Introduction 1
About This Book 1
Foolish Assumptions 3
Icons Used in This Book 3
Beyond This Book 4
Where to Go from Here 4
Part 1: Getting Started with Landscaping 5
Chapter 1: Designing Your Landscape: The Birth of Your Design 7
Starting with Dreams — Create Your Wish List 8
Gathering good ideas 9
Drawing within the Lines: Living with Practical Issues 12
Making sure you know where your property lines are 12
Verifying whether you need permits 13
Considering children and pets’ safety 13
Addressing water issues 14
Designating storage areas 15
Site Analysis — Understanding What You Have 16
Drawing your site analysis 17
Knowing how much of your yard you can use 19
Walking through the space 21
Focusing on privacy 22
Knowing when you’ll use your landscape 23
Designing a Low-Maintenance Landscape 24
Chapter 2: Thinking like a Designer 25
Achieving Unity, Blessed Unity, in Your Landscaping Design 26
Focusing on Repetition in Your Design 27
Playing with Color 28
Getting Some Rhythm 29
Adding Decor to Your Design: How Many Pink Flamingos Are Enough? 30
Paying Attention to Hardscape 31
Keeping an Eye on the Details 32
The Goldilocks Theory: Choosing Plants That Fit 32
Layering Plants to Add Interest 33
Chapter 3: Forming a Working Plan: Getting Serious about Your Design 35
Knowing What’s Already There — Making a Base Map 36
Ensuring you have the supplies to draw 36
Drawing your own base map 36
Overlaying Your Ideas 38
Putting Your Ideas on the Ground 41
Big deals: Designating space for large elements 42
Filling in the rest 42
Creating a Final Plan 43
Making a Shopping List 44
Step 1: List plants and determine their cost 46
Step 2: List and calculate the supplies 46
Step 3: Get hardscape estimates 47
Step 4: Make an itemized checklist 48
Step 5: Consider tools you may need to buy 48
Step 6: Take a breath 48
Getting Ready 50
Cutting your project into bite-sized pieces 50
Taking action before you break ground 51
Preparing your property 52
Doing It Yourself or Calling in the Big Guns 52
Part 2: Building Hardscape into Your Yard 55
Chapter 4: Taming Your Site 57
Focusing on Construction Basics 58
Looking at site challenges 58
Ramping up — a checklist 58
Understanding wood and its alternatives 60
Identifying tools and supplies 62
Keeping safety front and center 63
Grading Your Property 64
Laying Out Straight Lines and Shapes 65
Stringing lines — The hub and tack method 66
Stringing out the rest of a shape 66
Working with Slopes 68
Understanding challenges unique to installing retaining walls 68
Positioning a retaining wall 70
Installing a retaining wall 70
Chapter 5: Dealing with Water 75
Routing Water and Improving Drainage 75
Focusing on surface drainage 76
Installing subsurface drainage 77
Returning water to the land — rain gardens 78
Recognizing the Different Options of Watering Systems 80
Watering cans 81
Rain barrels 81
Hoses of all kinds 82
Irrigation systems 83
Chapter 6: All Things Fences, Walls, and Gates 87
Fabricating Fences 88
Knowing what to consider before beginning 88
Choosing fence materials 89
Building a basic fence 91
Working with Walls 101
Building a stacked stone wall 102
Building a mortared stone wall 103
Building a brick wall 104
Building a concrete block wall 107
Going for Gates 108
Chapter 7: Creating Paths and Walkways 111
Getting Started 111
Considering design and use 112
Deciding on materials and dimensions 112
Building Paths 113
Creating a gravel or crushed stone path 113
Making a walkway with bricks or pavers 114
Installing a concrete walk 116
Building a flagstone path 118
Stepping in Style 120
Calculating step dimensions 121
Planning your steps 122
Building steps 123
Installing a ramp 124
Chapter 8: Constructing Decks 127
Understanding a Deck’s Components 128
Starting with Building a Deck 129
Developing a good deck plan 129
Choosing decking material 131
Getting the Site Ready 131
Preparing to attach the ledger board 132
Installing the ledger board 133
Prepping footings and piers 134
