Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Not a bad book
It provides information on landscape design as well as different plants. I thought it was useful and well organized, but would like to see more on the care and maintenance of different plants.

Excellent resource for new or renewing landscaping
I owned the previous edition of this book, and this updated version is even better than the original. The illustrations are particularly useful: what a specific garden would look like when just planted, 5 years later, and 15 years later--something that many people have difficulty envisioning. The book also devotes several pages each to specific situations, such as different treatments for a roadside mailbox, creating a seating area, and planning for a narrow space between a house and a fence. There are also specific instructions (and step-by-step illustrations) for creating walkways, patios, edging, and of course all shapes and sizes of garden beds. Species of recommended plants and trees are given, as well as information as to what soil, light, and water conditions work best for all plants mentioned.

This book is useful not only in the very first stages of landscaping, but also in latter years, when other types of maintenance or treatments are needed.

Full of good ideas
This book is full of good ideas for improving the look of your yard.Plant lists are complete, directions are easy to follow.Illustrations are beautiful.I wish the authors would have put more emphasis on using native plants in their landscaping. ... Read more

Product Description
Now Create a Landscape that's Naturally Beautiful, Naturally Inviting, Naturally Easy to Care for!

Natural Landscaping shows you how to create your own woodland gardens, shade gardens, wildflower meadows, prairie gardens, water gardens, songbird gardens, hummingbird gardens, and butterfly gardens!

It includes:
- 9 detailed, full-color plans to provide plenty of inspiration.

- 234 easy-care plant ideas to take the guesswork out of plant-work!

- Plenty of projects and techniques that let you build in structure at your own pace!

- Plus scores of finishing touches to help you achieve just the look you want!

It's packed with real-life examples, garden plans, colorful combinations, at-a-glance plant charts, expert tips, related projects, and custom options, with lavish color photos and illustrations.
Amazon.com Review
Natural Landscaping is an intelligent and quietlycompelling guide for naturalizing the garden. Country LivingGardener editor Sally Roth relies on decades of organic gardeningexperience, personal anecdotes, and a belief in working in concertwith Mother Nature to restore native ecosystems. In the tradition ofgardening manuals, she offers best-of lists for everything fromgrasses for prairie gardens to flowers for a night garden to plants tosoften a pool's edge, always stressing the overarching importance offlora-fauna harmony. She also includes helpful tips and sidebars onbird-nest materials, unique ground covers, building dry streambeds,and making homemade sap for butterflies. There's a solid chapter onwall and path design and welcome field-guide information on waterwildlife, birds, and butterflies. Roth's tone is warm throughout, andshe further personalizes the book by including sidebars about othergardeners and their gardens. Grassland, woodland, and freshwater-areaecosystems are covered, although information on coastal or arid areasis absent. For readers in the Southwest, Desert Landscapingwould be a better choice.

The real shine of NaturalLandscaping is in the details on creating a natural habitat thatis self-contained and self-perpetuating. For instance, one can plant abutterfly bush to attract butterflies, but what perennial willbutterflies lay their eggs in for next year? Instead of fighting anever-ending battle of trapping and killing moles, let theseinsect-eating creatures tunnel their homes and aerate your soil. Yourfirst impulse may be to tidily clear away fallen wood, but why notposition it ornamentally and nourish the soil at the same time? Thebook is full of this kind of sensible wisdom. It's clear Roth hastaken her lessons from Mother Nature seriously. --KarenKarleski ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

BEAUTIFUL BOOK
I first read this book from my local library. It is such a beautiful and informative book that I immediately decided that I must have my own copy.

One of my favorites
This was my first gardening book, and I feel so very lucky, because the author's sensibility matches my own, and her emphasis on planting for wildlife makes her a kindred spirit.Here I first learned the definition of a meadow garden, a woodland garden, and even the names of birds and butterflies.I first became aware of Joe Pye Weed and Spicebush, Bee Balm, Milkweed and New England Aster.

Reading this book is like having a wise and non-judgmental master gardener take you under her wing.Sally Roth's passion for the natural world shines from every page.She touches on a wide range of topics, such as: laying out a path; building a bluebird nest box; starting a meadow garden; planting a flowering fence; avoiding the "Elvis look";monthly calendar for meadow care ; creating a streambed; how to saw through a limb; starting plants from seed; -- all techniques are clearly described and easily understood.There are charts such as "Best Shrubs for Woodland Gardens" and "Best Trees for Songbirds."The book is beautifully laid out, and the color pictures are pure inspiration, especially during the blizzardy days of winter.

The negative comments from the previous reviewer seem overly severe and curmudgeonly. I haven't spotted an invasive species in the suggested plants lists yet, though the author does suggest some cultivated hybrids that I don't choose to use.Of course, there are many more technical, rigorous tomes out there that can and should be added to one's gardening library,(and a hard slog of a read they may be, too!)

