michael Alderfer, David Culp is the creator of the gardens at Brandywine Cottage in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. David has been lecturing about gardens nationwide for more than 25 years. His articles have appeared in Country Living, Fine Gardening, Green Scene, and many other publications. He is a former contributing editor to Horticulture magazine and served as chairman of the Mid-Atlantic Hardy Plant Society. An expert on herbaceous perennials, David is vice president for Sunny Border Nurseries in Connecticut. He developed the Brandywine Hybrid strain of hellebores and was cited in the Wall Street Journal for his expertise on snowdrops. The garden at Brandywine Cottage has been featured several times in Martha Stewart Living and on HGTV. Visit him at davidlculp.com.

Adam Levine is an award-winning garden writer whose work has appeared in several books as well as many regional and national magazines. He lives and gardens in Media, Pennsylvania.

Rob Cardillo has been photographing gardens, plants, and the people who tend them for more than 20 years. Formerly the director of photography at Organic Gardening, he now works for major publishers, horticultural suppliers, and landscape designers throughout the United States. Visit him at robcardillo.com.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction: The Path to Brandywine Cottage
Gardening often brings me to my knees. By this I mean more than the planting, weeding, and fussing, the bended-knee, manicure-destroying grunt work that all of us do. The beauty and diversity of plants often stop me in my tracks, and I am never satisfied to simply gaze at these wonders from above. I get down on my knees to get a closer look, touching the plants and the soil they grow in, a communion that connects me to the earth and to life on Earth in an immediate, almost electric way. Many of my favorite flowers are tiny, their differences minute and seemingly inconsequential to the average observer, but I love examining all the facets of their intricate beauty. I especially love when someone kneels beside me, so I can share my fascination with a kindred spirit. Over a lifetime of varied horticultural pursuits, I have learned that the closer I look, the more astounded I become, and the more in love I fall with plants and the gardens in which they reside.

I have been a passionate plantsman and collector since I was a child, and Brandywine Cottage, the 2-acre garden I tend with Michael Alderfer in southeastern Pennsylvania, is home to unusual plants from all over the world. The collector in me thinks each individual specimen is beautiful, of course; otherwise I would not bother growing them. But the designer in me wants more than a botanical garden with each genus grown in its separate bed. Plants are the basis of my garden artistry, serving as pieces in a design puzzle, as colors in a palette, as elements of a sculpture. As with artists in any medium, the more we learn about these vehicles for our expression and the more passionate we are about them, the more ways we will find to use them and the more beautiful our gardens will become.

Combining plants in a multitude of ways, based on their habits and moods, how they live and even how they die, gives my garden successive layers of interest that extend into every month of the year. I use the term “layers” as shorthand for a design process by which I try to maximize the beauty and interest from each planted space, by combining complementary plants that either grow and bloom together or follow each other in succession. While succession planting is part of this design approach, my idea of layering goes beyond just the plants to encompass the development of each bed and how the beds relate to each other and the garden as a whole. More than just making sure one blooming plant follows another, layering is the art of creating a series of peak garden moments, the anticipation of which gets me out of bed in the morning.

Trying to describe something visual in words is like trying to write about the taste of a complex food. How would you describe the taste of a curry? I could list all the spices that go into it, come up with a few adjectives like hot and spicy, but none of this would tell you exactly how it makes you feel when you first taste it. A layered garden like mine is complex, like a curry, with depths that are not all apparent at first glance and which can be savored in many ways, at many levels. My hellebores can be seen as simply beautiful; but my hellebore breeding can be an exercise in mathematical probability that I will explain to anyone who wants to listen. And in my layered garden, my hellebore bed is more than just hellebores: otherwise why would I want to look at it once these flowers were done blooming? Layering allows me to use all the many plants I collect in exciting ways that highlight the individuals while melding the collections into a coherent and cohesive whole.

