Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Beautiful gardens that look good, do good and taste good!!!
Rosalind Creasy is an amazing landscape designer who really shows how to create amazing landscapes with edible plants that look ornamental, provide a wonderful ecosystem and provide plentiful food. She is a very talented photographer and most of the photos in her book are the ones she took and often in her own edible front yard in Los Altos california where she has been growing edibles for over 25 yrs. This is the bible if you want to really enjoy the fruits of your effort in the garden. It is not just a cottagey informal garden you can create but edible plants will work even in formal landscapes. Be inspired to break free from the confines of tucked away out of sight backyard veggie garden!! This is the garden book to get for your foodie friends. The book covers it all- trees, vines, companion planting, herbs, flowers, shrubs. Best of all, it gives very specific advice on the landscape aspect of it --> How to keep that hedge of variegated basil looking nice, when to harvest your produce and how to (Lettuce and chard is one leaf at a time from each plant) to keep your garden looking good. What plants do better in containers. How to use, color and form and line to make your garden visually stunning. ... Read more

Product Description
Fruit trees, shrubs, and vines are true two-for-one plants. Many varieties are strikingly beautiful — well suited to doing double duty as delicious sources of sweet, organic fruit and as ornamental additions to the home landscape. Backyard fruit plants also tie in perfectly with the growing locavore movement. It's difficult to find food that's more local than one's own backyard!

"Luscious landscaping," as author Lee Reich calls it, takes fruit-bearing plants off the commercial farm and replants the prettiest and tastiest specimens in suburban and rural yards. Spring blossoms, summer and fall fruit, and the year-round presence of the plants themselves bring a special magic to the home landscape. Pillowy pink blossoms on peach branches or the bright orange fruit of persimmon trees perk up their surroundings with color and drama.

Beautiful plants, yes, but these landscaping additions also provide sweet, nutritious fruit. Homegrown, organic varieties bear almost no resemblance to commercially produced fruits,which are bred and selected to withstand shipping and refrigerated storage conditions. It's hard to believe that Alpine strawberries and those grown in California and shipped across the country are even related!

Fruitscaping is a complete, no-nonsense guide to growing temperate-zone fruit, with information on everything from planting and pruning to pest control and harvesting. Readers will find all the basics of landscaping with fruit — site analysis, climate assessment, understanding soil and sun, plant selection, and optimizing growing conditions. An encyclopedia of 38 plants includes information for each entry on hardiness, size, potential pests, special care and pruning, harvesting, and visual appeal. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Amazing resource!
This is one of the most fantastic books I have thus far added to my permaculture library.Beautiful photos, stellar information, and buckets of inspiration!As a sustainably-minded land owning family just in the first stages of our permaculture/forest garden designing, this book is immensely helpful in selecting the fruit plants that will provide for us for years (and lifetimes!) to come!The beginning of the book is a lovely treatise on design, and the rest of the book offers a beautiful description of each plant, including the plant's USDA Cold Hardiness Zones and AHS Heat Zones, in addition to information regarding the general hardiness of the plants, what care (if any) they might require and whether or not this care is 'by personal preference' or 'necessary to the survival/thriving of the plant,' and what types of soil and conditions the plants can withstand.The flavors of the fruits are also described and rated - a helpful feature for those of us who have not sampled all of the varieties contained therein - in addition to the yield one might expect per plant.The design features of each fruit plant are discussed as well, including any striking design elements of a particular plant, such as bright fall foliage and flower color.Also are listed the different varieties of each fruit plant, some of which are adapted to wider or smaller climate ranges - very helpful for the harsh, high mountain region in which my family resides.I have nothing but praise to give for this book - I have already ordered several of his other books to add to my library!

Beautiful book but no raspberries.
This might not be fair but I was really interested in blackberries and raspberries naturalized in the landscape. Blackberries are covered, barely adequately. But, raspberries are not even mentioned except for a description below one photo of a black raspberry. No discussion of the suitability of raspberries at all, or lack thereof. Unfortunately, that was the info I was searching for and didn't find. Other than that, it is a nicely done volume. The coverage of other fruits is adequate but I would say the book concentrates more on the general landscape plan and the place of fruits and berries within it.

review by www.beachbrightsreviews.blogspot.com
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3G6OHS7M9MA27 I hope that by doing a video review, I am able to give you better glimpse inside the book.I really enjoyed this book and it's great advice on site planning.This book offers some great design elements and I was excited to start implementing more fruit plants in my garden. Yes, I said this book made me excited. It is really a fun read and an excellent resource.

Enjoy-

Lee Reich always has something good to say
Loved this book. Practical, clear, and the list of suppliers in the back is good an up to date.

Reviewing: "Landscaping With Fruit" by Lee Reich
Growing your own vegetables and fruits has come back into favor in the last year thanks to the bad economy. Instead of focusing primarily on beauty in the landscape a lot of folks went in a new direction and began planting with the idea of growing food.As the author notes in the introduction, one can plant fruit producing plants that also provide beauty in the landscape.

After the introduction, the book is essentially divided into two parts though that organization is never expressly stated by the author. The first half of the book is all about the technical details. The second half is all about the various plants. Of course, various plants are discussed and there are photographs of them in the first section, but the overriding material is regarding landscape design and placement of the plants as well as how to maintain them.

The first chapter covers "Landscape Design Basics." As implied by the title, it is how to figure out how one yard looks better that another(and not just because everything is alive and thriving), how to figure out what you have, what you want, how to use different plants to achieve different goals, etc.

"Considerations In Planting" follows with topics on weather, your local soil, types of sunlight in your area, etc.

This leads directly into the chapter titled "Growing The Plants." Spending money and effort on planting is doomed to failure if you don't know what will grow best, how to care for your soil, prune and protect against pests of all types, among other topics.

Various plans for several different layouts are found in the next section titled "Home Landscape Plans." Starting on page 61, you are led through "A Patio Fruitscape," and "A Modular Backyard" and a very neat design for "A Children's Garden" (which also appeals to adults as a retreat) and many others.

