Contemporary Colour in the Garden

This book is a celebration of colour and gives us a chance to marvel at its power, understand how it affects us and how to use the colour wheel when designing our gardens. 

This book is a colourful feast. Examining the complex subject of colour, colour theory and techniques, Andrew Wilson demonstrates some current designers are manipulating colours in plants and inorganic elements to achieve stunning effects. The text is supported by a multitude of large, richly colourful and sometimes dazzling photos of finished designs.

The author's writing style is personal and meditative, and the book is full of beautiful photographs to illustrate his points, including work by some of the greatest garden designers, and inspiration for the natural world. It will appeal to the connoisseur, rather than the beginner, and in particular to gardeners with a mind to experiment.

Top ten gardening book:

Andrew Wilson is a garden designer and RHS judge, and knows a thing or two about garden design, but this book is all about colour. Wilson is fascinating on colour fashions and the effect colours have on the emotions, illustrating his points with examples of major designers' work.

This lavishly illustrated volume looks at how colour can be used today. There's plenty of inspiration drawn from top designers like Piet Oudolf and Christopher Bradley-Hole; many examples chosen from Chelsea show gardens and other shows such as Chaumont; plus lots of real gardens, both private and those open to the public...I read a number of books and articles before writing about Colour Theory in Garden Design earlier this year, so I found the first few chapters didn't say much that was new to me. However, that doesn't mean they should be omitted as they give a thorough introduction to the subject. The later chapters on The Restricted Palette, Breaking Colour Rules (especially) and Inspired by Nature spoke to me much more. Andrew also has lots of useful things to say about combining hard and soft landscaping and it's good to see both taking centre stage in one volume.

Thinking of redesigning your garden over the winter? This book - illustrated with examples of beautiful gardens from all over the world - reveals how colour in both planting and hard landscaping can transform a space, and shows how to best exploit light.

With nothing less than exceptional photography, Wilson's book will take you through seasons and designs appealing to everyone...
Find some stunning inspiration to break the mould and get some garden ideas to complement the vivid colours of your Koi. Just flicking through the leaves of this book will make you want to get out there and paint your garden with colour.

In this inspiring book Andrew Wilson pulls and tugs at the mind of the reader, challenging them to gain a deeper understanding of how colour, texture and light intermingle to intensify the excitement that a cleverly conceived garden enthuses in its observer. Packed full of ideas and practical advice, this book belongs not only on the bookshelves of professionals but also on that of anyone who wants to bring life and colour in to their garden.

Featured as a top-ten entry in "Books to Inspire Your Garden This Autumn":

Well, colour is back, at least to judge by this thoughtful publication from one of the country's leading garden-design tutors. Ostensibly it is a picture-driven book, filled with striking images of colourful garden scenes, with plants and "hard materials" playing off each other. The accompanying text will provide food for thought for professional designers and serious amateurs alike.

This is an excellent and stimulating book and for the first time in my life I have actually started to think about colour and my approach to it.

This may not be a book for every amateur gardener but I think that if I was a garden design student I would find it invaluable for its discussion of colour not just plants but hard and soft landscaping. I can see it become a very well-thumbed reference book to future students.

In this stimulating book Andrew Wilson stretches readers' perceptions - opening minds towards a better informed understanding of how colour, texture, timbre and light interact to heighten the experience and enjoyment of gardens.

Full of ideas and practical advice - as you would expect from Andrew Wilson.

The art of using colour in both plants and materials, by a leading garden designer.