I highly recommend this book as a general introduction to natural gardening, one that will inspire curiosity, guide discovery, generate ideas and projects, and make the adventure loads of fun.

too muddled to be useful or recommended
I speak on the subject of natural landscaping frequently - I've been doing this for years.
I always search out useful references so audiences can go home and apply what we've discussed. I would not recommend this book. This book muddles the concept of "natural" and "native" to the point that an inexperienced gardener is likely to plant invasive, non-native plants and never realize they have created a disaster where they hoped to create environemental harmony in their yard. Awhile after the fact they may realize what has happened - I speak to disappointed homeowners often.

Diekelman's book of the same title is much better, especially for folks in the Midwest.
It is somewhat techincial, so may be a little dense for beginners, but at least it won't cause mistakes, disappointment and regret.

Good ideas
This book offers some basic ideas in landscpaing your property in order to maintain a natural look.It offers beautiful uses for wet areas instead of trying to correct it.

a must for your gardening library
I originally bought this book ONLY because Ms. Roth is a local writer and I had enjoyed her newspaper columns and also went to a few lectures that featured her.As I have matured as a gardener I am very cautious aboutspending my garden dollars.I assumed that this book would be one of the"fluffy" books similar to my first garden book purchases.I wassurprised at the depth of information and wealth of ideas.In talking toother gardeners or anyone else interested in nature, I always recommendthis book as a must for their gardening library.I have probably rereadthe book 3 times since I purchased it and always pick up something new. ... Read more

Product Description
This identification guide presents plant descriptions for 550 species and 79 plant families, with keys and photographs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

I LOVE this book
Wow, I just was checking to see if there was a new edition of this book, and found the not so positive reviews.I'm not trained in botany.I've had this book for many years and have used it a great deal.As one reviewer said, it has lots of color photos, and it's really a wish-book for me.It teaches you that there are so many natives out there that are garden worthy.I've acquired a number of wonderful plants for my yard based on the photos, descriptions, and even recommendations in this book.If you're wanting a southern living picture book, buy one.If you want to know more about the plethora of natives out there, and which ones might work in your garden, this is a great book.I love it.

Not for the botanically illiterate
I bought this hoping that I would be able to easily identify the native shrubs and vines on my property, but it is not very helpful.It is very difficult to use for someone not trained in botany.I should know, as my training is in aquatic biology and zoology.Even with my biology background, I have not found it very useful so the identification part of the title is very misleading.Also, there appears to be no rhyme or reason as to how the plants are categorized.I was hoping this would be more like Taylor's guides to trees, shrubs, etc. with pictures that then refer to a description, but it wasn't.

An important work, but not best for beginners.
I bought this book because I adore "Gardening with Native Wildflowers" by the same authors.I was a little disappointed because this one is not as reader friendly for beginners such as myself.It does fill an important niche by identifying all native shrubs and woody vines of the southeast, as the title implies, and for this I imagine it would be a must for anyone compiling a serious library and/or study on the subject of native plants.The book is chock full of color photographs, each of which is labeled by the scientific name of the plant.However, I would have liked to see the common name there also (there is a common name index).A beginner who does not need to know about or identify a wide variety of shrubs and vines might be better off starting with a general guide to natural gardening that includes a variety of plant types. ... Read more

Product Description
Gardeners use native plants for many reasons. In addition to providing year-round beauty with relatively little maintenance, landscaping with native plants contributes to the repair of the natural ecosystem and brings us closer to our environment. With such a diverse and spectacular array of native plant material available to gardeners in the coastal and desert climates of Southern California, the opportunities for creative and attractive landscapes are seemingly endless.In Landscaping with Native Plants of Southern California, George Oxford Miller offers the definitive guide to choosing the best of the best among the native plants of the region. Covering wildflowers, shrubs, trees, vines, cacti, and groundcovers, this comprehensive, richly illustrated book selects the species that combine ornamental qualities, growth habit, adaptability, low maintenance, and beauty for the highest landscape value. The illustrations, maps, and charts provide guidelines for species selection and planting, ongoing maintenance, landscape design, and water and energy conservation. In-depth plant profiles describe the habitat requirements for nearly 300 native plant species, subspecies, and varieties, with stunning photographs illustrating how each plant looks and responds to landscape conditions.As the interest in native-plant landscaping and xeriscaping continues to expand, this is a book that belongs on the shelf of every gardener and landscaper in Southern California.Environmental photojournalist George Oxford Miller is writer, photographer, and third-generation nurseryman. He is well known for his many magazine articles, books, and photography on the plants and animals of Texas and the Southwest. His work has appeared in periodicals such as Living Bird, Texas Parks and Wildlife, and Wildlife Conservation and in publications of the National Wildlife Federation and the Sierra Club. He is author or co-author of several books, including Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas, Landscaping with Native Plants of the Southwest, A Field Guide to Wildlife of Texas and the Southwest, and The Ozarks: The People, the Mountains, the Magic. Miller resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Native plants
Very helpful book for the Native Plant enthusiast and very complete.Plants can b e located at Native plant nurseries.