Starting on page 73 is the "Guide To Fruiting Landscape Plants." The plants were selected for landscaping in temperate climates which the author interestingly defines as "... having distinct winter and summer seasons." (P.73) After an overview table listing the name of the plant, what it usually produces in terms of quantity, zones it lives in according to USDA and AHS, landscape use, prominent ornamental qualities, ( types of bloom, leaf, color, etc.) among other categories, the book moves into very detailed descriptions of the plants. Along with much of the info listed in the chart being repeated here there are photographs of the plants and plenty of growing tips. Nearly forty plants are listed and include several varieties of cherries, currants, kiwi fruit, pear and others.There are also suggestions for fruit trees in pots using various types of citrus, as well as fig, kumquat, and others.

A list of suppliers, reading resources, zone maps and eleven page index bring this very helpful book to a close.

Despite the photographed lusciousness of many of the plants in the book, which would indicate a heavy need of water, many plants such as the "Russian Olive" ( Pages 162-163) prefer it drier with low humidity. So, while not specific to Texas readers, this book does feature plants that will work here as well as various other places in this country. Be sure to read all the info for each plant so that you can make a good decision as to what fits best in your landscape.

Comprehensive and detailed, 191 page book provides a wealth of good advice in how to incorporate fruit bearing plants your landscape. While it might be trendy among some right now to do so, this book will show you what to do to keep fruit coming from your landscape long after the fad has passed.


Kevin R. Tipple (copyright) 2009



... Read more

Product Description
When it comes to slippery slopes, one thing you don't need is a steep learning curve. That's why Sunset is releasing a new edition of its popular Hillside Landscaping book. Hundreds of photographs illustrate just how beautiful hillside gardens can be, accented with elements such as streams, terraces, and boulders. Step-by-step instructions guide you through basic construction techniques for walls, paths, steps, waterfalls, and more. The garden chapter includes top plants and how-tos for rock gardens and water gardens. Whether your slope is slight or imposing, you'll find both inspiration and specifics here.Features:

Extensive design guide features dozens of ideas in beautifully photographed hillside gardens

Guidance on controlling erosion, managing drainage, installing irrigation, and protecting the garden from sun and wind

Special chapter on enhancing your hillside with water features and rocks ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Awesome book
Got this for my brother, who has a hillside to deal with. Loved so many of the ideas, and all the technical knowhow should help him with drainage problems.

A bit over the top for the average homeowner
Great photos of beautiful designs.However, most if done professionally would be in the $100K range, and many are beyond the scope of the average DIY.It is a great book for dreaming and imagining what is possible, but there is not enough practical translation to smaller, more realistic projects.If you don't already own a book with big ideas and stunning shots, this is a good one, and though it has some diagrams and advice for construction, it probably will not be detailed enough for most projects.

full of ideas
helpful info and contains excellent inspiration photos. recommmend for gardeners facing a steep or gentle hill.

book hillside
I really liked the book it helped me in planning some yard work and it has great pictures.

Landscaping Book
Really useful book if you are landscaping a hillside.Constructed the wood frame steps and they came out beautiful! ... Read more

Product Description
A new edition of Better Homes and Gardens(r) best-selling landscaping book. Packed with 408 pages of all-new material from the editors of Better Homes and Gardens(r) books, this complete landscaping guide has everything you need to know transform your yard.

• More than 700 stunning photographs and 100 complete step-by-step projects show you how to improve grading, plant successfully, build a deck, and much more.
• Plus an all-new plant encyclopedia with 95 plant photos! It's everything you need to know to improve your view.
• Step-by-step plans for patios, edging, walls, fences, water gardens, outdoor kitchens, fireplaces, garden sculpture, and more.
• Cost estimate, time needed to complete, skill level, and material list included with every project.
• Hundreds of inspiring photographs, ideas, and plans.

Customer Reviews (9)

GREAT!!:)
I love this book it has everything in it. So informative and great photos. I have the "new decorating" book by better homes and garden and it's a lot like that it takes you through step by step to create a great place:) worth every penny:)

Good overview
Having very little gardening or landscaping experience, I found this book to be a good introduction to the topic.It doesn't go into crazy levels of detail on any particular subject, but instead gives you a good overview of what's possible.It stresses planning, explains the importance of practical things like grading and observing the patterns of sunlight year-round, and gives you an idea of how much work is involved in things like building a deck or retaining wall or pond (helpful in deciding whether to DIY or hire a professional).

There's probably not much new in here for experienced gardeners, but as a complete beginner, I now have some ideas about how to start planning the yard, and what subjects I should read about more in depth.

very good with good ideas easy to make
It is an in teresting book with very good ideas easy to do. Actually is one of the best books I have bought about making a good garden. There is a lot of plans well explained with the real photo. There are also make yourself suggestions and plants for different situations. In my opinion it is a good shopping. I would recommeded it to my friends!

Landscaping
If you're looking for a book to help you figure out what to do with your yard, this will help. You can even plan a treehouse!

Great book that covers everything around the house
This book covers pretty much all the projects around the house.Has a section that covers the names of plants, flower, and trees with pictures to give you an idea what they look like. ... Read more

Product Description
Discover practical ways to create your perfect garden with this one-stop guide to landscaping with stone. Stonescaping is one of the most the most popular outdoor design trends today. Now, you too can learn the tricks for creating stunning stone based design for your garden with this one-stop guide. Featuring more than 290 full-colour photographs and 40 full-colour illustrations, "Landscaping with Stone" provides readers with everything they need to know - including how to incorporate stone into a garden design, choosing the right kind of stone and finding inspiration for your design. It also includes expert advice on basic stone-working techniques - from transporting to cutting and setting - as well as step-by-step instructions for the most popular stonescape projects, such as patios, walls, and rock gardens. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

good book for ideas n techniques..
delivery was quick. book is a good 1 to look at for ideas n tech stuff.. we've warn some pages out

Easly the best of the books I bought
I bought 3 different well reviewed "stone" books and this one was easily the best of those.Lots of well taken pictures of genuinely _different_ styles and types of stone patios and walkways.The other books are shorter and have fewer good pictures.Also this book was best at describing the pros and cons of different types of stone and stone building.None of these books explain _exactly_ how to build stone patios and walls and pathways by yourself but this one has more detail than most out there.

