Landscape Planning

Landscape Planning: Practical Techniques for the Home Gardener
By Judith Adam
Firefly Books
$27.95, paperback

The title of this book describes it well. A novice gardener with some ambition but little know-how can look here for solutions to problems such as: how to prune a tree, how to install a pond, and how to make a gravel path. Information is nicely organized with color and black and white illustrations and large photographs.

"Most imagined improvements and attempted changes reflect your interest in developing the garden landscape," Adam writes. "This book is meant to encourage and support those interests, and show the way to effective decision making."

Adam helps readers make decisions by offering a few top ten lists. Some examples include: the ten best shrubs for hedging, the ten best trees to create filtered shade, and the ten best shed-covering vines. There are also a few top five lists, a step-by-step landscaping plan, and a sample four-year plan. Anyone with a budding interest in gardening, or someone looking for a handy "how to" guide would enjoy this book.