Go native!
Although I live in the S. F. Bay Area, I bought this book because I knew there would be plants native to So Cal that are also native elsewhere.I is a wonderful resource and its feels great to plant what grew here--and is beautiful--before the asphalt.

Only the pictures are great...
The pictures are very good.Some of the lists are also helpful (wildlife, bloom time, ecosystem zones) but the information presented in the plant profiles will bring some raised eyebrows from knowledgeable native plant aficionados.I bought the book for the photos so I am content but I would recommend that anyone new to these plants should consult another source in addition to this one for specific plant information.

Very useful!
This book is both practical and visually appealing.It provides basic gardening instructions and includes a full color visual encyclopedia of native Southern California plants.I recommend it to anyone in Southern California who is searching for a more environmentally friendly way to landscape.

native plants oof S cal.
excellent book. very informative. I am planning on giving a lecture on native plants and butterfly host plants so thisbook is an excellent source. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is a veritable treasure-trove of garden, landscaping and herbal information and lore, presenting a variety of landscaping designs complete with layout plans. James Adams includes descriptions of the more than 600 herbs incorporated in the plans, recipes, medicinal uses, cultural requirements, herbs for a fragrant garden, useful charts and tables, and splendid line drawings and illustrations. This is a book that herb enthusiasts as well as general gardeners will want to have on their shelves.Amazon.com Review
We think of herbs as food, or as medicine, but we don't often think ofthem as aesthetic objects. Gardeners are taught to grow herbs for areason--these are plants that should be harvested. The author ofLandscaping with Herbs, James Adams, aims to show readers how toappreciate herbs as decorative plants. He wants to illuminate theirhidden potential, their "other half." Because herbs are so integralto our lives, Adams believes they should be more integral to the garden,sharing in a gardener's landscaping fantasy as much as tulips or magnoliatrees.

This coffee-table book is mostly text, with a few scatteredphotographs, and the prose is a dense mixture of ideas. A chemist bytrade, Adams has a complex mind, even going so far as to classify "thevolatiles that we perceive as odors released by both flowers andfoliage." One highlight: a section on the many ways to landscape afragrant herbal garden, scattering jasmine and rosemary so that eachgarden room is flooded by a distinct natural perfume. --Emily White ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Herbs Aren't Just for Cooking Anymore!
This is an idea book. A book that every time it's read another point of interest is noted. Mr. Adams really loves his herbs and wants to make a successful herb gardener out of each of us. More than that, though, he wants us to expand the way we think of herbs to include common culinary herbs in our landscape.

There are six major chapters that include; creating a Fragrant Garden, a Formal Garden for Beauty, a Beneficial Formal Garden, an Informal Landscape, a Contemporary Landscape, and a Wild Landscape.

Much appreciated is how each chapter introduces the reader to a myriad of herbs including specific named varieties of well known herbs. For instance, instead of just Thyme, many different Thymes are mentioned and discussed and often a photograph of that plant is included. Also, in each chapter are plans for using the herbs and several color photos of the herbs actually being used in the landscape. This realistic view of the plants is a big help when choosing plants for the landscape.

There are also useful, fun tidbits on many other aspects of using herbs including information on Topiary Training, Knot Gardens and Kitchen Gardens. There are recipes too, like Meatballs with Lovage, Oregano, Savory and Basil, that make use of the herbs we grow.

A handy chart at the back of the book lists each plant and many of its physical characteristics such as zone and bloom season. There is also a use chart which lists the landscape use and herbal use of each plant.

It is easy to see why this book was honored by the American Horticultural Society as a Great American Gardening Book.

Herbs are Special
More and more people are realizing that herbs are special. In the garden they not only provide texture and fragrance, but they are also waterwise. This previously published book, now in paperback, provides the reader with information on more than 600 species and cultivars of herbs. John Adams explains how to use these herbs in a variety of garden types both formal and informal. Through this book I was introduced to new thyme species and prompted to plant a thyme garden. ... Read more

Product Description
Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), millions of dollars have been allocated to improve energy efficiency in building construction. ARRA's substantial federal investments in building and retrofitting are likely to become a major source of revenue for suppliers of "green" products and services: For example, under ARRA, the government has authorized $4.5 billion alone for "greening" federal buildings. Clearly, building and large-scale landscaping businesses that invest in sustainable practices are poised for great success-and with success comes the need to increase the workforce. Peterson's Green Careers in Building and Landscaping is your one-stop resource for entry into the burgeoning green building sector.