Great Book
A lovely book.
Very practical Ideas on how to landscape with stone. Only drawback I found was that almost all illustrations expect you to have a large space to be working with. Delivery to Kenya was as expected.

Packed with Photos and How-to's.Love it!
This book is full of exciting, beautiful ideas.I'm planning the entire future of my lawn using this book.There are simple to understand and easy to follow instructions for the basics too.

A Stone Lovers' Treasure!
I am proud to own and use this gorgeously illustrated, instructive book. For anyone who loves to create with stone 'from scratch'...this is definitely a 'must-have.'

Anna Marie Fritz, author of "Funny Feline Fotos" and other amazon books. ... Read more

Product Description
This all-new second edition, the companion book to the much beloved Western Garden Book, promises to be just as successful as the first. Packed with expert advice from landscape designers, gardeners, and others, it addresses climatic, soil, and topographical challenges—and solutions—for Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and southwestern Canada.

Features:

* The only landscaping guide designed specifically for Western gardeners

* Over 600 photographs and dozens of ready-to-use landscape plans

* Step-by-Step illustrations and exploded views show easy, do-it-yourself solutions

* Seasonal gardening guides and checklists ensure year-round success for experienced and novice gardeners alike

* Easy-to-understand plant selection and growing instructions ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

So beautiful
I lent it to my brother and he landscaped his whole backyard to be low maintenance and look great! Now we just have to do our own yard!

Very Helpful
I have always referred to my Western Garden Book and found the listings helpful but always wished for more pictures and ideas for landscaping. This companion book fits perfectly!

Good ideas.
Covers all Western climates from hot, arid Arizona to cool, wet Washington. Besides lots of info on appropriate plants for each region there are many ideas for structures to compliment you landscape such as decks, arbors, gazebos, paths, patios, ponds, walls, rocks and more. Covers factors to consider when making your plan such as erosion, prevailing winds, need for privacy, protection from sun, etc. plus lots of sample landscape layouts. A good book to browse then delve into the areas that are applicable to your area and that interest you. Even though the plants you can use depend on your specific climate the layout designs and structures could be implemented anywhere.

It's for inspiration / Pictures
Anytime I am tired of working on my housing projects I can look through this book and get excited again.

I didn't find much useful advice or How-To in here, so if that's what you want there are much better books out there.

For my purposes it is perfect: Inspiration and beautiful pictures.

The info in there is OK, but don't buy it for that or you will be disappointed.

Sunset Western Landscaping Book
Interesting but not very deep. Good for ideas, then use another reference to research plant choices. ... Read more

Product Description
Another always-popular volume in Sunset’s line of outdoor building books, Landscaping with Stone is a fundamental resource for realizing the potential of virtually any garden. That’s because stone is resilient, organic, and colorful—its versatility is legendary. This essential book helps gardeners make the most of stone, with design ideas and step-by-step how-to instructions for everything from paths to walls to waterfalls. Features:

* Photo galleries feature updated approaches to enhance gardens with stone, from traditional to contemporary

* Detailed step-by-step instructions for projects including paths, walls, and water features

* Helpful lists identify appropriate plants for specific situations, such as when creating gravel or stepping-stone paths

* "Trade Secrets" and "Design Tips" give professional hints on using stones most effectively to enhance your garden ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Will the instructions be useful for Texas?
I purchased this book as a toll for my backyard landscaping projects. The pictures look very nice and the instructions are clear to understand for DIY projects. Hope those instructions will be useful and work well for Texas clay.

Simplistic book on Using Stone
This is a very simplistic and basic book on landscaping with stones.When I say simplistic, it's typical advice the guy down at Home Depot will provide.I picked this up, because I was beginning a stone pathway project, and thought it might come in handy.

And it did.But not by much.

Nice pictures, great ideas
This book has great looking photographs and ideas to start your own projects.A good book to have.

Great How-to Stone Book
Excellent Sunset guide and well written book with plenty of photos, tips, ideas and how-to indications to be crative and build your desired garden, paths, walls, etc... with stones. Ample information on how to build with stone: tips, instructions and sources for materials. A must have for a gardener.

Another Sunset Success!
I love the books that Sunset puts out and this one was certainly no disappointment! A simple to understand, beautifully illustrated volume that belongs in every gardener-mason-stonelover's collection.

Anna Marie Fritz, author of "Funny Feline Fotos" and other amazon books. ... Read more

Product Description
This all-inclusive edition explores landscaping solutions for properties with everything from slight slopes to extreme vertical challenges. Combining creative planning with practical application, Hillsides Landscaping offers easy-to-follow guidelines for designing plant beds and terraces, private steps and paths, serene seating areas, and soothing waterfalls on slopes of varying degrees. A Guide to Planting covers plant selection and installation, and includes advice on erosion control, plants for walls and crevices, and other special considerations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Helpful and infomative Book.
I've lived with a problematic hillside on my property for many years. I finally hired a landscape designer to solve the problems.Before I signed the contract, I consulted HILLSIDE LANDSCAPING to be certain I was getting the best solution possible.I recommend this book to anyone with hillside gardening or erosion issues.

Great Book
Fantastic book.Great succinct overview.Provides clarification of what one can do.

A pillow-book for gardeners
I was a flat-land gardener most of my life, and when we retired and moved to a house with a backyard that sloped steeply down to a small river, I needed ideas on how to landscape our new property.

"Hillside Landscaping" is a sort of pillow book for gardeners.The majority of its beautiful photographs show landscapes that gardeners of modest means can only dream about.I used the book to point out photographs of steps and retaining walls that I liked to the local landscaping firm, then we'd have a good laugh about the price, and work out cheaper compromises.For instance, instead of stone steps I now have wooden stairs leading down to the river.

Don't misunderstand me, though.There are some very good ideas in this book.For instance, we used the suggestion to zig-zag the stairs down the slope, both to make the climb a bit easier (the slope varies from about 1:6 to 1:2) and to make the journey to the river more interesting.

