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Great question, and great idea! Off the top of my head:


The Basics

Landscape Architect's Portable Handbook - This one does get a bit technical, but it's a good guide.


Sociology/Psychology

Social Life of Small Urban Spaces - Just a good book about how people experience spaces

Design with People in Mind - An older film, but a classic. Funny and with great observations about how people use spaces and interact with their environment


Design Theory

Architecture: Form, Space and Order - This is a great guidebook for architects and landscape architects alike


History of Landscape Architecture

Illustrated History of Landscape Design - A great intro to the history of landscape architecture.


Urban Planning/Design

Death and Life of Great American Cities - It's a classic and should be a required read for anyone in landscape architecture or architecture


This is the short list - I'll add to it as I think of more!

I would have loved a set of Chartpak markers with a copy of Plan Graphics when i started. These arent completely necessary and her school will have books and materials they recommend/require of course

A nice powerful laptop is a must, but i imagine you have that planned already. There will be a variety of programs that she can get through her school with a discount. Photoshop and autocad are the basics and there will probably be a 3d program that is popular that she might want to get into.

I really think most of it will be up to her. One thing i wish i had planned for and done was a semester of study abroad or at least the "big trip" that most colleges do towards the end of their schooling. I didnt have the money for it, so saving up now might be a good idea.

The last one i can think of is also up to her, but i HIGHLY recommend it if she wants to be artsy at all. Its not necessary to know how to draw by hand, but if she does she will have a big advantage over most of the class. The lessons at drawabox.com (/r/ArtFundamentals) are free (or paid if you want reviews of your work) and they have made me much better at my job.

Definitely not a lost cause, and glad to hear you're interested in an MLA. I'd say ecology is one of the strongest backgrounds from which to enter the LA profession. Seems like a lot of firms are looking to hire people with that type of expertise, as the role of ecology in projects continues to rise.

Portfolio-wise, I'd agree with what /u/tricky_p and /u/PHXgp said so far (express enthusiasm, include anything that might be relevant), and add the following advice:

• Sketch outside, sketch public places, sketch people and plants, buy an LA graphics book and start playing around with the symbols and style of land arch graphics. Even if you don't end up pursuing an MLA, you'll still come out a better sketcher (and who doesn't want that?!).
  
  
• Learning how to graphically present your existing work can go a long way. If you have access to Adobe InDesign, watch a few web tutorials on how to use it. Or if you have to lay out in PowerPoint, just look for tutorials on basic graphic design principles. Even if your work doesn't look the best, you can dress it up in something pretty.
  
  
• For your site planning class this summer, I'd personally focus on producing a couple quality hand graphics rather than trying to go all out and learn 3-d modeling software. Focus on communication - how can you clearly articulate what you've designed / what's going on in your plan.
  
  Overall... I don't know, just be honest about your skill level and where you're coming from. And check out (www.landezine.com) if you haven't already. Best website around for getting inspired about LA.
  

The world heritage of gardens by Dusan Ogrin is a great one. Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/World-Heritage-Gardens-Dusan-Ogrin/dp/0500236666

It takes a historic perspective and goes through all of the important eras of garden design, describing how basic design principles such as contrast, harmony, rythm etc. were used to convey different messages. It won't provide you with any recepies for designing but it is still great to understand historical significance of landscape structures. Highly recommended to anyone dealing with landscape design.

Another one I would recommend, but which is more general is The cultured landscape. https://www.amazon.com/Cultured-Landscape-Designing-Environment-Century/dp/0419250409
This one is a bit more philosophical but great to understand where landscape architecture is moving in general.

Enjoy your reading.

https://www.amazon.com/Illustrated-History-Landscape-Design-Elizabeth/dp/0470289333

This book could be used for citation.

There is a section covering the Medieval period. I don't know what makes a monastic garden different from the kitchen/herb gardens of a castle/estate manor during that time, but they seemed to be mostly walled in and with practical use instead of for aesthetic purposes. This is in contrast to the Enlightenment's monumental palace gardens. And further on, geometry fell out of fashion with the rise of Romantic Naturalism in the 18th century.

I think the herb knot gardens in fashion during the Medieval period informed the Victorian annual bedding practices or even the hedge mazes that emerged. This is just personal speculation, however.

There is a clear connection between the geometric and regular layout of (because of the wall boundaries) of these older gardens and the impressive layouts of the gardens of Notre for Versailles, though. They were artificial on purpose and followed the philosophy of hierarchical order with Man above everything, but under God. Bushes and trees weren't left to themselves if they could be turned into topiaries, pleached, pollarded, etc. They were in regimented rows and expressed wealth from the amount of hired help required to maintain them.

This list is great - thanks!

I'm curious if you have more positive associations with the portable handbook as opposed to a more detailed, longer text along the lines of Landscape Architecture by Barry Starke.

I'm realizing there may be a different among "the basics" depending on the emphasis on technical operations, versus more aesthetic, pictorial emphasis.

Check your local university websites. Most universities have good resources like these.

http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/

http://hortsense.cahnrs.wsu.edu/Home/HortsenseHome.aspx

Also Dirr manuals are great for plant information. They can be a little technical but are great resources.

https://www.amazon.com/Landscape-Identification-Ornamental-Characteristics-Propogation/dp/1588748685

Basically anything Copic for pens and color markers, Micron has great pens too. There's the ubiquitous Pentel sign pen, as well as Sharpies in a variety of point sizes. Staedtler makes great circle templates and pencil sets and you might want to consider some books such as the venerable Landscape Graphics and Drawing and Designing with Confidence. Oh, and tracing paper, lots of it.

