Jon Carloftis’s New Garden Design Guide

In his new book, Jon Carloftis Fine Gardens, the lauded Kentucky garden designer writes, “Sense of smell is supposed to be the strongest of all the senses to bring back memories, and a garden is certainly the epicenter of fragrance.”

Across a generous selection of his private and public landscapes, the new photo-rich book pinpoints those kinds of evocative details—the scent of an old linden tree, the native ferns that thrive along a shaded walk, the discovery of an old distillery’s hidden pool—and why Carloftis plants dwarf varieties of hydrangeas and shrubs to create layers and intrigue. Part guide and part narrative, it’s wholly stirring for spring dreaming. Here, find a preview of images from the new book, photographed by Abby Laub.