[dropcap]D[/dropcap]esigning and planning out a garden can be a challenging task. Sometimes just knowing where to start can be a struggle. If you are anything like me, there is the perfect guide for you. Landscape Design Combinations by Lee Miller is that garden compass you've been looking for. It helped me take those first steps in the right direction with confidence.
Inside the book, you will find an introduction to the elements of garden design, how to give your garden a foundation with evergreens and a simple guide to combining colors. Sometimes I find myself standing in my local gardening center, overwhelmed by all of the choices and options around me. I start asking myself these questions:
"Where do I start? If I purchase that plant, where should I put it? Will that tree or shrub really look good in my landscape?" What kind of flowers will work well together?
If you have asked yourself any of these questions, this book is definitely for you. It will guide you through designing for the seasons while keeping your landscape looking fresh and lush. You don't always need to hire a professional landscape designer, especially if you can't afford it. This great garden guide will inspire you and give you the confidence you need.
ABOUT THE BOOK
This book will fill you with motivation and excitement throughout your gardening journey. You will learn what plants work well in your zone. You will also begin to understand which flowers fit your yard's specific light requirements. With the summer season coming to an end, now is the perfect time to start planning for the future. As the falling leaves turn into snow, you can begin by sitting down and brainstorm with this book by your side.
Lee dives into planter combinations using favorites like sweet potato vine, coleus and verbena. Inside the pages you will find beautiful photographs of landscape design combinations. Each plant in the photo is numbered, making them easy to quickly identify. She encourages you to think about the long term function you would like to achieve in your space. It is also important to consider what kind of atmosphere and feel you want your garden to have. These are important aspects to consider before you start buying those plants.
Being from the Northeast, I really need to work on my seasonal color and creating winter focal points in my yard. I've always been interested in it, but wasn't sure what plants to look for. Lee recommends including different types of foliage that go through a series of change. An example of this is astilbe that produces hues of orange in autumn. Another perfect plant for fall interest is dwarf Maiden Grass "Yaku Jima". She shares that it produces slender wispy plumes during late September and early October that remain into the winter months.
I love how Lee talks about different styles of gardening. One style that I am particularly interested in is eco-friendly gardening. You can practice this style by planting deciduous trees and shrubs for cooling in the summer, adding evergreen screening for windbreak during winter and using drip irrigation as well as rain barrels. She also discusses Xeriscaping, which is planting drought tolerant species of plants that don't require much watering.
The step-by-step guides included in this book have really helped me grow and define my own personal garden style. I am an informal gardener with an interest in Victorian English estate gardens. I love to plant old fashioned flowers, add vintage elements and follow the cottage garden style. This book really gets across that you can have any style garden you want. The options are endless!
I've began focusing on adding hardscape elements. After thumbing through the pages, I realized my landscape was really lacking this. Over the next year, my goals are to add walkways, small garden structures that serve specific purposes, and even an outdoor room!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I first become familiar with Lee through her inspirational blog, A Guide To Northeastern Gardening. She shares photos of her gorgeous garden every month. You can see what's blooming in her late summer garden HERE. She is also inspired by color, and shares a monthly post that focuses on one specific shade. For August, she focused on yellow and a true favorite, the sunflower.
Lee is a landscape designer, consultant and garden blogger who has been involved in the horticultural industry since 1996. She is a Long Island native, who started her blog back in 2010. She is an accomplished author, penning over 200 articles and publishing two books. She is a contributing writer for Gardening Know How and a presenter at local gardening clubs. Her first book she published is called A Guide to Northeastern Gardening. It is a comprehensive guide of plants hardy from zones 3-9. It is also filled with Lee's personal experiences and tips from a professional landscape designer. If you would like to follow her landscape design blog, click HERE. Make sure you check out her blog and follow her on social media!
I want to thank Lee for inviting me to review her new book! It is a versatile guide that I continue to gain inspiration from each season. The pages are full of endless color combinations, landscape design ideas and seasonal creations. What kind of color are you looking forward to adding with plants this fall? Share with me in the comment section below. Don't forget to click and order your very own copy of Landscape Design Combinations!
Click To Pin
CLICK TO SEE MORE
7 Comments
Best Landscape Design
January 23, 2018 at 8:51 pmI was looking for a new book….I think I found it! Thanks!
Brittany Richmond
September 19, 2017 at 9:17 pmI will definitely have to check this book out! We are in the process of building a house and I will be the one designing our front landscaping!
Christina Makri
September 13, 2017 at 4:30 amThis is a great book! It’s a pity I have not access to buy the book… anyway thank you for sharing at Sweet Inspiration Link Party
http://www.artdecorationcrafting.gr
Stella Nadene
September 6, 2017 at 6:33 pmGreat info for the book! We live outside Houston where everything seems to grow… except when you want it too [insert eye roll]. Putting this on my reading list–we’ve got nearly 4 acres and it’s nearly a blank canvas!
image-in-ing: weekly photo linkup
September 5, 2017 at 6:42 pmYou have the eye for making a gorgeous garden.
Thanks for linking up at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2017/09/inwardly-gazing-with-monochrome-eyes.html
Terri Steffes
September 4, 2017 at 8:55 amI love your review! I know Lee and this book is just as you described it: a must read for anyone planning a garden! The tips within will make you feel like a pro! Beautiful post!
Lee@A Guide to Northeastern Gardening
September 1, 2017 at 8:54 amThank you so much for your kind words and for reviewing my book. You made my day with your beautiful post!