Selling Points:

1.Target markets: a.) environmentally conscious workers seeking careers in sustainable building and landscaping; b.) job seekers considering a career switch to sustainable building or landscaping; c.) skilled tradespeople and professionals seeking green jobs that do not require an advanced degree; d.) employees in building or landscaping industries hoping to advance as the field develops sustainable practices

2.Profiles of specific professional and skilled labor jobs in building and landscaping, with current data on work environments, career paths, earning potential, and education/licensure/training/certification requirements for each job

3.The latest on building and landscaping job trends and areas where jobs are most plentiful, with tips on where and how to search for jobs

4.Profiles of four- and two-year colleges that offer green programs of study, with data on degrees/programs available, costs and financial aid, admissions and application requirements, and green campus organizations and projects

5.Listings of union programs offering training/retraining for skilled workers

6.Review of government funding available for workplace training in building and landscaping ... Read more

Product Description
Elegantly organized by season, this lyrical yet practical guide to backyard restoration gardening celebrates the beauty, the challenges, and the rewards of growing native plants at home. Judith Larner Lowry, winner of the prestigious John Burroughs award, here builds on themes from her best-selling Gardening with a Wild Heart, which introduced restoration gardening as a new way of thinking about land and people. Drawing on her experiences in her own garden, Lowry offers guidance on how to plan a garden with birds, plants, and insects in mind; how to shape it with trees and shrubs, paths and trails, ponds, and other features; and how to cultivate, maintain, and harvest seeds and food from a diverse array of native annuals and perennials. Working in passionate collaboration with the scrub jays, quail, ants, and deer who visit her garden, and inspired by other gardeners, including some of the women pioneers of native plant horticulture, Lowry shares the delights of creating site-specific, ever-changing gardens that can help us better understand our place in the natural world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Lovely
This is an exquisite book. Each chapter is an essay on some aspect of native gardening -- the role of woody debris in forests, backyard quail havens, dedications to the pioneers of native preservation gardening, and many more, each essay is so beautifully and eloquently written. I am inspired and sometimes laughing out loud at the clever, fascinating pieces. I even stole out of bed at 1 am with a flashlight to see exactly what kind of clarkia I had planted in the yard! (incidentally these were seeds I'd ordered previously from Larner's). I am very appreciative of this movement to preserve the native species of California. Having lived here for over 20 years, I had done many miles of hiking and biking, but never gave native flora a thought until I became the steward of a plot of dried up grass with the usual mismash of exotic plantings. I am in the process of converting the whole thing to permeable hardscape and native plants (all diy). One of these days, I am going to play hooky and drive from the south bay up to Larner's! Thank you for a lovely and inspiring book. ... Read more

Product Description
Almost 25 million households are involved in landscaping projects* Three region-specific editions tell gardeners everything they need to know about landscaping in zones 2-4, 5-6, and 7-10* Geared for every skill level* Information, photos, and projects approved by garden experts at The Home Depot* More than 500 photographs and illustrations ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Landscaping 1 2 3
Landscaping 1 2 3 for zones (5&6) is a great book.I borrowed my daughter's copy and both my neighbor and I boght one for our libraries. My neighbor took horticulture in high school and said that Lanscaping 1 2 3 is one of the best books that she has seen for the homeowner.It tell you about trees, shrubs, vines and groundcovers. It tells you how much space the shrubs vines and groundcovers will take up when they are mature.I just put in a rock garden and this book was a great help.

Landscaping 1-2-3
This book is a treasure for all who want beautiful lawn and garden ideas.
Loaded with colorful pictures. Little over 200 pages. Very informative. Happy to have a copy for my very own!!!

Great Landscaping Book for Southern New Hampshire!
I looked at many other landscaping books and this is the best one and easiest to use for my area.I am so happy with this book.We have a new home and I used this book to redo all the landscaping around the house.It looks great!! ... Read more

Product Description
Sunset is the first to offer Landscaping with Ornamental Grasses, a complete design and reference book that explores the history of grasses in their natural settings, and describes how to integrate them in a variety of climatic situations shady woodland to desert, Asian-style gardens to naturalistic landscapes, family-friendly yards to small patios. Step-by-step directions, over 250 beautiful photos, ideas for stylish indoor container and craft projects, and retail and mail-order sources make this new edition a must for anyone passionate about expanding their gardening repertoire. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Landscaping with Ornamental Grasses Sunset book

I like this book mainly for its wealth of illustrations. Also, it covers the spectrum of grasses thoroughly and gives design ideas. As always, Sunset takes into consideration the various micro-habitats you may have within your garden, e. g., dry shade, sunny bogs. A little poetry doesn't hurt either: "Grasses in Masses."

As usual, delectable photos and lots of stimuli for the imagination!

