Gardens Are for Living: Design Inspiration for Outdoor Spaces by Judy Kameon ; photography by Erik Otsea
Foreword by Jonathan Adler
Los Angeles-based landscape designer Judy Kameon is known for her naturalistic gardens and residential landscapes. Walking through her projects—as this reviewer has been privileged to do—is a sensuous experience, as the elements are beautiful, tactile, fragrant, and tasty. This book is not only a glossy showpiece of her achievements, but a platform to share her ideas and methods to fully enjoy a civilized life outdoors.
A Santa Monica native, Kameon immediately lays the groundwork for her approach by looking at mid-century outdoor spaces that exemplify the Southern California lifestyle. After the first chapter on inspiration, the following sections deal with more specifics: front yards, gathering and play spaces, flower and vegetable gardens, outdoor cooking, and entertaining. The final chapter imparts ways to incorporate “California Style” outside of the Golden State.
Numbered chapters are wittily introduced with clever photographs and brief intros. Lush photography is bolstered by detailed captions that comprise most of the text, along with how-to lists, as well as drawings of specific plant specimens.