Creating a Garden Retreat by Virginia Johnson

Creating a Garden Retreat is one of our favorite books on our shelf. It's beautiful, artful, and useful.
 
“Refreshingly low key. . . . Johnson’s irreverent sensibility will take the intimidation out of the game for those looking to have fun. New gardeners big on imagination will find Johnson’s encouragement just what they need to get out in the dirt.”
 
—Publishers Weekly
 
A garden is more than the sum of its parts—a garden can be anything one wants it to be. What’s important is that it has a heart.
 
Textile designer and artist Virginia Johnson takes the reader on her garden journey through ethereal illustrations, from blank slate to dreamscape. Over the years, Virginia has transformed a small, narrow city lot into a personal, carefree, wild, and welcoming garden.
 
It all began with a fence to allow her children to play freely but safely, and over the years, it has turned into a city-dweller’s “secret garden.” Hornbeams, with their elegant shape, are the heroes of her garden, and the overall palette reflects an artist’s lens—peonies, hollyhocks, roses, and hydrangeas abound.
 
Virginia explains her process with ease and clarity, bringing her ideas to life through words and illustrations so readers can be encouraged and empowered to start their garden journeys. The book is organized into clear chapters—Trees & Shrubs, Vines, Flowers, Seasons, Edibles, and more.
 
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