Landscape planning Practical techniques for the home gardener

Practical is right! Adam covers all the bases in an exceptionally detailed guide to the mechanics of planning and executing every conceivable type of home landscape feature. Whereas countless books explain landscape design (which plant combinations are appropriate for an English country garden look, for instance), Adam does the home gardener a tremendous service with straightforward and user-friendly instructions on every conceivable point to consider before any landscape design can be developed or implemented. Clearly, logically, she breaks down various landscape processes into their most elemental forms: ten points of property assessment, how to measure levels of grade, how drainage tiles work. After mastering the basics, Adam thoughtfully provides essential information to help home gardeners bring their best-laid plans to fruition: how to shop for plants; top 10 lawn-care tips; the 10 best trees for seasonal color. For home gardeners just beginning the landscape process, or for seasoned veterans contemplating a new project, Adam demystifies even the most daunting tasks in a superlative how-to that virtually guarantees success. --Carol Haggas

Horticulturist and landscape designer Adam (New City Gardener), who frequently appears on HGTV and the Discovery Channel, offers a comprehensive treatment of landscaping for the home gardener, beginning with an objective assessment of the property and prioritizing a list of improvements. A four-year plan allows the landscaping to proceed as time and budget allow. Both hard landscaping (paths, walls, patios, water features, irrigation, and lighting) and soft landscaping (trees, shrubs, ornamental grasses, perennials, annuals, and ground covers) are clearly described. Adam pays attention to installing and caring for plants, and she offers 22 "ten best" plant lists for various situations, such as the ten best filtered shade trees (giving both Latin and common names). Other lists describe the ten steps to a better lawn or the ten essential gardening tools. Step-by-step directions are provided for projects such as installing a pond, path, or mowing strip. This exhaustive treatment is comparable to Rita Buchanan's Taylor's Master Guide to Landscaping and could serve as a textbook for a landscaping class. Recommended for all gardening collections. Nancy Myers, Univ. of South Dakota Lib., Vermillion (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Introduction Almost every gardener understands how one thing leads to another. Buy a new shrub and a perennial plant bed needs to be moved. Change the house downspouts and a dry walkway becomes wet. Install a swimming pool and privacy fencing is necessary. As the garden ages, opportunities for development and renovation are always at hand. But how do you determine what's really needed? If an outdoor seating area is required, should it be a wood deck or a brick patio? To create dappled shade overhead, should you plant a locust tree or a Norway maple? And what about that steep slope in the lawn? Could it have a step, or should the grade be changed? Learning to think about landscape planning is what this book offers to home gardeners. Landscaping is about making changes and choices in all the areas of your property -- in the front lawn and entrance, the private spaces in the backyard, and the functional areas along the driveway and sides of the house. Increasing the beauty of the garden is an important goal of a landscape plan. But equally important is making sure that all the features of your lot are functional and work well. Every garden has its problems, and landscape planning always starts with an objective assessment of the site. This book will guide you through the process of evaluation, sorting out what should be kept or discarded, and helping to prioritize your lists of necessary improvements and discretionary changes. What comes first, a new set of front steps or a personal hot tub? Should the narrow front path be widened, or is in-ground irrigation more important? Learning to evaluate the need for change is just as important as getting the job done well. Plants of every kind are the most prominent features in your garden, and also the most complex and diverse. As living components of the landscape, their value is more than aesthetic -- they create a healthy and rewarding context for your outdoor activities. It's important to understand the cultural needs of plants already in your garden, and also the features of plants you will add to the landscape. Understanding the conditions of soil quality, moisture, light and environmental exposure in your garden is an important key to plant selection. This book will show you how to match plant requirements to site conditions, so that new plant purchases will thrive and beautify the garden for many years to come. Making informed choices of plant material is the most crucial step toward successful landscape planning. The many plant lists in this book, with descriptions and photo illustrations, will guide you through a generous selection of plants for every kind of site and circumstance. It's often the case that gardening careers begin in small ways, with planting a few flowers or vegetables just outside the back door. But as the garden grows, small gestures soon lead to larger efforts and increasing rewards. Landscape planning is the logical extension of gardening, and you're probably doing it already. Most imagined improvements and attempted changes reflect your interest in developing the garden landscape. This book is meant to encourage and support those interests, and show the way to effective decision-making. You may plan changes requiring professional skills, or perhaps your own hands can do the job. Whether the project is small or large, this book will provide information and alternatives for making the best landscape decisions. Take a good look at your garden today, because it's going to change and grow with this book. Excerpted from Landscape Planning: Practical Techniques for the Home Gardener by Judith Adam All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.