A very unique book for innovative landscape design!
"By incorporating ornamental grasses into your garden, you are doing more than choosing just another plant out of many available. You are inviting nature into your landscape. With their naturalistic simplicity, grasses are the perfect plants for a new gardening sensibility, one that works in harmony with the earth rather than strangling against it..." Fiona Gilsenan writes. She continues to discuss other aspects of the grasses: origin of the species and the "real" grasses. She also covers design techniques for grasses, the use of grasses in different type of gardens and locations, how to care for grasses, shopping for grasses, and troubleshooting.

"Landscaping With Ornamental Grasses Sunset book" includes six chapters: the Nature of Grasses, the Lowdown, Standing Tall, For Every Garden, In and Out of Garden, and Grasses and Grasslike Plants.

"Landscaping With Ornamental Grasses Sunset book" has 128 pages and over 250 beautiful interior photos. It is a very unique book for innovative landscape design!

Gang Chen, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Author of "LEED GA Exam Guide," "Architectural Practice Simplified,""Planting Design Illustrated," and other books on various LEED exams, architecture, and landscape architecture




... Read more

Product Description
Make the most of your home landscape!This comprehensive guide is specially designed for the Mid-Atlantic region, with all you need to build the landscape of your dreams!The impressive volume is filled with step-by-step instructions, nearly 400 full-color photographs and illustrations, and in-depth designs for 23 of the most common situations, from front entries to foundation plantings.You’ll also discover detailed descriptions of more than 200 plants that will grow best in the region, plus all you need to know to select, plant, and care for them.You’ll learn to construct:

- Lush garden paths
- Perfect patios
- Beautiful ponds
- Privacy walls and fences
- Arbors
- Trellises
- And much more!

With suggestions for Pennsylvania; West Virginia; Maryland; New Jersey; Delaware; Rhode Island; Virginia; and Long Island; New York, no Mid-Atlantic homeowner should be without it! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Great resource for landscaping plans
Home Landscaping has wonderfully illustrated and detailed landscape plans that I intend to use in my own yard.The book covers a wide range of landscape situations and details ideas for areas such as steep inclines, property corners, transitions from yard to woodland, and mailboxes.And for most (if not all) landscape situations there is more than one design for sunny versus shady.The book is also tailored for plants that do well in my growing area.In addition to all of that, the back of the book also includes a design for an arbor and instructions for how to install a retaining wall among other technical projects.I'm so glad I purchased this book, and look forward to many years of referencing it.

Loved It
This book was wonderful because it had lots of picture to draw ideas from.It also had information on different seasons and how the plants would be affected.It was so helpful to me.

Wonderful resource.
This book is a wonderful resource.The book is full of design ideas shown in site plans, 3-D renderings, and with great close up photos of the flowers, scrubs, and trees.Many designs are shown in each season and in a progression of how it will look in three to five years and then in ten to fifteen years. I found this book to be very helpful in designing flower beds, in picking plantings, and in knowing how to care for each planting.

Good use of Native Species
I'm not under 13, but I didn't want to give my name and email.

This book is great. It takes advantage of some great underused native plants from the Mid Atlantic. It is very helpful because it provides plant spacing and maintenance. Most plants are low maintenance, all year interest.

I have used the landscape plans in my yard and will continue to use this book as my number one reference.

Great Book!
I am new to gardening and I am have cleared out my backyard, I had no idea what I was doing or what kind of plants to put where until I read this book.It also has good ideas for building patios... great illustrationstoo! ... Read more

Product Description
This 8 1/2 by 11 paperback book with 232 pages and 450 color pictures is a comprehensive guide to gardening and landscaping practises in central Florida. The area it covers is from Jacksonville to Melbourne on the east coast, the middle part of the State including Orlando and its environs and Tampa on the west coast. It focuses on what is unique about gardening in this part of the State and illustrates plants which thrive here and how to use them in the landscape.

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING IN CENTRAL FLORIDA takes readers from planning and planting, to what to do when there are problems, and where to go for help. Newcomers and long term residents alike will find pictures and information of interest, whether they are doing the work themselves, or having it done for them.

With its emphasison low maintenance, environmentally friendly, personalized approaches, it synthesizes current research and best practises which should be considered by all homeowners. It is practical enough to take to the nursery to aid in plant selection but also so beautiful that it deserves a place of honor on the coffee table. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Disappointed
I found this book to be a complete disappointment.It was a surface discussion that never got into the variety of plants available for selection or suggestions for an appropriate method of determining the site location of plants for the central Florida area.

The publicity blurb on its description on Amazon promised much more.

Gardening books
This book was recommended by the landscape designer we used here in Florida.It is her bible!

florida gardening
The book was in perfect shape and delivered before the promised date.Very good.