Countless people have provided me with the ideas that, sifted and composted in my mind, ended up in the ground at the Brandywine Cottage garden. Not all gardens are designed in layers, but layering is a feature of many of the gardens I love and is practiced by many of the gardeners I admire. I certainly make no claim that the “layered garden” (or anything else in this book) is my own invention. What I hope to offer, in the text and especially in the photographs and captions, is an intimate look at how one such garden has been conceived and constructed. Just as we can learn much by the peering into individual flowers, the close examination of any good garden, along with insights into the minds and the methods of its gardeners, can teach many lessons.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Timber Press; Illustrated edition (October 16, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 312 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1604692367
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1604692365
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.69 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.75 x 1.13 x 11.38 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #10,967 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #6 in Landscape
- #20 in Garden Design (Books)
- #26 in Plants in Biological Sciences

Customer Reviews:
4.6 748 ratings

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David L. Culp

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David Culp is the creator of the gardens at Brandywine Cottage in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. David has been lecturing about gardens nationwide for more than 25 years. Articles on David have appeared in Gardens Illustrated, Horticulture Magazine, and numerous other publications. He is the Principle of David L. Culp Designs and Owner of Brandywine Snowdrops

David is a former contributing editor to Horticulture magazine and served as chairman of the Mid-Atlantic Hardy Plant Society. David is Vice President for Sunny Border Nurseries in Connecticut. He is author of the book The Layered Garden published by Timber Press An expert on, David is a herbaceous perennials instructor at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA.

David has developed the Brandywine Hybrid strain of hellebores, and was recently cited in the Wall Street Journal for his expertise on snowdrops. His garden has been featured several times in Martha Stewart Living and on HGTV. Brandywine Cottage is listed in the Smithsonian Institution Archives of American Gardens.

He is a recipient of many awards including the 2014 Garden Media Award from the Perennial Plant Association and the Distinguished Garden Award from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. He has also been awarded the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Award of Merit, as well as others. He serves on the Pennsylvania Horticultural Societies Gold Medal Plant Selection Committee.

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gi

Love This Book

Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2019

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I love this book. Lavishly and purposefully illustrated, it is the story of how two people created an extraordinarily beautiful garden that fit perfectly into their relatively small plot of land and brought them joy. Text and photographs blend seemlessly. And while it is not a how-to book per-se, it teaches the fundamental principles of garden design and cultivation as they play out in this particular garden. That's the best way, I think. For we all garden in particular places, and the conditions, climate, and circumstances of those places differ. Yet the principles that will make them pleasing and beautiful do not change. I have gardened in the Deep South all my life, and the author's garden is in New England. I yearn for boulders; he must work around them. But that's the point: everyone must start with what he has. Every garden should---and every successful garden will---reflect not only its maker's preferences, but also its place. The garden the reader encounters in this book does that in spades! I probably would have purchased the book for the illustrations alone because I love looking at gardens. But the illustrations are just that---they show how the garden came into being; they show the result of how taking the time and being humble enough to plant things where their cultural requirements can be met. Gardeners need this kind of reminder and encouragement. Another thing this garden does is show how even a small suburban property can have a variety of gardens that flow into one another and maintain the interest both of the gardener and the visitor---and yet retain a unique unity. I recommend this book highly. It would make a fine gift for the young gardener, the one just starting to dream, as well as for a long-time gardener, who is still tweeking dreams. I read a lot of garden books, and this stands out among them.

73 people found this helpful

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Greater Boston Area

Outstanding Gardening Book

Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2022

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The book has excellent ideas on how to achieve a really full, lush garden for all 4 seasons. The illustrations are gorgeous and the tips and advice are absolutely doable without professional help or major landscaping renovations. I've loved this book - it's one of the best I've read among maybe 20+ garden books. It's *NOT* a how-to for beginners, though! :)

5 people found this helpful

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buyingonline

More is more

Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2023

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A great addition to your garden library. Info for new and experienced gardeners and tons of photos and growing tips to spur your creativity and help build confidence with new plants.

One person found this helpful

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Sam Clemens

Great ideas for many types of Gardeners

Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2022

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I am a new homeowner and new-ish to gardening in that I’ve tended many gardens but never designed one of my own. The author of this book has much much more space than I do, but I was surprised to find many ideas of combinations of plants and uses of color in my own garden on just.08 acres. What I do in my own space won’t have quite the same impact being on a micro scale, but it will be fun none the less. A family member is contemplating more of a zen garden- which is something featured in this book that I think is reasonably attainable.