This book is divided into five sections:

* "Understanding your Terrain"--this section is very important, no matter how much money you plan to spend.It discusses types of hillsides (most especially the severity of the slope) , drainage considerations, and whether or not the landscape needs to be reshaped, e.g. terraced.

* "Inspiring Ideas"--beautiful photographs of slopes, decks, patios, steps, retaining walls, water features, etc. with suggestions on placement, materials, and plantings.

* "It's all in the planning"--a very useful chapter, including the ABCs of garden design, and the mechanics of plotting your property.One of this chapter's suggestions that we plan to implement is a 'dry creekbed' to drain water from our backyard slope.

* "Building on slopes"--Many landscaping features such as fences are more challenging to build on a slope.This chapter explains what factors you need to consider when building or gardening on a slope.I learned NOT to pull up weeds and saplings from their downhill side, after yanking out a small alder, losing my balance, and tumbling over the dry-stone retaining wall and down the steps.It was a cheap way of conducting my own bone density scan, but I wouldn't recommend this procedure to anyone else!I was also very glad that we had decided to build the steps out of wood, not stone.

* "Focusing on plants"--Erosion control.Erosion control.Erosion control.Figure out how you're going to work your beds.Use low-maintenance plants "if you want to avoid scrambling around your hillside to perform tasks such as weeding and pruning."There are suggestions on how to water on a slope--very important, and something I didn't think of when originally planning the beds.

"Hillside Landscaping" is useful as well as beautiful and can be used by do-it-yourselfers as well as those of us who plan to hire the muscle to move the stones and build the steps.

Lots ofpic's but no help for do it yourself homeowners
I live in Southern California where there are hills galore.I thought the book showed very pretty pictures and has nice planting tips, but it wasn't very helpful for homeowneres like my husband and I who wanted to try and landscape ourselves.I also purchased a book called Inspirational Terracing which was able to help my husband and I really landscape our yard ourselves with instructions and wonderful ideas for any situation and the author built all the landscapes himself, using afordable stones that the average person can lift.The book has beautiful pictures and it was very useful.It made me wonder how Hillside Landscaping got all their pictures, I think anyone can drive around and take pictures of landscapes that other people have built and work hard to maintain and beautify and turn around and make money off of other peoples hard efforts. It seemed more like a magazine than a book,it had beautiful scenery but used only materials that top notch contractors with huge equiptment, charging heafty prices could pull off.These landscapes are not for the person with an average house, only the upper class,homeowners could never afford these landscapes and nearly all of them could never be attempted by the homeowner.

Very useful resource
We bought a hillside property a few years ago and didn't know what to do to beautify our slope and make it more useful for gardening and outdoor living. This book gave us a lot of great ideas plus we tried some of the projects in it. The instructions were easy to understand and everything came out great. We really recommend the book!
... Read more

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Customer Reviews (8)

Wonderful information
Purchased for my Dad for Father's Day.He said it had lots of wonderful information about animals and plants.He doesn't get to read it much, my Mom has taken it over!

21 animal pests - thorough on habits and management options
The title of this book understates what it provides.It is about much more than deer -- rats, voles, woodchucks, and many other animals are covered.Usually when I research a problem varmint, I find either natural history (animal habit info) or pest control information.I rarely find the two integrated together as they are in this book.I own an Audubon Society book on mammals, which is good to understand how they live in the wild, but not so good when figuring out my control options.Usually I bypass deer control books (nothing new under the sun) but this book - containing so much more info - caught my eye.

Neil Soderstrom provides facts and insights for understanding the history and habits of the animal one is dealing with, and provides control and management options for real-world situations.

I think highly enough of this book that I gave it as a gift to a wildlife control professional I know.

It is a thorough effort and well worth owning.It is not a superficial treatment that you can pick up in a quick scan while standing in a book store -- much more effort and substance has gone into this book.I heard Soderstrom speak and clearly he was completely immersed in understanding his subject matter.I do recommend this book.

Encourage deer to dine elsewhere
Spring brought unwelcome vistas of straggly yews around the foundation of our house for several years.Each time I replaced a badly damaged yew, the deer only ate the replacement with renewed relish.Nibbling yews can kill cattle and sheep, but not white-tailed deer who chomp on them with immunity and impunity.
What to do?Why not replace the wretched-looking yews with native species that have had centuries to develop tastes and odors that deer loathe.This book provided a gallery of unpalatable but lovely choices that had been researched by gardeners throughout the United States.After careful reading, I consulted a local horticulturist who specializes in propagating native species and am now anticipating planting a deer-proof yard.

Great intro, don't know if it's far enough
Never having dealt with deer or gophers before we moved to a new place with signs of both, I felt like this book did a great job of explaining about the critter and its ways and habits, then gave an overview of techniques for dealing with them.I suspect there's not enough depth and detail if you are in a serious ongoing war - and these are hard problems, I didn't come away with much optimism that it was going to be easy! but I think this is a great reference to have when you need to get started, realistic about the seriousness, and it covers a good number of possible pest animals.

Comprehensive and systematic
Deer-Resistant Landscaping is the best and most systematic and complete treatment of a topic that plagues more and more gardeners every year, an essential guide for those of us who neither want nor can afford to surround our properties with 12-foot fences (with an apology to the author, but no 4-foot mesh fence has ever protected my vegetables). Not everything recommended may work for every gardener, but all the strategies are worth considering and most are worth trying.

And as a bonus, the author provides help with dealing with other problematic wildlife, such as voles and woodchucks, both of which are a bane to New England gardeners like me. Gardeners in other regions will rejoice that their foes, such as ground squirrels, are well covered.

Soderstrom's advice is clear and specific, his many photographs are excellent and instructive, and his plant lists are detailed enough to be truly helpful.

For gardeners whose flowers, vegetables, fruits, shrubs, vines, and trees are being nibbled away both above and below ground, this is a must-have volume, as useful as a spade or hoe. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (6)

An invaluable aid
This book is a must have for anyone doing either a small landscaping job or an extensive one.It is one of the best I've ever seen.

