The Garden in Winter: Plant for Beauty and Interest in the Quiet Season

Time is another dimension in landscape design. Every good designer and gardener should consider seasonal effects when selecting plants and laying out gardens. Winter is a challenging season, but with careful planning and design, it can be a season full of opportunities. Suzy Bales presents a lot of useful ideas and opportunities in "The Garden in Winter: Plant for Beauty and Interest in the Quiet Season," such as the beauty of lines formed by the branches of deciduous trees, the pattern of tree barks, the views through windows, the ornaments, containers, garden structures, ice sculptures, broadleaf evergreens and colorful conifers, perennials and grasses, etc. This book is also a very reader friendly and practical guide for winter gardening, the information is presented in plain and simple English. "The Garden in Winter: Plant for Beauty and Interest in the Quiet Season" has 224 pages and many beautiful color interior photos. It is a great book for both novices and seasoned gardeners. 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

Suzy Bales has done it again. I consider myself to be a 'looker' gardener. I look and admire other people's garden, but when it comes to my own, I am a disaster. This book with its beautiful images has inspired me to get out my clippers and shovel. I love the chapter about making wreaths and planting outdoor urns - I'll be able to do that - just in time for the holidays! The book makes a great gift, not only for 'lookers' like me, but also expert gardeners.

For many northern gardeners, winter is a time to draw the curtains, cook up a batch of stew, and read seed catalogs until spring. Bales' book lends encouragement and legitimacy to those who prefer not to hibernate through this magical season. Beautifully photographed and full of ideas, Bales' engaging and friendly book brims with optimism and potential. She helpfully includes common names without the snobby reluctance of some garden writers (you know, the sort who ONLY include Latin names in the index--too bad if you don't know that "Happy Flower" is properly called "fleuribundis obscurantum var. Bonfornato" (I made that up). Also, her plant descriptions are understandable--you won't find a plant described as "imparipinnate with a companulate calyx," in this book, but you could go to your garden center and bring home the correct cultivar with her guidance. Another point in Bales' favor is that while she appears to have a Martha-Stewart type manse on Long Island, she isn't afraid to mention that you can find economical small conifers at Home Depot, and she's not uber-tasteful: Bales admits to an endearing affinity for a bit of glitter and spray paint (hey, it's winter.) This is a wonderful book that should be a part of every gardener's library.

The Garden in Winter is a delightful book! It reads more like fiction than non-fiction which makes you want to keep turning the pages to see what is ahead. Suzy Bales mentions many plants that are wonderful additions to the winter landscape an area many gardeners are unfamiliar with. The photographs are outstanding. This book is a real inspiration from a real gardener who is allowing readers to take a peek into her personal winter paradise! I highly recommend this book for all gardeners!

I love that this book is so personal, a real glimpse into the author's life with lots of insights about what it means to really be a gardener. Brava! The book is a beautiful example of a real book vs. "books" pieced together by editorial teams responding to what they hear from focus groups. Hooray for personality and individuality!