The Bottom Line
Pros
- Beautiful photos of terracing.
- Useful distinctions between various terrace types.
Cons
- Minimal discussion of design considerations.
Description
- What this book is not: a guide to building retaining walls.
- What this book is: a guide to landscape terracing, or garden terraces.
- What landscape terracing is good for: aesthetics and efficient use of space....
- Aesthetically, terraces can take a flat stretch of land and break it up, for visual interest....
- Or terracing can turn an unusable slope into usable land, suitable for flower gardens.
- Garden terraces can also hide house foundations, functioning like foundation plantings of shrubs.
- Terraces can later be planted with flowers, functioning like raised garden beds.
Guide Review - Book on Landscape Terracing - Building Garden Terraces
Paul Nordmark's book, Inspirational Terracing, is a fine source of ideas for how terraces can turn a barren landscape into an Eden. A picture is worth 1000 words, and this book says a mouthful about the versatility of garden terraces. It’s packed with thought-provoking pictures, including before and after photos. Building a garden terrace is, by its very nature, a hands-on endeavor, however; much is left to your own “inspiration.” But if you have a knack for design and are used to the planning and problem-solving demanded by hardscape projects, Nordmark's stunning photos alone will be enough to put you on the right track.
Update (10/05/08): Paul's book is now out of print, but Inspirational Terracing is available on DVD. However, I found the background music too loud on the DVD -- in places, it drowned out the narration about the garden terraces being shown.