Eye Candy but...
This book was a real disappointment for me.If you are from the south and are familiar with what can be grown in your area, then this is a great idea book.However, if you have recently moved into the Southeast, then you need to know the zones for all the plants you are considering throwing your money into.Landscaping is not cheap.The authors went to the trouble to introduce the reader to the USDA hardiness zones in the "About this Book" section, and then proceeded to leave us in the dark about the zone recommendations for over 95% of the suggested plants. Looking them all up will be very time consuming and should not have been left to the reader!

Stunning ideas 5 points. Lack of USDA zone info 1 point. Average total 3 points.

Great help book for planning your garden
This book has great pictures, design layouts and recommended plants to use together.I refer to it often.

Excellent book for landscape ideas
If you don't want to rely on your own creativity for landscaping your property, you need to check out this book. It features 54 landscape designs covering almost any situation, like entryways, streetwalk plantings, corner gardens, slopes, shady areas, woodland gardens, passageways, gardens under trees, mailbox plantings, etc. Every design is beautifully drawn and lists every plant that is included. The plants can then be looked up in the plant directory in the back of the book for more detailed information. An installation guide gives detailed instructions and helpful illustrations on how to build patios, pathways, trellises, gates, ponds, retaining walls, and more. The book also features detailed sections on other landscaping issues such as preparing the soil for planting, buying plants, planting basics, caring for plants, pruning roses, training a vine on a support, and caring for perennials (complete with a list of deer resistant plants). Highly recommended!

Southeast Home Landscape
The book was very nice with lots of plans but the cover had about a 3" cut from what looked like a utility knife. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (7)

Great, except it recommends planting some invasives
Visually enticing, this book is loaded with lovely pictures and illustrations.It's a great idea book, plus basic landscaping skills instruction and planting templates.I can't fully recommend it, however, because it advocates planting some exotic species that I have spent days removing from our suburban property.These include vinca, sweet woodruff, goutweed and carpet bugle that invaded adjacent woodland and formed mats that crowded out wildflowers.It pains me to see these plants recommended for woodland borders!Japanese barberry is another particularly onerous, yet suggested, plant that is spread by birds and forms impenetrable thickets in natural areas.To their credit, Holmes and Buchanan have done a good job of also presenting a variety of native North American plant choices with ecological benefits beyond the exotics.

Well worth it
I ordered about 4 different landscaping books.This one is my favorite because it is specific to the midwest.That means everything in there is feasible for me.No use looking at a book and daydreaming about southwest landscaping when it just won't survive here, and vise versa for that matter.

A very good guide.
I found this book to be a very good guide on the selection of plants to use in our landscaping improvements.I am not much a plant selection person and this book has helped in making some good choices.

Great book for Midwest gardeners!
This book is great!It was just what I needed. It has detailed, creative, and artistic landscaping plans plus helpful planting and design information! I bought two copies of this book so I can give my daughter one!

Very nice book, helpful and useful, but be forewarned.
It is very very similar to the 1999 edition which I already owned.In my opinion, there is no reason to own both, or to replace the old one with the new one. ... Read more

Product Description
A beautiful landscape reflects well on your house, making it a  welcome part of a  neighborhood or native terrain. And it  dramatically increases your home’s value. Landscaping also makes your house and yard more useful and better able to complement your family’s lifestyle. Trees shade your home to reduce energy use. Thorny shrubs deter prowlers. Lawns reduce dust from bare ground and give children the perfect play area. Patios and decks are great for entertaining. And a vegetable garden can yield fresh, delicious salads to eat on that patio or deck.

Landscaping for Dummies has everything you need to turn the little patch of earth you call your own into a personal paradise. Whether you’ve waited for the day to have property to landscape, you’d never given it a second thought until you had to, or you want to improve on an existing landscape, this book offers a clearly written wealth of knowledge on:

• Designs
• Fences, walls, gates, and paths
• Decks, patios, and outdoor rooms
• Trees
• Shrubs and vines
• Ground cover

From the basic principles of landscape design, to all the ins and outs of hillsides, balcony gardens, and water gardens, this book will show you how to:

• Think like a designer
• Dream up the right landscape for your family’s needs
• Increase your home’s resale value
• Conserve energy
• Deal with contractors, nurseries, and hardware suppliers
• Create an edible landscape

Full of helpful problem-solvers for all kinds of landscapes, Landscaping for Dummies also features sample plans, “theme” landscape ideas, and a brilliant color photo section to inspire the imagination. Accessible and informative to both beginner and expert landscapers, this is the complete guide to creating the yard you’ve always wanted. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Novice
My novice son is finding this book helpful. Down to earth and informative. He needs all the help he can get!!!!!!!!!!!

Great for the price.
This book will give you a basic understanding on what and where to place plants and flowers as well as an idea what is the best grass for the kind of weather in your area. It breaks things down to plain english and provides step by step procedures on landscaping.

I'm a Dummie for buying this book
Did not tell me what I needed to know to pick plants for my yard.I found most of what I needed in Sunset's Western Garden Book (I'm in the western US).

Very nice starting point for a broad subject. Great bibliography
`Landscaping for Dummies' by Philip Giroux, Bob Beckstrom, Lance Walheim and a cast of thousands is a typically ironic example of what you will find in this huge `Dummies' series of books, which started out as a series of texts for PC subjects, where the PC had a knack of making us all feel like dummies. Since then, it has expanded to touch virtually every `practical' subject in the known universe. That is, I haven't seen any `Wittgenstein for Dummies' or `Quantum Thermodynamics for Dummies', as neither of these subjects are things the average intelligent, but uninformed person is likely to pick up to brief themselves for a weekend project of as a start to a new hobby.

The irony of this particular volume is that you really can't make full use of it if you don't have a good head on your shoulders and a fair amount of book learning under your belt, including such arcane High School subjects such as geometry and some building skills such as working with mortar, power saws, a level, and a full-sized shovel.

