About this item
Breathe new life into your garden Maybe your garden isn't what it once was. Or maybe it's stunning during the full bloom of summer, but falls apart the rest of the year. Maybe it's crowded, sparse, boring, disjointed... or it just doesn't resonate with you, and you have no idea why or what to do about it. Don't retreat indoors In this friendly guide, acclaimed landscape designer and best-selling author Rebecca Sweet offers simple strategies for transforming established plots and empty spaces into the garden of your dreams--a place that soothes your soul and revives your spirits year-round. Start by identifying problems with your current plantings (such as clashing colors, lack of flow and "one-of-each-itis") , then learn how to inject new life using artful combinations of color, texture and form. At the back of the book, you'll find a thoughtfully curated selection of 78 plants perfect for creating key elements of harmony in your garden. You don't need to be a professional landscaper to put these concepts into play. With this book as your guide, turning blah spaces into breathtaking places becomes fun, easy and perennially rewarding Overflowing with creative examples of how to... Wake up boring beds. Make a cramped garden feel bigger, or bring a sense of intimacy to an expansive area. Downplay eyesores. Create moods ranging from serene to stimulating. Add four-seasons interest. Decide which plants to keep, and which to pull. Thoughtfully integrate hardscaping, structures and accessories. Transform an ordinary garden into one that's memorable and meaningful
About the Author
Rebecca Sweet is a landscape designer with her design firm Harmony in the Garden, located in the heart of Silicon Valley in Northern California. Rebecca and her designs have been featured in Sunset, Fine Gardening, Horticulture, Woman's Day and Country Living magazines. She has also been featured on the critically acclaimed PBS series Growing a Greener World as well as a radio guest on GardenLife and Martha Stewart Living.In addition to designing gardens, Rebecca shares her secrets to successful garden design in her monthly column in Horticulture Magazine, 'Harmony in the Garden', and in her popular blog Gossip in the Garden. When she's not writing about garden design, she's speaking about it, sharing this world of hers with botanical gardens, horticultural societies, garden clubs and flower show audiences.Rebecca's passion for gardening comes from a lifetime spent in the garden, whether at her grandmother's side helping to dead-head peonies or watching her mother patiently work (and re-work) a carefully crafted stone wall. Rebecca says, "In my own garden, I've spent the past 20 years re-inventing the garden of my childhood home. My goal? To create a secluded, private and deeply personal garden where I can lose myself for hours, despite being surrounded by such a bustling urban area. Consisting of several private spaces, infused with childhood mementos from both my own past as well as my daughter's, my garden is less of a designer showpiece and more like a diary. It's a place to play, experiment and show my personality - and I love it with all my heart."
