Small Buildings, Small Gardens

Creating Gardens Around Structures

Gordon Hayward

Illustrations by Peter Joel Harrison

In his eighth book on practical garden design, renowned gardener Gordon Hayward explores the idea that existing or newly built structures in a garden-sheds, pergolas, fences, arbors, gazeboes, pools, and so on-can be used to answer most questions about how to develop an engaging and user-friendly garden plan.

Important tips:

A small structure such as a shed suggests the dimensions, style, line and purpose of the garden adjacent to it.

Gazeboes, arbors and other open structures frame garden views.

Fences, pergolas and walls provide structure, background, edges and places for people to sit, have a meal or gather.

Gates and breaks in walls and fencing create thresholds, points of entry and transitions from one garden area to the next.

Trellises and other vertical built structures attached to the sides of buildings provide places for vines or espaliers.

Gordon Hayward is the author of several books, including The Welcoming Garden, The Intimate Garden: Twenty Years and Four Seasons in Our Garden, Garden Paths: Inspiring Designs and Practical Projects, and Your House, Your Garden: A Foolproof Approach to Garden Design, as well as a variety of articles for Horticulture Magazine. He lives in Westminster West, Vermont.

"Hayward has shown himself to be not only a talented landscape designer but also a gifted teacher." -Publishers Weekly

"Gordon Hayward shows you how to get beyond lawn and standard shrubs . . ." -Chicago Tribune