Sky Gardens : Rooftops, Balconies, and Terraces

Great design ideas are combined with practical tips on transforming an outdoor living space into a personal oasis.

Leading landscape architect Signe Nielsen shares her years of experience, and draws on other professional projects to present this incredible design portfolio of rooftops, balconies, and terrace gardens.

Lavishly illustrated with hundreds of examples, this book provides a stunning portfolio of hidden treasures and is packed with innovative and useful suggestions. You will be able to make informed choices for everything from style to plant selection.

The book guides you through steps toward composing a sky garden, beginning with key principles of design. Discover endless possibilities for creating a special place, whether a shady nook for relaxation or a dramatic vista for alfresco dining. Bring your airy retreat to life by choosing from eye-catching plant combinations and furniture arrangements. Add the finishing touch with lighting, outdoor sculpture and ornaments, and fountains and other water effects that make a garden uniquely your own.

 This is an invaluable resource for everyone planning to renovate or build a rooftop, terrace, or balcony garden. With expert advice and images from a leading landscape architect, you will be inspired to express your personality by adapting the ideas to suit your taste, needs, and budget.

Signe Nielsen is an award-winning landscape architect with three decades of experience in designing and building innovative and responsive places for people. In addition to being a principal of her firm, Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects PC, she is a professor at Pratt Institute and a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects. Her work has been widely published in design journals and books and she lectures frequently on various topics related to landscapes in the urban environment. She resides in New York City with her husband and family.