Southern Living Landscape Book

Being new to the southeast and landscaping a new construction house, I needed some help in figuring out what will work and how to put all of the right elements together. This book served both purposes very well.

I studied this book before landscaping our new home. I found my self referring to it over and over while designing gardens and buying plants. The book is comprehensive and practical. The topical organization is a great aid in developing ideas for design. I have several books of similar subject matter and this one is the best.

Okay, so I may not be able to go out and create my garden exactly like the picture shows, but it is inspiring to pick and choose from amongst the styles and get some pointers on partnered plants and garden focus so I'm not reinventing the garden hose, I mean wheel. Great book for any homeowner who needs a little "it can be done" therapy after working hard and not being happy with the results on their own. I'm content with a little bit of heaven in my own back yard and this book helped tremedously.

As a gardener just venturing into landscaping, I found the brand-new SOUTHERN LIVING LANDSCAPE BOOK inspiring and encouraging. It is packed with beautiful color photos and ideas for creating a wonderful home landscape. Granted, a few ideas are beyond my budget (not to mention, it would take me many, many years to achieve those results!), but lots of the plans have elements that anyone can appropriate.The book is divided into eight sections. "Gardens of the South" showcases stunning gardens from Florida to Texas. Once I finished drooling over those photos, I found "Planning Your Garden" a good guide to planning my own landscape. Among other subjects, it addresses principles of design, division of space, how to chart a landscape, and dealing with slopes. Each page is beautifully illustrated with color photos.Section three, "Designing with Structures," deals with arbors, gazebos, decks, courtyards, paths, fences, and outside storage. It also contains a lengthy discussion of pools and other water features. There are no step-by-step plans, just lots of photos and creative ideas. (See my comments on Part Six.)"Designing with Plants" packs a lot of color into a brief 83 pages. It does a nice job of touching on different subjects such as accent plants, choosing trees for their shape, attracting wildlife, choosing a winter garden, etc. Look in part five, "Finishing Touches," for ideas for containers, birdbaths, furniture, and garden art. An interesting section on lighting discusses the different uses of light in the landscape-backlighting, sidelighting, "moonlighting," shadowing, grazing, and uplighting.Part six, "Materials and Techniques," has nice tips and clear illustrations for building decks, fences, arbors, raised beds, steps, etc. (Again, no measured plans.) It also serves up good advice for building paths of various materials, pouring a concrete slab, and installing a watering system.Part Seven, "Garden Makeovers," is one of my favorite sections of the book. The wonderful before and after photos illustrate how homeowners have solved their landscaping problems. The well-written text gives added detail about the changes and how they worked. This beautiful book is intended as a companion volume to the SOUTHERN LIVING GARDEN BOOK. I highly recommend it!

The book is an excellent starting point for both beginners and intermediate landscapers and gardeners. I loved the beautiful illustrations and tips that help anyone with a landscaping mental block break through. I would strongly recommend this book for anyone who is searching for a fresh idea in color and patterns. This book makes an excellent gift for any gardener or outdoor lover!