[from the Introduction ] Stone is often an overlooked player in a landscape. While we may swoon over the many shapes and colors of plants within a garden, the stone walks and walls stand silently by, perhaps unnoticed. This book shines a light on the beauty and enchantment that natural stone adds to an outdoor setting. It is a celebration of the versatility of solid, durable rock and showcases the many ways stones and stonework can be featured in the landscape. If you have ever thought about adding this resilient natural element into your garden, then this idea book is for you. In these pages I offer illustrated design tips and practical techniques for using stone in rock gardens, walks, walls, steps - as artful accents, and much more. You will discover how many possibilities are open to you; rocks can be a still, small voice or a dramatic booming song, depending on how you use them. Bringing natural stone and stonework into your garden can elevate it and anchor it, all at the same time. I have a soft spot for hard rock. During my four-decade career as a professional landscape designer, I have incorporated stone in a variety of outdoor settings. It is, in my opinion, an indispensable part of a garden. My love of stone was fostered by my time living in Kyoto, Japan, as a college student years ago. I interned in a landscape architecture office and on weekends I would visit the historic Japanese gardens. I saw how natural stone and stonework were of central significance in their landscapes. I subsequently studied landscape architecture in Hawaii, where I experienced the fiery beginnings of rock by watching molten lava, up close, flowing. As a young adult, my relationship with stone deepened when I became a rock climber. During ascents on New York's Schwangunk Mountains, I would examine the vertical cliffs up close and see the cracks, fissures and protrusions of the rock as a challenge and an opportunity. I learned to place my fingers inside the crevices in the stone as a climber does, which sometimes meant strong handholds and other times a delicate fingertip grip. I later lived near Barre, Vermont, home of world famous granite quarries, and I would stand in awe as I watched giant granite slabs being hewn from the earth. Ultimately, I settled in Westchester County, New York, where rough fieldstone walls, quartz-laden boulders and classic bluestone walks and patios are found in abundance. From these diverse experiences, I have learned to cherish stone's quiet beauty and its steadying qualities. Excerpted from The Spirit of Stone: 101 Practical and Creative Stonescaping Ideas for Your Garden by Jan Johnsen All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
