Jan Johnsen - The Spirit of Stone: 37 Practical and Creative Uses for Natural Stone in Your Garden & Landscape

praise for

Jan Johnsen & The Spirit of Stone

Jan Johnsen successfully conveys the poetic qualities of stone through insightful observations, descriptive examples and, more importantly, with practical advice for novice and professional garden designers.

~ Richard Alomar, RLA, ASLA, Department of Landscape Architecture, Rutgers University

The Spirit of Stone is an insightful look into the many ways of using natural stone in a garden. Jans crisp descriptions and wonderful photographs open our eyes to the unique addition of this material in all its forms into landscapes.

~ Bill Thomas, Executive Director, Chanticleer Garden, author of The Art of Gardening

In the same loving and passionate spirit with which she brought garden and design lovers Heaven is a Garden, Jan Johnsen now brings us The Spirit of Stone. This book provides insights and photos of every possible way to use stone in your garden: as accents, as art, as walls, as drainage, as steps, with plants or for paths.

~ Jim Peterson, Publisher, Garden Design magazine

Jan Johnsens intimate relationship with stone, honed over a long design career, shines through every page of this practical guide to using stone in residential gardens. Perhaps more importantly, she explains why this most elemental of materials creates a timeless sensuality that no other garden material can.

~ Carolyn Mullet, designer; on Facebook: Garden Design by Carolyn Mullet

The Spirit of Stone focuses in on the soulfulness, authenticity, beauty and practicality of stonework in an outdoor setting. a delightful celebration of the versatility of this solid, durable natural element.

~ Fran Sorin, author of Digging Deep: Unearthing Your Creative Roots Through Gardening

Jans great love for the art of gardening and enthusiasm for great stone work is apparent on every page. The Spirit of Stone is a great resource for inspiration in the garden.

~ Devin Devine, stone artist, mason Devine Escapes

Celebrated garden author and landscape designer Jan Johnsen has distilled her sophisticated natural stone expertise into a clearly written, companionable guide to stone gardening success. I predict The Spirit of Stone will be treasured by beginners and garden experts alike.

~ Miriam Goldberger, author of Taming Wildflowers

Jan Johnsen leaves no stone unturned in introducing readers to the wonderful world of masonry. Her marriage of hardscape and horticulture assures The Spirit of Stone rock-star status on your gardening bookshelf.

~ David Beaulieu, landscaping expert for About.com

The Spirit of Stone is an elegant paean to the use of stone in the garden. Jan Johnsen explores the rich traditions in using stone by artists and craftsmen through the age, and provides helpful suggestions for todays garden enthusiasts.

~ Robert E. Grese, Director, Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum; Professor, University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment

The Spirit of Stone

The Spirit of Stone

101 Practical & Creative Stonescaping Ideas for Your Garden

Jan Johnsen

The Spirit of Stone
101 Practical & Creative Stonescaping Ideas for Your Garden

Copyright 2017 by Jan Johnsen

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmittedin any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewerwho may quote brief passages for review purposes.

ISBN-13: 978-1-9433661-9-4

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016958267

CIP information available upon request

First Edition, 2017

St. Lynns Press. POB 18680. Pittsburgh, PA 15236

412.381.9933. www.stlynnspress.com

Book design Holly Rosborough

Editor Catherine Dees

Editorial Assistant Christina Gregory

Photo credits: All photos Jan Johnsen, with the exception of the following: page 30 Ivo Vermeulen; pages 17 (left), 23, 25, 37, 82 (top right), 86 (bottom left), 131 and 170 Laura McKillop; page 38 Chris Hansen; pages 52 and 129 Jeff Calton; pages 103 and 104 Loretta Reilly

Diagrams/Illustrations appearing on pages 56, 76, 87, 93, 109, 115, 122, 132 and 141 Laura McKillop

Printed in Canada
on certified FSC recycled paper using soy-based inks

This title and all of St. Lynns Press books may be purchased for educational, business or sales promotional use. For information please write:
Special Markets Department. St. Lynns Press. POB 18680. Pittsburgh, PA 15236

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Table of Contents

A close-up of the stone steps in the Sunken Garden of the Santa Barbara Courthouse in Santa Barbara, California. Note how the top or tread of the step overhangs the riser; this allows rainwater to easily flow off the step and visually highlights the step edge.

Introduction

Unresponsive, rude are the stones;
Yet in them divine things lie concealed

~ Helen Keller, The Song of the Stone Wall

S tone 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 large 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 was 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 flowing and cooling into lava rock.