Enter the mind of the creator of the gardens at Brandywine Cottage and find inspiration for your next gardening project with this guide that includes “breathtaking” photos of the Cottage ( Library Journal ). Brandywine Cottage is David Culp's beloved two-acre Pennsylvania garden where he mastered the design technique of layering—interplanting many different species in the same area so that as one plant passes its peak, another takes over. The result is a nonstop parade of color that begins with a tapestry of heirloom daffodils and hellebores in spring and ends with a jewel-like blend of Asian wildflowers at the onset of winter. To illustrate how layering works, Culp takes you on a personal tour through each part of his celebrated garden: the woodland garden, the perennial border, the kitchen garden, the shrubbery, and the walled garden.  The Layered Garden shows you how to recreate Culp's majestic display, starting with a basic lesson in layering—how to choose the correct plants by understanding how they grow and change throughout the seasons, how to design a layered garden, and how to maintain it. The book culminates with a chapter dedicated to signature plants for all four seasons. “Gardenmaking, in its finest form, is a celebration of life and of love. David and his book epitomize this.” —Lauren Springer Ogden A spartan home sits on a modest piece of property tucked into the suburban sprawl of southeastern Pennsylvania. It is surrounded by an effusive explosion of plants of every shape and hue. Vibrant magenta alliums send their pom-poms skyrocketing over drifts of pale blue forget-me-nots. Hillsides overflow with cascading ferns and hostas, while a vegetable garden banked with perennials dominates the sunny foreground. Rainbow pots of herbs and annuals carry the eye on a radiant journey of discovery—an ancient stone trough here, a gnarled wooden trellis there. So imaginative is Culp’s genius and so resourceful his passion for plants and design that his layered garden offers more sensory delights per square foot than most gardens manage to achieve over acres. In no mere “how I did this” memoir, Culp, with help from award-winning garden writer Levine, offers solid advice on design technique and plant selection. Famed garden photographer Rob Cardillo’s swoon-inducing inages showcase Culp’s vision for maximizing a garden’s potential. A stunning chronicle of the way Culp and his garden evolved over the years. --Carol Haggas “So imaginative is Culp’s genius and so resourceful his passion for plants and design that his layered garden offers more sensory delights per square foot than most gardens manage to achieve over acres.” — Booklist “Spellbinding writing and Cardillo’s breathtaking photos entice readers through Culp’s woodland garden. An essential title in the ‘how I did it’ genre of garden writing.” — Library Journal “I love the book. . . . It teaches us how to design and maintain a complex, layered garden.” — Garden Rant “Offers the perfect blend of inspiration and practical advice. Readers will come away with plenty of ideas and guidance to create their own layered, four-season gardens wherever they live.” — American Gardener “This is one for your must read list. . . . and it would make a wonderful gift for anyone who loves plants and gardens.” — A Charlotte Garden “Culp shares the beauty of Brandywine and some of his garden-design secrets.” — McClatchy-Tribune News “If you are planning to design or redesign a space next spring and summer, this is a wonderful guide to choose.” — Northern Gardener “A visual feast of inspiration combined with practical advice on how to put together a garden that shines throughout the year. A great winter read.” — Detroit News “A good choice for people trying to correct their jumbled mess of a landscape.” — Harrisburg Patriot-News “An overview of how to plant for climate change and aesthetics to create a garden that’s dynamic in every season.”   —The Strategist     What is a layered garden? It’s a garden that offers four seasons of beauty from a single patch of ground. From the first snowdrops of spring to the last branches, berries, and bark of winter, a layered garden is rich with wonder. And it’s within your reach. In these pages, renowned gardener David Culp shows you the plants, tips, and techniques that he uses in his own garden to create dazzling combinations that you can emulate or adapt. Guided by his wisdom and experience, you’ll soon have a layered garden of your own that will grow in loveliness with each passing year. Along with his partner, Michael Alderfer, David Culp is the creator of the gardens at Brandywine Cottage in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. David has been lecturing about gardens nationwide for more than 25 years. His articles have appeared in Country Living, Fine Gardening, Green Scene, and many other publications. He is a former contributing editor to Horticulture magazine and served as chairman of the Mid-Atl