The first thing you discover is that landscaping is a really big subject. You probably didn't know this, or you would not be considering buying this book. In four `parts', the book breaks the subject down into Designing, Hardscaping, Planting, Planning, and Tips for putting Landscaping to good use. Since this book (and all books in this series) advertises itself as `A Reference for the Rest of Us', I can't complain too much about the odd order of these five subjects, but it does seem that `Objectives' and `Planning' should be Parts I and II respectively, rather than Parts V and IV. I confess that I even bought the book exclusively for its Hardscaping chapter, so I didn't care if that came before or after planning.

Regarding the Hardscaping material, I found it remarkably advanced for a `dummy'. The projects start with simple walkways, but quickly advance to retaining walls, brick walls, and fences. My biggest surprise was the depth to which one must build deep planning into so simple a job as a retaining wall that is installed to square off an annoying slope in your yard. Not only do you have to lay a deep foundation, you also need to worry about drainage and install a special drainage pipe to carry off rainwater. Who Knew!!!

In other Parts of the book, it devotes relatively short chapters to subjects to which one could easily dedicate a whole book. One example is in the selection of a tree or trees to plant in your landscaping project. I looked at the description for Japanese maple (since I happen to have one of these) and found the entry reasonable, but possibly not as detailed as one may want, since it glossed over the fact that the difference in growing speed and average height of the different varieties of Acer Palmatum are sizable, and one will be disappointed if they get the tall lanky variety, when they wanted the low, burly `weeping' variety.

But, if what you want is a first book on the subject, you could really do a lot worse. It has the one essential ingredient for an introductory book, a comprehensive bibliography, which includes not only books, but lots of magazines, professional organizations, and international web sites for getting more information.

I rarely resort to books in this series, but for those of you who want to venture into do it yourself landscaping, this is probably better, and possibly far better than, for example, the `Home Depot' manual on the subject.

Okay for the basic landscaper
I've been working in commercial landscaping off and on for nearly four years now.I borrowed this book from a friend just to check it out.I think if you are a new homeowner and don't have much experience in landscaping then this book will probably work.If you are familiar with planting tree's and shrubs, bricklaying, fencing, and bordering, then maybe you should try and find something a little more advance.I suppose it depends on how big the project is you are working on. ... Read more

Product Description
Developing your landscape is one of the pleasures of owning a home. It's an opportunity to surround yourself with beauty and provide for your comfort and convenience. In a well-designed yard, kids have room to play and adults have an attractive area in which to relax and enjoy the surroundings. Your guests find a safe, welcoming path to the front door, and you don't have to struggle to bring in the groceries and take out the trash.

TAYLOR'S MASTER GUIDE TO LANDSCAPING is a stunning and useful book on a subject that even experienced gardeners find intimidating. It is essential reading if you plan to do all or most of your own landscaping work, but it's equally important if you intend to hire the work out. Buchanan's description of what to expect from landscape and gardening professionals is an eye-opener that will save a lot of disappointment and a great many dollars.

In TAYLOR'S MASTER GUIDE TO LANDSCAPING, you will learn how to
- choose plants that will thrive in your climate and growing conditions
- avoid common mistakes with foundation plantings
- plan and plant for future growth
- create an outdoor living room
- design and build walks, paths, and steps
- create privacy with fences, walls, and hedges.

Separate chapters explain how to care for landscape plants -- trees, shrubs, vines, lawns, groundcovers, and perennials. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Taylor's Master Guide to Landscaping
A great guide for those of us wanting to learn more about landscaping. It is plainly written so that anyone who wishes to start a new landscaping project will not feel overwhelming but empowered to tackle the job!

A big help.
This book has helped me come up with a plan for the rough land that I have purchased with my new home.

It wont replace the landscape architect, but it comes close
This is the most often used book I continually return to for landscaping reference and guidance. It's well written and will have you on the way to improving your landscape after the first read. One reviewer mentions Rita is opinionated. This is true. So you'll have to read around some of the opinions and decide for yourself what holds true for your property.

If you need just one landscaping book, I would highly recommend this book. It has a great balance of ideas, pics, & text. It is well structured and organized.

Most comprehensive text on planning a garden
I admire Rita Buchanan's style.

In a time of the pre-digested, summarized 'Idiot's Guides', she addresses landscape design in a methodical and logical progression.The text doesn't get bogged down in species' names and planting plans, but instead opens our minds to the larger questions of overall goals and needs.As such, I have found this to be the perfect companion as I plan my garden, opening my mind to the wider possibilities that I hadn't considered.

Having said that, you might be disappointed if you are looking for a book to 'dip into' for rapid solutions.I have found this book more rewarding if you have 30 minutes to spare with a comfy chair and cup of coffee, rather than just a 3 minute break.

Comprehensive and well designed; sometimes too opinionated
The book is what its title says and that's good - a master guide to landscaping.While I respect Ms. Buchanan's opinions on matters of landscaping since she obviously is versed enough to complete this well done andcomprehensive book, it seems to me that her opinions sometimes get in the way of common, useful, tried and true landscaping practices.Example: On page 229 she adamantly states, "...Disregard anyone who tells you to set hedge plants in a zigzag pattern...", yet the picture above depicts just that and, quite frankly, it's commonly recommended to do so.As a designer, I do use that technique for hedge planting because it creates a billowy effect and it's more visually interesting, in many instances. The point is, that statement is an opinion that may not be based on anything more than personal taste.

Having said that, it's an excellent and in-depth guide to the extensive field of landscaping and a very good book just to see what her educated opinions might be.Keep an open mind and refer also to other more task-specific books and expertise when faced with landscape challenges.This book certainly will entertain one with its views, many of them interesting and useful. ... Read more

Product Description
Sustainable Landscaping For Dummies provides hands-on, how-to instruction for realizing the benefits of a sustainable landscape, from selecting sutainable hardscape materials to installing a rain-water catchment system to choosing native plants. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Preachy and Repetitive
The author could have gotten his message across in 5 pages rather than 350 - speaking of environmentalism, that would have saved some trees...

Sustainable Gardening
It covers the basics quite well but tries to oversell some aspects. For example not using concrete etc and trying too hard to save transportation energy.

Long winded
I think the book is a little long-winded where simple explanations would do.Some things were not related to sustainability (like how to make a retaining wall) but just general landscaping.