My gripes- he shows very briefly a small vegetable garden and talks about bringing playfulness and creativity to that area of gardening as well. As someone looking to dedicate the backyard chiefly to vegetable garden, I wish there had been a lot more on aesthetic gardening design and display for food. Since that space will need to double as an entertainment/ hangout space for us, I feel that is generally an unaddressed niche in gardening books available. I understand that wasn’t necessarily the purpose of this book, but since it was included I wish there had been more thought put into that bit. My second gripe- he spends a lot of time on “the ruin wall”. It is very pretty and cool, and a study in gardening in unconventional places which is worth wile. However, I also think it’s really impractical and unnecessary for the average person.
Not big issues and at $20 i feel it was well worth the money and time spent. I am certain it is a book I will return to in the future rather than glancing through once and not considering further

6 people found this helpful

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Ashley

Beautiful book

Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2023

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This book is not only beautiful on our coffee table, it is also easy to read and comprehend. Couldn't be happier with it.

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Reviewer

Must Read, Especially Zone 4-6 Gardens.

Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2020

Verified Purchase

I think this may be my favorite gardening book to date. I read every word and refer back to it often. It’s inspirational but also achievable. So many wonderful specimens of plants and I just love his theories of garden design. I wish he had a podcast or a YouTube channel so I could learn from him everyday. He seems like a true genius in his field.

I will say... and this is really nit picky.... that I don’t love the color of the spine of this book. I enjoy displaying my favorite books but the hardcover is bright orange with green writing without the dust and yellow with it on. It doesn’t quite fit into my decor seamlessly. I know most people wouldn’t care about that but I like interior design as much as garden design. Maybe if he ever reprints it could be updated.

33 people found this helpful

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J.M.L

Meh. I don't recommend this book

Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2023

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There are no tips in this book on how to create a layered garden. Save yourself the trouble. This book is his gardening biography.

He mainly discusses his garden philosophy (work with the soil, make the garden seduce you, use nature as your paintbrush, etc.) and what are his favorite plants.

The book has some tips, but nothing worth mentioning---just garden idioms to keep in mind.

He has been gardening on this property for the last 20 years. I thought that parts of his book would discuss how he layered the garden once he discovered gaps in the design...like how did he determine if he needed more of an evergreen versus a deciduous shrub. What was the process. But he doesn't. He just talks about how he plants things he likes. Not helpful.

In hindsight now, I think the title of this book is misleading. I think a more appropriate title for this book should be "My Garden Journey." There is nothing in here about a layered garden. And while I don't necessarily feel like I wasted my time reading it, I won't be rereading it or picking it up as a resource again. If you're looking for tips on creating a layered garden, save yourself the trouble.

16 people found this helpful

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Joy266

Helpful

Reviewed in Canada on November 18, 2023

Verified Purchase

Christmas gift for my sister

Utta Germey

The Layered Gaerden

Reviewed in Germany on June 18, 2017

Verified Purchase

Das Buch aus dem Timber Press Verlag hat mich enttäuscht.
Die Bilder sind nicht aussagekräftig, teilweise schlecht fotografiert und haben mit dem Thema herzlich wenig zu tun. Wie der erste Rezensent zu den fünf Sternen kommt, ist mir nicht klar.
Ich bin eine begeisterte Gärtnerin, habe schon viele hervorragenden Bücher aus diesem Verlag gekauft, aber mit dem Buch von David L. Culp kann ich leider überhaupt nichts anfangen.
Utta Germey

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Sharona Goren

I received the book as scheduled.

Reviewed in Canada on December 8, 2020

Verified Purchase

I am very satisfied with the book and there was no problem with the shipment. All went smooth.

One person found this helpful

Foxglove

Brillant

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 21, 2013

Verified Purchase

I can't pinpoint why but this book is different from most garden books. I think it relates to the flare for garden design that the authors have. Lots of lovely colour photo's to inspire together with relevant information.

One person found this helpful

Diana I.

Fabulous! Thank you David!

Reviewed in Canada on September 22, 2019

Verified Purchase

This is a warm and generous body of work from a gentleman whose lifelong passion has been for plants and beauty and endless creativity. I learned a lot from one read; undoubtedly I will come back to this book often.

One person found this helpful

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