Better than nothing
Pictures are terrible (amatuer and low resolution) and I know plants are missing because our newly-purchased Florida place has a ton of "purple heart" on it, which is not mentioned anywhere under any name (scientific or common) in this book. Not a BAD book, but there must be better ones out there... you might get better plant/tree info from [...]

Good Basic Gardening Book for Central Floridians
I am going against the grain and agreeing with E. Dickmann and rating this book three stars.Considering all the good information Ms. Bell took the time to share with us, the pictures were slightly blurred.When I refer to plants it may seem a minor point but I want detail when someone uses the camera.Secondly, considering this book covered a very specific area, I thought many cultivars would be listed: it didn't.An important criteria for me: is it a keeper for my garden book shelf?This wasn't.

All in all, it is a good book for beginners.There are so many subjects to cover and Ms. Bell does it well if you don't have much experience with gardening in central Florida. If you are one of the many people who have moved to our state but have gardened elsewhere, it is not the same.This would be the book for you.

If you have gardened in Florida a long time I have five star reads listed below, check them out:

EASY GARDENS FOR THE SOUTH by Pamela Crawford
HEIRLOOM FLOWERS: Vintage Flowers for Modern Gardens by Tovah Martin
AMERICAN ROSE SOCIETY ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ROSES : The Definitive A-Z Guide by Charles Quest-Ritson
GARDENING WITH NATIVE PLANTS OF THE SOUTH by Sally and Andy Wasowski


Every Stick has Two Ends -Southern Saying

... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Very Comprehensive!
I have a Degree in Landscape Horticulture with a concentration in Design, and I ordered this book for my dad, who is always asking for my expertise in landscaping.I was looking for something that would be very comprehensive but not just another project book, something that could be used more like a landscaping manual.This book seems to be just perfectly what I was looking for.It introduces the reader to most every aspect of landscaping in a well organized and logical order.It covers important information for those just starting out, including how to address problems in the landscape and even how to make your own designs.I knew this would be perfect for my dad, as he needed much of this information before he could begin to successfully take on his own property.With all this information, it does include 52 projects that can be completed one weekend at a time, which is perfect for my dad and the average DIY landscaper, as the weekends are often the only time they will have to do landscaping projects around the house. I think this book was the perfect gift for my dad, it was just what I was looking to get him!In fact, I should have bought a copy for myself, as it would serve as a nice reference and project book!

WOW!
I love this book. A little of everything if you're looking for new ideas...even if you have an idea on what you want to do, i'm sure you'll find a cool way to do it in this book. Has a lot of pictures or diagrams. Easy reading and colorful.

Very Good
I have not yet sat down and completely read the book.I know I wanted it because I spent a bit of time looking thru it when I was in a Menards.Now that I have it and have looked thru it, am very happy I have it.I do recommend it to anyone who likes to do this type of thing. ... Read more

Product Description

Rake in the Green

If you love working outdoors, you owe it to yourself to buy this step-by-step guide and start building your own successful lawn care or landscaping business. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Not what I was looking for...
If you are a rookie to lawn care looking for a book that will help you get started, this one will help you considerably, but it is not for the experienced landscaper.I was really looking for a book to help me out in bidding for larger scale contracts and this book had little if any info on that.Bidding is your best friend in landscaping so I am always looking for new and different bidding techniques.This book was just barely OK to me, but it did have some good information on advertising.In my opinion, go with door hangers, they work pretty well.

Good coverage of the business end
The landscaping business aspects are definitely here, the accounting, the equipment, the scheduling, even the make and model of truck to buy to pull your trailer full of equipment. I was expecting to learn something about the finer points of lawn care, mixing plants, use of mulch, how to protect plants from being eaten by animals etc. Knowing how to run a tight business is helpful but the main thing that your customer wants from you is quality work and knowledge of grasses and decorative plants. The book states internally that the concentration is on business and not horticulture but it's not obvious until you buy it and read it. Now you get to buy another book to gain the landscaping knowledge. Overall, worth the money.

Lawn Care or Landscaping
In this Magazine you learn all you need to know about Lawn Care and landscaping business.I have been in Landscaping for 14 years and hopefully will be in it another14.My customers are very pleased with our work and always recommend me for other jobs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Sunset Northeastern Landscaping Book
Great book for yard landscaping.Sunset does a good job of making gardening solutions straight forward and simple.Also, wonderful photos and diagrams of garden layouts.We just moved into a new house and wanted some ideas for flower, shrub, and path layouts.The book was a few years old, but did not matter, and was in excellent condition.
Rich

A Plethora of Gardening Ideas
The reader is offered a plethora of gardening ideas through attractive and plentiful photographs.Numerous garden types, garden designs, structural elements, and plant life are discussed in this book.However, by covering such an extensive variety of garden topics, the reader never gains an in depth appreciation of each particular garden style.This book will provide a complete overview to gardeners uncertain with which particular garden style they wish to pursue.Once the selection is made the reader would be better rewarded with purchasing a garden book dedicated to the chosen garden style.

