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November 30, 2011 · 3 Comments

Book Review: A Pattern Language

Books/Writing

A Gardener’s Reading, second of 30

By Christopher Alexander, Sarah Ishikawa, Murray Silverstein (Center for Environmental Structure, 1977)

I discovered A Pattern Language several years ago, and immediately resonated with its message that design speaks to our psyches, in and out of the garden – that some spaces can feel welcoming and relaxed, while others are awe-inspiring, imposing or just plain uncomfortable. Think of how you feel approaching a home with a cozy porch with a swing on it vs. one with a big two-story entry flanked with tall urns. Each location speaks to the status and attitude of the folks behind the door.

pattern language coverThis is not a book you read, so much as absorb through many short encounters. (Truth in advertising: I do not own this book, but take it out of the local library once a year or so to ponder as I rethink my own spaces.)

The authors, all architects or urban planners, note that people feel extremely comfortable in older towns — specifically those built in the Middle Ages. These old towns followed similar design principles, including the relationship between people and the street and ways to orient a home. They condensed these ideas to 257 rules, many of which speak to some very basic elements of human nature. Why do people like nooks and window seats, for example? Rule Nos. 179 and 180: Alcoves and window seats. Why do we feel more vibrant in rooms with windows on more than one wall? Rule No. 159: Light on two sides. Why have basement bedrooms for teenagers become so popular? Rule No. 154: A teenager’s cottage.

If you are considering building a house, read this book first. You probably won’t want to follow all the rules — the authors are against most bedrooms — but it will alert you to some typical problems with newer home design.

Several of the rules relate to the connection between the house, the garden and the street. People enjoy front porches because they provide a way to see the street, to interact with your neighbors, while still remaining close to your home and protected. (Rule No. 140).  The authors advocate more gardens on the sides of homes (what they call a “half-hidden garden,” which creates a site that is both open to interaction with neighbors, but not too exposed. (Rule No. 111)  Roof gardens (Rule No. 118), outdoor rooms (Rule No. 163), the value of terraces (Rule No. 169), fruit trees (Rule No. 170), the merits of raised flower beds (Rule No. 245) and climbing plants (Rule No. 246) are all addressed succinctly and well.

Each section of the book is just a page or two long and includes an image or drawing, a discussion of how the rule relates to other patterns, a longer discussion of the rule itself and a brief summary of its key points. Here, for example, is the summary of Rule No. 177, Vegetable Gardens:  In a healthy town every family can grow vegetables for itself. The time is past to think of this as a hobby for enthusiasts; it is a fundamental part of life.

A Pattern Language is a book filled with sense and human warmth, well worth reading whether you are designing a home, an outbuilding or a garden.

Tomorrow’s book: A Gardener’s Latin

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  2. Book Review: Second Nature: A Gardener’s Education A Gardener’s Reading: First of 30 By Michael Pollan (Grove...
  3. Book Review: Made from Scratch Jenna Woginrich’s Made from Scratch: Discovering the Pleasures of a...
« Book Review: Second Nature: A Gardener’s Education
Book Review: A Gardener’s Latin »

Comments

  1. Donna Becker says

    December 3, 2011 at 2:07 pm

    Hmmm. It’s fascinating to learn why we react and how we react to certains settings. Thanks for the recommendation! I’ll be hunting down the book for my New Year ‘books to browse’ list.

Trackbacks

  1. Garden Design: 7 Ways to Feel Comfortable says:
    April 19, 2013 at 9:43 am

    […] Magic Land: Designing Your Own Enchanted Garden. Her ideas are similar to the design concepts of A Pattern Language, one of the classic books on city and home […]

  2. Art, Moles and Why We Need Plants: Three Book Reviews - My Northern Garden says:
    December 3, 2019 at 5:54 am

    […] A Pattern Language […]

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Grow it, Minnesota Podcast

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My Northern Garden book

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What’s a northern gardener to do all winter? In What’s a northern gardener to do all winter? In these pandemic times, I’ve been having fun making quilts. Small, easy, no stress quilts. And, these garden themed fabrics on discount through Etsy were irresistible. 

I’m a beginner quilter and learned the craft through YouTube! (My favorite tutorials are the scrap buster quilts from @justgetitdonequilts) This fabric bundle included 21 different half yard prints, so I’ll probably have fabric left over for next winter too. 