This book has great essays from a number of very famous and influential designers: http://www.amazon.com/Theory-Landscape-Architecture-Reader-Studies/dp/0812218213

Also this is a Q&A that gives a better look into an individual process: http://www.amazon.com/Landscape-Cabinet-Curiosities-Search-Position/dp/3037783044

We have a copy of Landscape Architecture Documentation Standards: Principles, Guidelines, and Best Practices which was produced by design workshop. If you are producing landscape plans for construction this book will be a great guide for that process.
link--> https://www.amazon.com/Landscape-Architecture-Documentation-Standards-Principles/dp/0470402172

There's a surprising amount of crossover between LA and psych. Here are some links:

A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander

The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces by William H Whyte (video)

Environmental Psychology

Travel to places that you like and journal/sketch about what you like, how it makes you feel to be in the space, take note of elements like lighting, seating, fountains/sculptures, and materials. Find out who designed the space and check out more of their work.

Call up a local LA firm that does similar work to the type you want to do, and ask for a tour of their office, shadow them in the field, or ask for an internship.

I have heard Wacom which is a famous brand in tablet field. But the prices of the products are relatively high. Even though they have cheap products, they are small, I mean the active area. And since you are still a student and new beginner in digital art, I guess you are not familiar with the operation of tablets, therefore I advise you to purchase a cheaper one. Also the quality of the tablet should be confirmed, but it cannot be as good as wacom's tablets. I recommend Huion H610Pro for its large active area, cheap price, high resoultion, fast report rate, responsive pen pressure sensitivity and rechargeable pen. Here is the link and you can know more about H610Pro and you will know what Pro means.
http://www.amazon.com/Huion-H610-Graphics-Drawing-Tablet/dp/B00GIGGS6A/ref=aag_m_pw_dp?ie=UTF8&m=A30BRCK3LE6SB5

Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs http://www.neebo.com/Textbook/dirrs-hardy-trees-and-shrubsb9780881924046/ISBN-9780881924046?kpid=0-88192-404-0&gclid=CPWWmbu9yMICFQ4S7AoddVAA0A

Dirr's Manual of Woody Landscape Plants
http://www.amazon.com/Manual-Woody-Landscape-Plants-Characteristics/dp/1588748685

Both are awesome.

Digital Drawing for Landscape Architecture is a pretty good resource

Landscape Architecture, Fourth Edition: A Manual of Land Planning and Design 4th Edition

This book covers urban designe very well. It also includes useful illustrations in the margins.

Speaking as an ecologist/MLA student, I'd recommend:

[Land Mosaics - The Ecology of Landscapes and Regions] (http://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/life-sciences/ecology-and-conservation/land-mosaics-ecology-landscapes-and-regions#Z1soSK6SqqTFIWBR.99) by Richard Forman (more classic, approachable, design-relevant)

Landscape Ecology in Theory and Practice by Turner & Gardner (more technical/scientific, quantitative, up-to-date)

Also rec'd and relevant is Marsh's Landscape Planning, basically an applied spatial/environmental planning text/manual.

Landscape ecology is basically a sub-discipline of ecology (the study of interactions among/between organisms and their environment) with a spatial, and often broad-scale focus (sq-km to 10,000s of sq-km). As /u/OneiricGeometry says, it's an academic discipline more than a professional field, but one highly relevant to work in design, planning, and environmental management.

Edit: Also highly rec Design With Nature, even if it's a bit dated, it communicates well in words, photos, and graphics, a way of thinking that is central to landscape planning and design.

Sure! Check out The Landscape Urbanism Reader, Groundswell, & [Modern Landscape Architecture] (http://www.amazon.com/Modern-Landscape-Architecture-Critical-Review/dp/0262700514/ref=pd_sim_b_35) for starters.

It looks like this picture has made its rounds again. I saw it in /r/interestingasfuck and /r/marijuanaenthusiasts -- and the first thing I always think when it comes up is that it reminds me of a plan graphic tree.

It always reminds me of the Grant Reid Landscape Graphics book.

I remember this book having some good essays on Kiley and some of his contemporaries. Modern Landscape Architecure: A Critical Review

it's been out for years, but i graduated in 97, so it's new to me.

https://www.amazon.com/Form-Fabric-Landscape-Architecture-Introduction/dp/0415246385

Two books that get referenced from my shelf quite often are:

Landmarks: Fields of Landscape Photography

and

Taking Measure Across the American Landscape

I'm also partial to the work of Wynn Bullock, Michael Kenna, and Sebastio Selgado; though some of them may be a bit too editorial or minimalist depending on your interests...

My reference at the time

Francis D.K. Ching's books are another reference, though more architecturally inclined.

Had my first construction class last year and we actually use this book now https://www.amazon.com/Engineering-Landscape-Architects-Steven-Strom/dp/1118090861

Did you have professor Reid when you were in school?

Site Engineering for Landscape Architects

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1118090861/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500991883&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=site+engineering+for+landscape+architects&dpPl=1&dpID=51BTZZf5NTL&ref=plSrch

Great City Parks - Alan Tate

https://www.amazon.com/Landscape-Architecture-Documentation-Standards-Principles/dp/0470402172/ref=nodl_