A must have for the photos alone!
Sunset, the bible of west coast gardening, finally comes east and it is well worth the wait.

As the owner of a home on a desolate, windswept acre, I have bought over a dozen landscape books and magazines looking forinspiration.I could have saved alot of time and money and just boughtthis one.

So well written you could sit down and read it straightthrough.And so well organized and indexed you can use it for quickreference.

It covers everything from planning to installation.Includesmany sample plans with plant lists.But the best thing about this book isthe PHOTOGRAPHY.The photos are stunning and plentiful.Most photos arerefered to in detail in either the main text or a side bar and the photosactually pertain to the topic (which is most unusual for this type ofbook)! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Design Ideas for Home Landscaping
This is one of the best illustrated landscaping textbooks that I have ever purchased.The photography is outstanding and the author does a great job with this book.I would recommend this book for someone who wants to get all types of landscaping ideas. Well worth the money for such a great book. ... Read more

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A garden transformation workbook, this text teaches readers a new way to garden--by working with nature to design a landscape. Detailed instructions for using nature's patterns or color schemes in a garden design, gardening for wildlife, landscaping with stones and/or water, and using native plants are combined with basic instruction. 80 color photos. 75 illustrations. ... Read more

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exemplary book on landscape design
Landscaping With Nature: Using Nature's Designs to Plan Your Yard

As a landscape designer,Jeff Cox's book is one that I use for continual reference. Hehas a poets' eye, married to a practical approach to creating landscapes that mirror and echo the natural.

Highly recommended for anyone with a yard
The key to this book isn't to go out and loot our state parks, roadsides, and private lands to swipe what's growing there and transplant it in our own yards. The key is to go to state parks, roadsides, and other natural places and swipe ideas and concepts and apply them to our own home landscape. The color photo section near the center shows many pictures with a scene from the wild and another showing how that can be interpreted on a home scale, or how the idea can be transplanted from one region to another with entirely different plants.

I've read this book twice this year, cover to cover, as well as referred to small bits and pieces of it a number of other times. In a year or so, I will be implementing the fire pit. I have - and will - use the natural stairway project. And watch out for some melodic stone arrangements down by the meadow, and maybe more along Stone Stream, or on the back bank. In addition to projects and raw ideas, the book also serves as a source on various plants - I refer to it for supplemental information quite often. It's not intended to be an exhaustive list of plants that can be used, but it does provide nice collections of trees and shrubs with interesting bark or berries, as well as group plants by habitat and bloom color.

If I could only have one book on gardening, this would be it. ... Read more

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Encompassing more than eighty design topics--including regional and international garden styles, color and plant themes, accents, and seasonal gardens--this inspirational sourcebook features 550 practical and creative landscaping ideas. ... Read more

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Great landscape ideas distilled down
This is a book of pictures of lovely gardens. But not just lovely gardens in general; the authors have taken the very best bits from gardens all over the world and shown them to us and *explained* why they were showing them to us. How different gates fit into different garden styles. How the different elements of a Japanese garden work to create mood. How different garden styles fit different environments. Each picture has a terse bit of text telling us why this garden element is effective, so that the home gardener can make use of it.

I like this approach. We may not be able to recreate Great Dixter or Hidcote, but we can certainly arrange plants in a way that creates a nice tableau or make it look nicer under the trees wth appropriate shade plants. It's a book that will have you marking pages so you can try out the ideas presented.

Excellent visual resource for landscaping your home.
For those who like to look at beautiful gardens or those who like to get into the dirt, Derek Fell and Catriona Erler have put together an excellent visual resource on home landscaping. With short, but complete descriptions of over 500 landscaping ideas, you are sure to find inspiration to landscape your garden with this book fully illustrated in color. Fell and Erler illustrate all aspects of the garden, from the English garden to the far east, no stone is left unturned. ... Read more

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Coming up with marketing and service ideas to keep busy and profitable all year long can be difficult. Most of the times we are just not in the mood to sit and think up creative ways to make more money. Well thankfully I have been able to interview thousands of lawn care business owners over the years and ask them what's worked and what hasn't. The responses and the follow up questions have really uncovered a treasure trove of ideas that I compiled here to share with you.Now you don't have to get frustrated when trying to come up with new ideas. Just keep this book around as a reference. Some of these ideas might just work right off the shelf while others might need to be altered to fit your needs. Ultimately it's always better to have ideas on stand by just in case. This book is the third in a series of lawn care business marketing books I have published and contains lawn care marketing ideas cherry picked from previous content I have written as well as new unpublished material. Dream it, Build It, Gopher It!By Steve LowHost of The GopherHaul Lawn Care Business Showand the Gopher Lawn Care Business Forum. ... Read more