How are you keeping sane/busy this winter? 
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Sometimes amaryllis are just so extra—like extra Sometimes amaryllis are just so extra—like extra large! What I really like about this one (it’s called Magic Green) is that the blooms are just right. Showy but not excessive. So far, the color is more cream than green though there is a pale green undertone. Beautiful variety! 

And, for those who may notice those tell-tale yellow strips in the pots—yes, I am having an ongoing fungus gnat issue. Not out of control, but definitely irritating. 

How’s your indoor garden 🪴 growing? 
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We’re still a few weeks away from seed starting We’re still a few weeks away from seed starting time, but I’m looking forward to having baby plants in the house. 🌱My conversation with Meg from @seedtofork on the Grow it, Minnesota podcast got me thinking about how I might change my set up this year. I’ve never used heat mats for seed starting since I keep my seedlings in the heated part of the house. But maybe this is the year to try that for peppers and tomatoes? Meg swears by heating mats! 

She also got me thinking about LED lights vs. fluorescent. I’m not inclined to replace lights that are still good, but light technology is changing. A lot to learn! 

Link to the podcast in the bio. Also links to seed starting charts and tips in the show notes at growitminnesota.com. 
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Succulent Sunday. I bought this trio from the loca Succulent Sunday. I bought this trio from the local Boy Scout troop during the holidays. It came with  snowman decorations and Christmas glitter, but once that came off it has a subtle charm. Low maintenance too!
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Wondering about what garden zone you are in or wha Wondering about what garden zone you are in or what first and last frost dates mean for your vegetable garden? Here’s the zone info for Minnesota and Midwest gardeners. 

My latest blog post on MyNorthernGarden.com has the basics on zones and frost dates. (Link in bio.) Knowing a few simple things about your climate is a key to success in the garden. 

With the warm temps we have had this winter, it feels like we are gardening in about zone 6, but never fear, it will get cold again. Listening to the weather the other night, I was reminded that in early January of 2019, it hit 47 (!) in the Twin Cities. On January 29 that year, I recorded the coldest temp I’ve ever seen in my garden—minus 23. 🥶🥶🥶 
 If you haven’t listened to it yet, check out the latest episode of Grow it, Minnesota to find out how to beat the cold with hoops, cold frames and more. Link to that in bio, too. Stay warm! 
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Super excited about tomorrow’s episode of the Gr Super excited about tomorrow’s episode of the Grow it, Minnesota podcast. My guest is Niki Jabbour to talk about cold frames, mini hoops, poly tunnels and her new book, Growing Under Cover. The book is packed with information for northern gardeners who want to stretch our short growing season. The episode goes live tomorrow morning and you can subscribe in Apple, Google, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. 
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Top nine images from 2020! A bit surprised my tool Top nine images from 2020! A bit surprised my tools made it into the list 🤔 but the rest are plants I love. I’m looking forward to more gardening friends and fun in 2021. Happy New Year! 🎈 
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Yea! Look what came in today’s mail. The latest Yea! Look what came in today’s mail. The latest Northern Gardener is out with lots of great garden advice from @renegade_gardener @kopurdy @gbrownhudson (cover photo by Gail) and more. Just the thing for a long winter weekend. 
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#northerngardener #coldclimategardening #gardenmagazine #magnoliascale #lavender #garden #mnhort #mnhorticulturalsociety
I was listening to the @plantramapod podcast on my I was listening to the @plantramapod podcast on my walk and the hosts were waxing poetic about wax plant, aka Hoya. I could not agree more! It is a great house plant, and the first one I had success with. My two plants are offspring of a Hoya that my grandmother had, which was passed to my mom and now me. The original plant 🪴 was planted at least 60 years ago! Hoya are long lived, don’t need much watering or fuss and do well in many sun situations even in our dry Minnesota homes. 

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We snuck in a walk at Lebanon Hills park this morn We snuck in a walk at Lebanon Hills park this morning before the weather turned. This old tree seemed to be smiling at us. 
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Keeping my spirits bright with this book on arrang Keeping my spirits bright with this book on arranging flowers. Inspiring and educational. Now, if I just had an acre or two of land for all the 🌻🌷🌺🌸.
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