Practical Advice -- Start to Finish
I recently bought this book in preparation for a number of landscaping projects around the house this spring and summer. I've found the guide to be extremely thorough and helpful. It has shown me how to take small steps that add up to making my yard more sustainable and healthy for the family. Included are a number of ready-to-be-implmented, professional quality landscape plans.

Very Timely Advice
A much needed timely volume of practical advice for those on both professional and homeowner levels in the landscape development business. -A must have source for tips that we should all be implementing immediately to mitigate the climate crisis on our personal level! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (6)

good book
has a lot of ideas, but its more for specific shaped house and gardens that go wit those houses. shows a picture of a house and then the garden to go with it. i dont know of any houses in the DFW area that looked like any of those, so it was kinda a wash

Texas Home Landscaping
I was a little disappointed in this book. While it does have some really nice plans for new gardens it doesn't have enough emphasis on using native TX/OK plants. I've tried using some of the cultivars listed in the plans but they don't do as well as the mother plants so I hesitate to recommend this book to anyone but a newbie gardener who really wants their gardens to look like those in the book. Once you've been working in your own gardens a few years, I think you'll see the limitations of this book.

I do like the way the pictures show time progression from first planting to a few years down the road. I think this will help a lot of people avoid crowding their new plants too much and will give new gardeners something to look forward to as their landscape matures.

I would suggest that unless you're a newbie gardener, skip this book and invest in one with focus on native TX plants that are much able to withstand TX summers and water restrictions.

excellent resource
This landscape guide is an excellent tool for your Texas landscape.One of the best items (other than full color renderings), is that the book show you what plants will look like from initial planting to full-grown plants.I would highly recommend it.

Great Book!!
I'm a certified Master Gardener and I find this book so helpful and really good for Texas landscapes.It is clear and has great illustrations.This book should be in every Texas gardener's book collection!

Best landscape book for new home owners...
Having recently purchased my first home I picked up five different gardening books.I don't even know where the other four have gone, but now I have two of this one.It's a great guide which covers everything from plants that should thrive in the area (including care, size, and how to select), to various designs for commonly-found areas around your home.

It even covers various landscape construction projects such as fences, walks, and patios, and is well-written and illustrated throughout.

[...] ... Read more

Product Description
The perfect companion to the Better Homes and Gardens New Complete Guide to Gardening.

Illustrated easy-to-follow instructions for planning, designing, and building typical landscape projects. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Landscaping
Good product but kinda hard to use.It took me awhile to get the hang of how it works but I'm having fun now.Recommend it but be prepared for a little work in figuring out how to make it work.

Beautiful, book of knowledge and ideas!
This book is great for beginners and advanced landscapers alike.I never worked in a yard before but I can tackle most projects after this book.. it really has great step-by-step info.. I recommend this for all gardeners!

Great book for your bookshelf!
This book is great!I use it all the time and my pages have been dog-eared to death.Very useful and the pictures can give you some great ideas!I pull it out all the time, even just to look at the pictures.

Great guide for new gardeners
This has been one of my best purchases yet for gardening.From preparing the land to the final touches this book contains excellent detail.In addition, you have multiple plans for projects from gazebos to water fountains.I highly recommend this book.You will not regret the purchase.

Really is complete
They weren't lying when they said new complete guide! It has everything and more. It has really inspired me.The pictures are fantastic. They can give you ideas themselves. This book lets you know how to plan out your landscape, let's you use your imagination, and gives you choices and step by step instructions to make your landscaping dreams come true. I highly reccomend it. This is the best book out there! It has some excellent ideas! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (13)

Great book
Este libro es muy bueno si vives en California, te da ideas de como acomodar las plantas en tu jardin, sobre todo son plantas que necesitan poca agua. Amazing book if you live in California. Great ideas of how to design your garden. Specially if you don't have a clue of how to arrange plants. Good plants for water conservation.

Excellent!
This book is excellent for getting the creative juices flowing! Each landscape indicates what plants are needed and also has variations depending on whether you are planting in a shady location or sunny location. It also includes what to expect from your landscape as the plants mature.

This book answers many of the questions you have when planting, especially when starting with a blank canvas. Very - very informative!

great book for cookie cutter gardens
This book is put together just fine.Certainly geared towards the novice.Covers extremely traditional designs - a bit boring for my tastes.If you want your yard to look like any newly landscaped home or business in CA, this should do fine.If you are looking for design ideas that could help you create a unique design keep looking.Best section is the plant references at the end - but again, these are largely the tried and true and very common species.

GREAT BOOK FOR A NOVICE
I bought two books to learn about SoCal plants to help me pic a landscape design for the front of my house. The other book was not nearly as helpful. The diagrams in this book really help you to understand how plants should be paired. Even though the space I had to work with did not resemble any in the book, I did look for sunny spaces similar to mine and plants that were nice looking and easy to care for. I highly recommend the book !

Must have for California gardeners
It is fantastic to have a book that showcases plants that do well in California instead of having to wade through lots of plants that do not do well here. It's not perfect since some areas of California do get freezes and the book could do a little better to point out which plants are hardy and which aren't. But in general, I loved the ideas and all the plant choices. I just wish there were even more example gardens! ... Read more

Product Description
As Florida is developed the native flora is often replaced with non-native plants. Wildlife habitat is reduced, water, fertilizer and pesticide usage increases, and the appearance of Florida is altered. But you can help reduce the damage being done to our ecosystems by viewing your yard as part of the natural system.This book will help you make a plan that will work for your yard and choose the native plants that will thrive there. You will have the joy of creating an aesthetically pleasing, life-supporting, and environmentally sensitive landscape. Methods for a small fruit and vegetable garden are also covered. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great ideas and information
Very happy I purchased this book.It absolutely helps when you are trying to go natural.I purchased this together with Native Florida Plants, Revised Edition: Low Maintenance Landscaping and Gardening by Robert G Haehle.The two together are wonderful.I'm sorry I did not get them years ago.

Great little book packed with info
Asa master gardener, I am getting lots of questions from people wanting to install a native landscape.Other books are great for describing native plants but this is the first one that I have read that really helps the homeowner to understand, plan and install a native landscape.It is on my recommened reading list.

