Synopses & Reviews
Why do some gardens make us feel so wonderful, relaxed and refreshed? Professional landscape designer Jan Johnsen shares her passion for creating serene, enticing gardens that become outdoor havens for our spirit. Heaven is a Garden is a thoroughly entrancing garden design book that you will refer to over and over. Johnsen draws on her 40 years of experience to explore far-ranging ideas - some new, some ancient - like, why a gate facing East is considered auspicious, why a sheltered corner is so alluring and why certain trees can impart a special atmosphere. Richly photographed with inspiring landscapes, this guide is written with thoughtful prose and practical advice. It reveals how, with a new/old design approach, you can create a delightful outdoor haven that everyone will enjoy.
www.serenityinthegarden.blogspot.com
Jan Johnsen writes the popular Serenity in the Garden blog and Facebook page.
Review
"I found myself looking around my yard with a new, more informed perspective, and I bet you will too." Teresa O'Connor
Review
Mixing little known, fascinating facts with a sense of wonder about the environment, Jan Johnsen guides us through proven techniques to infuse serenity in our gardens. She begins with an explanation of three simple words: simplicity, sanctuary and delight - the basis for creating gardens that inspire us and provide a place for reflection. With so many other good suggestions in this book as well, anyone who designs gardens should have this book on their resource shelf. -Vanessa Gardner Nagel, designer, author Director of Communications, Association of Professional Landscape Designers
Review
Jan Johnsen touches my soul with her insights on gardens, as well as on living life. You'll be touched too as she teaches you how to create a divine, unhurried landscape with simplicity, sanctuary and delight. -Jim Peterson, Publisher, Garden Design Magazine
Review
Heaven is a garden, and similarly, a garden is heaven. Jan Johnsen brought heaven, beauty and tranquility to my own garden. She's the best! -John T. Mickel, Curator of Ferns Emeritus, New York Botantical Garden; Author of Ferns for American Gardens
Review
Heaven is a Garden transports the reader with an exquisite combination of ancient garden design principles and twenty-first century creativity and innovation. A definite must for every nature and garden enthusiast. -Bente Hansen, author, energy healer
Synopsis
Heaven Is a Garden is about creating havens for the senses. Drawing on the ancient traditions of “sacred space,” the author identifies the key natural elements of a garden that can give us feelings of renewal and inspiration. She shows us how we can introduce these calming, inspiring elements into our own gardens. The chapters explore “the power of place” and the surprising role that water, trees, shapes, color and sound play in transforming our state of mind. This richly photographed guide invites us to bring more serenity into our lives. Garden Media named its 2013-14 Trends Report: Finding Bliss by Channeling the Forces of Nature. This book shows how, with a few well-considered additions to a garden, we can create a place of peace and contemplation. Full color photographs throughout. Jan Johnsen designs serene spaces for a client list of the famous and the not-so-famous, grand estates and small backyards. www.serenityinthegarden.blogspot.com
Synopsis
Heaven Is a Garden: Designing Serene Outdoor Spaces for Inspiration and Reflection offers a new way of thinking about creating peaceful backyard havens. Drawing from ancient traditions and the author's forty years of experience as a landscape designer, Jan Johnsen's richly photographed book explores "the power of place" and the surprising role that water, trees, color and sound play in transforming our state of mind. She shows how you can "attune" your garden using shape and light in innovative ways, and identify natural elements that can create a sense of calm well being. This deeply perceptive guide reveals how, with a new design approach to your garden, you can create a peaceful and beautiful place of serenity and delight. Jan Johnsen writes the popular Serenity in the Garden blog and Facebook page.
Synopsis
Why do some gardens make us feel so wonderful, relaxed and refreshed? Using ideas based on ancient and modern practices, this book shows how you can uplift yourself and others in a serene setting designed for "unplugging" and relaxing. Whether you are intending to create a lovely garden or just thinking about a future outdoor haven, Heaven is a Garden will help you see your backyard in a whole new light and reawaken an awareness of the wonders of Nature. "Simplicity, Sanctuary and Delight" is the guideline that noted landscape designer Jan Johnsen recommends in this elegantly written book. She draws on her 40 years in the profession and offers stunning visuals and specific ways to make a garden look glorious and feel harmonious at the same time. She reveals how to highlight a power spot, explores the lure of the sheltered corner, explains why a gate facing East is considered auspicious and suggests which trees you can use to impart a special atmosphere. Gardeners will also enjoy the chapters on the mysteries of color, a rock's resonance and the magic of water. All in all, this gem of a book is a thoroughly enjoyable guide that you will refer to over and over. Jan Johnsen writes the popular 'Serenity in the Garden' blog and Facebook page. Her firm's website is www.johnsenlandscapes.com www.serenityinthegarden.blogspot.com
About the Author
Jan Johnsen has a landscape design company in New York. A landscape designer with deep understanding of the design principles of traditional cultures, she teaches at Columbia University and is an award-winning instructor at the New York Botanical Garden. Her garden designs have appeared in Woman's Day, East Coast Home and Design, Landscape Architecture, Westchester Home, Redbook, This Old House, Homestyle, and other magazines and books. She blogs at Serenity In the Garden, and lectures widely to garden clubs, botanical gardens and historical societies.