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Excellent Tips!
If you plan on starting a lawn care/landscaping business then this book is a must have. There are plenty of tips and ideas on getting and RETAINING customers! This book is also a great resource if you already have a lawn care business too, many many ideas on running your business with sample letters, etc. ... Read more

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Almost 25 million households are involved in landscaping projects* Three region-specific editions tell gardeners everything they need to know about landscaping in zones 2-4, 5-6, and 7-10* Geared for every skill level* Information, photos, and projects approved by garden experts at The Home Depot* More than 500 photographs and illustrations ... Read more

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Best Landscaping Book ...
Landscaping 1-2-3 is the best landscaping book I've found for this area.It contains a lot of valuable information and is full of pictures.This book helps you to determine the best plants for different sections of your yard based on the soil and exposure to the sun.It also informs you of the best time to prune your plants. ... Read more

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This book is a landowner's guide to developing backyard, farm and woodlot habitats for wildlife in the midwest and includes diagrams and 4-color illustrations ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

also available at Minnesota's Bookstore
Please note that Carrol Henderson's books are also available directly from the Minnesota Bookstore (just Google it), including in sets of different titles with discounts.

there is no better book for the midwest wildlife garden
A friend asked recently about the subject of "trees which are attractive to birds." I hadn't
used this book for a while, my garden is getting mature, but was prompted to open it again
because I recalled it has so many lists of plants arranged from every perspective
one can think of (everything from "Best butterfly nectar sources in Minnesota"
to "Midwestern mammals which use snags.") I love these lists. There
may not be a plethora of photos here, but armed with one of these lists and any good
horticulture reference, one can find a plant for any midwestern landscape need, and
bring wildlife into the garden to boot. Despite the 1987publication date, this book is timely
and up to the minute. If anything, it was ahead of it's time; gardeners and landscapers
are just now catching up to the information contained in this book.

Outstanding; the place to start
I too was at a total loss until someone recommended this book to me. The little identification signs in the nurseries are often inaccurate with the little they do say, and they're coming from such a different ("if youwant to prevent the birds from eating your berries, cover the entire treein garish mesh") perspective, for the most part, that I never felt Iwas getting anywhere.

The only faults with this title all have to do withtoo much information. The many appendices might have been better integratedwith one another. There are times when the plant tables involve an awfullot of flipping back and forth, and could have been more cleanly organized.Finally, the sheer number of species of plant involved make it impossibleto do what many garden books do; often you're looking at a description like"TS" (tall shrub) and wondering what shape it is, how dense, andso on. I went to the web and used the latin names to find descriptions ofeverything.

You'll need to go from this book to other sources to be sureof the appearance of things, and consulting with the average nursery orlandscaper will still be necessary to discover things like when to prune.But this is the place to start, without question, for anyone in themidwest.

This book provides everything promised and more!
Before finding this book, I was stumbling and haphazardly identifying and assembling the plants and trees I wanted to accomplish my goals of drawing wildlife to my property, providing for them and returning the land I haveremoved from from nature by building in a development (my lot is 5acres).

This book will be ragged before I am done AND I will mostprobably have to buy a second copy.

A practical guide for natural landscaping techniques
This is an excellent guide, reference, and resource book for anyone in the midwest who's interested in natural landscaping or planning landscapes to support wildlife. Everything about the book is aimed at being both practical and comprehensive. The book is spiral-bound for ease of use; this suggests cheapness, but the excellent color photos and illustrations belies this impression. The first half of the book fills the role of a guidebook. Its 64 pages address the benefits and principles of landscaping for wildlife; habitat components; and how to landscape small and medium yards, farms (e.g., windbreaks), and wood lots. This is followed by a long and useful list (119 entries) of litarature cited. The list is a great resource for locating additional material. Sixteen Appendixes comprise the second half (56 pages) of the book, and form a mini-reference library that would alone have been worth the price of the book. The most useful appendix provides a tabulation of plants for use in landscaping. It specifies plant type (16 categories), wildlife value (10 categories), landscape uses (29 categories), number of wildlife species documented as using the plant, plant characteristics (12 categories), and other information about growth requirements and plant size. Furthermore, the tables are divided into eight groups of plant types such as conifers; butterfly, bee, and moth plants; nut and acorn plants; and winter plants. As if this weren't enough, four appendixes contain designs for various simple construction projects, four contain additional wildlife information, and the rest contain a collection of other useful topics. In summary, if you live in the midwest, and have any interest in natural landscaping on any scale, or any interest in the needs and preferences of our flying and furry friends with any number of legs, this book is a must-have. The quality is excellent, the contents are comprehensive and practical, it's easy to use, and the price is right. ... Read more