TRY IT, YOU'LL LIKE IT
I like this book because it breaks down the different types of ecologies we see in Florida, unlike other books. Florida has so many different ecological niches that a one size fits all approach doesn't work. This book will show you how to fine tune "Florida Natural".It is the most complete book available, but is lacking in information on some wild plants, such as the pawpaw tree and its edible fruits and lovely blooms. (A real favorite in my garden.) In spite of these shortcomings, it is the best book on the market. I was able to use this book along with a Florida Aududon guide to collect seeds from the wild and harvest some plants at building sites about to be razed. This was a big savings over a nursery.Further, besides the savings in water bills, the upkeep is minimal. We have 4 acres and went natural and were able to get rid of our gardener.We have noticed and influx of butterflies and birds in our yard, along with other woodland animals. This book will help you create your own Eden the natural way.Highly recommend.

A perfect primer for newcomers to Florida or to natural landscaping.
This little book is deceptively slim.Actually, it provides a compact but comprehensive overview of the significant differences between creating a natural landscape with native plants vs. a conventional contemporary Florida landscape of decorative exotics. It will give you a context within which the other native plant books can become useful to you. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

Helped me out!
I live in the desert, dry and humid but wanted pretty landscaping around my new home....this book helped me out so much...with tips, and great pics plus on the spot zoning.....I recommend to anyone.

An invaluable reference.
Any residing or gardening in the southwest will find Landscaping with Native Plants of the Southwest an invaluable reference, as will libraries catering to Southwest residents. It covers not just domestic plants but wildflowers, trees, and cacti, offering a compendium of 'top picks' chosen and rated for their best ornamental and growth qualities and including maps and charts as guidelines for planting, maintenance and landscape design. Over 350 native plant species, subspecies and varieties are detailed and as interest in xeriscaping arises, any area interested in low-water planting will find it of interest.

Landscaping with Native Plants of the Southwest
As an environmental horticulturist in the Coachella Valley of California, I can strongly recommend this book as a very helpful desert garden guide.The plants and suggestions in the book are very good if one keeps in mind their location, elevation and soil type.I especially like that Miller gives the minimum water tolerance of individual plant species as most desert guides written in Arizona/New Mexico recommend too little water for sandy soils of the Coachella valley.California is not included as part of the southwest but those of us gardening in southeastern California know that we have much more in common horticulturally with southern Arizona than with the rest of our State.This book is one of only a half dozen good desert garden guides.Native Plants for Southwestern Landscapes

Stick with your own kind...
This softcover Southwest Native Plant guide encourages the use of native plants for landscaping and contains information on landscaping for various purposes, such as attracting wildlife, and energy and water conservation. Great photos and contains lots of gardening advice. ... Read more

Product Description
This hefty, feature-packed book shows how you can create beauty around your home, grow delicious healthful produce, and save money and natural resources all at the same time -- by landscaping with edible plants.Includes a 160-page Encyclopedia of Edibles with horticultural information, landscaping and culinary uses, sources and recipes.

This timely new concept in home landscaping incorporates energy, water and soil-saving techniques with specific designs for all geographic/climatic regions of the country. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Good information to build on
Being the owner of Dickerson Landscaping, I needed to know more about the recent vegitable garden movement.This book has been a great source of information in an easy to understand formate of tried and true methodology. It is not just a front for a chemical company to push their products as the solution to everything. If fact it realy helps to explain why your garden may not be doing so well if you have been using alot of chemicals.If your seriousabout gardening this is a good book to read.it may have more information than your looking for, but it gives you step by step ways to get started, and be successful.If your in a hurry to plant a few seeds and instant veggies you might want to move on to an Ortho book.

Complete Book of Edible Landscaping
Happy with the condition of the book. A great book for anyone considering using edible plants in their home landscape.

Not Worth The Money
Although this book contains some good information, if I had it to do over again with the insite I now have, I never would have bought this book. At least not at the prices they want for it. I just don't feel like I got my moneys worth. This book used should sell for no more than $10.00. If you pay more then that you'll feel like I do, RIPPED OFF!!

A great resource for planning and DOING
I was a little skeptical of purchasing this book based on a few reviews here - suffice to say the book exceeded my expectations. True, it is an older book but the information is still good. The thumbnail info on size of plants, what they can be used for, how to grow them, certain things they need and so forth enables planning for even plants not previously grown. The photographs as well as artists sketchings gives a visual idea of what combining fruit/nut trees, flowers and vegetables looks like in various ways. The use of containers both large and small, raised beds and other methods of planting gives a variety of looks and possibility. Love the idea of a floating deck around trees! The warnings of some plants, such as bamboo, spreading as well as suggestions on using the plants grown are a starting point, but a good one. Possible miss on some things, such as the availability of bush cherries for those not wanting cherry trees; but those are few. There's enough information to adequately plan, to fit plants into the budget and allow for adding more later and to plant and make use of "wasted space" for the average person capable of reading, comprehending and following suggestions. A bit dated it's true but still a lot of great information and well worth the money. If you're buying one book on the subject this would be a good one, with a great deal of information, to start with!

Integrate beauty and function into your self-sustaining garden...
Being in a rural area and living on a small family farm, we aren't overly concerned with decorative landscaping.We try to make every inch of our property productive and useful.Apart from the fields and pastures in use for livestock, we have allotted a small area for produce on our property.

Within the 1.5 acres surrounding our farmhouse, we have made allowance of space for a vegetable garden (based upon the concepts of Edward C. Smith in his book titled "The Vegetable Gardener's Bible" and an orchard that adheres to the philosophy found in Patrick Whitefield's book titled "How to Make a Forest Garden".

With the ideas found in this book, "The Complete Book of Edible Landscaping", we are now planning to landscape with a conscience and purpose aside from simple aesthetics.We are delighted with the information provided to serve as a foundation for our planning.

We have given the 4 star review based upon the fact that this book hasn't been revised for nearly 25 years and could certainly benefit from more current data.And, we would always like to see more color photographs and illustrations to complement the text. ... Read more