Cohen, Stephanie 1937-

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COHEN, Stephanie 1937-

PERSONAL: Born 1937. Education: Earned M.A.

ADDRESSES: Office—Temple University Ambler, Center for Sustainable Communities, 580 Meetinghouse Rd., Ambler, PA 19002.

CAREER: Temple University Ambler, Ambler, PA, faculty member, 1980–; director of Landscape Arboretum, teacher of advanced perennial design, and associated faculty member of Center for Sustainable Communities. Co-chair, Perennial-Plant-of-the-Year program.

MEMBER: American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboretums, American Rock Garden Society, Perennial Plant Association, Hardy Plant Society, Morris Arboretum.

AWARDS, HONORS: Garden Communicator of the Year Award, American Nursery and Landscape Association, 2000 and 2001; Certificate of Honor, Ambler College Alumni Association, 2002; Honor Award and Special Service Award, Perennial Plant Association, 2002.

WRITINGS:

(With Nancy J. Ondra) The Perennial Gardener's Design Primer, Storey Publishing (North Adams, MA), 2005.

Contributing editor, Country Living Gardener; member of advisory board, GreenScene. Contributor to American Nurseryman.

SIDELIGHTS: Stephanie Cohen and her coauthor, Nancy J. Ondra, provide practical advice for landscapers in their book The Perennial Gardener's Design Primer. Ondra, a nursery owner, brings expertise on rare plants to the project, while Cohen's background in teaching provides an easy-to-follow approach, presented in three sections. The first treats design principles, such as scale, texture, and color. The second discusses site conditions. In the third section the authors document the successes and failures of some of their own projects. Plans for twenty different gardens are provided, along with lists of suitable plants for various regions, general design tips, and helpful checklists. The authors' ability to bring something new to the subject impressed Booklist reviewer Carol Haggas, who wrote that The Perennial Gardener's Design Primer has "a breezy style, down-to-earth advice, and a refreshingly open approach." Library Journal reviewer Robert Eagan particularly liked Cohen's "chatty style, profuse illustrations, and enthusiastic emphasis on the practical."