Completing footings and piers 135
Installing posts and beams 136
Installing the joists 137
Laying decking boards 138
Adding deck stairs 139
Adding deck railings 141
Finishing Your Deck 143
Sides and undersides 143
Protective finishes 144
Chapter 9: Building Patios 145
Selecting Materials 146
Recognizing factors to evaluate 146
Considering your choices 147
Calculating how much material you’ll need 149
Building the Base 150
Installing the Surface 151
Installing brick, pavers, or flagstones 151
Installing a concrete slab patio 154
Chapter 10: Enhancing Your Landscape 159
Adding a Raised Bed to Your Landscape 160
Recognizing the details 160
Building the raised bed 161
Making a Built-in Bench 162
An elegant, low bench 163
Masonry benches 165
Building (or Buying) a Planter 165
Going with a wooden planter 165
Going with a masonry planter 166
Considering Hot Ideas 166
Installing a chimenea or fire pit 167
Installing an outdoor brick or stone oven 169
Planning a cooking center 169
Installing Lighting 170
Illuminating your landscape 171
Incorporating decorative lighting 172
Adding Wooden Support Structures 173
Growing up: Trellises 173
Putting arbors in their place 174
Installing a pergola or overhead 174
Utilizing a Shed 175
Storage sheds 176
She sheds 177
Potting sheds 177
Pondering Water Features 177
Part 3: The Planting o’ the Green 179
Chapter 11: Barking Up the Right Tree 181
Choosing the Perfect Tree 182
Considering important details before making the purchase 183
Finding a healthy tree at the nursery 184
Making the case for native trees 185
Discovering Some Favorite Trees 186
Naming our shade tree faves 186
Listing our favorite flowering trees 188
Tagging top trees for small spaces 190
Planting some fruit trees 192
Looking at evergreen trees 193
Steering clear of these trees 194
Demystifying Tree Planting 196
Shopping for trees — pro tips 196
Planting a tree in five easy steps 197
Chapter 12: Bulking Up with Shrubs and Vines 199
Finding Out about Shrubs 199
Looking at design considerations 200
Making the case for native shrubs 201
Discovering Some Favorite Shrubs 203
Considering Characteristics 212
Colorful shrubs 212
Drought-tolerant shrubs 212
Evergreen shrubs 213
Fruiting shrubs 214
Shopping: Finding High-Quality Shrubs 214
Planting Shrubs and Hedges 215
Getting new shrubs into the ground 215
Betting on hedges 216
Using Vines in Your Landscape 218
Selecting a vine with a spot in mind 218
Choosing a vine with a purpose in mind 219
Selecting some fine vines 220
Considering some annual vines 221
Shopping for Vines 222
Planting Vines 222
Providing sturdy support 222
Pruning and training your vines 223
Chapter 13: Adding Color and Texture This Season with Annuals 225
Knowing What An Annual Is 226
Cool dudes 227
When it’s hot, they’re hot 229
Understanding Your Options When Buying and Planting Annuals 232
Transplanting your annual seedlings 233
Creating splashy flowerbeds 236
Foodscaping: Vegetables are the new annuals 237
Chapter 14: Striving For Long-Lasting Beauty with Perennials and Bulbs 239
Creating a Perennial Border 240
Listing Perennials by Season 241
Spring bloomers 242
Summer stars 243
Autumn stalwarts 245
The best long-bloomers 246
Growing native perennials 247
Discovering ornamental grasses 247
Shopping For Perennials 248
Buying locally 248
Purchasing through a mail-order supplier 249
Planting and Pampering Your Perennials 250
Packing Beauty into Bulbs 250
Discovering Some Great Bulbs 252
Buying and Taking Care of Your Bulbs 255
Planting bulbs 255
Giving your bulbs some TLC 257
Fertilizing bulbs 258
Chapter 15: Including Succulents and Containers for More Color and Texture 259
Including Super Succulents 259
Eyeing the many plusses that make succulents so easy to love 260
Discovering favorite low-growing succulents 260
Creating fun and fabulous vignettes 262
Displaying in containers 263
Shopping and planting tips 264
Caring for succulents 266
Examining the Containerized Landscape 267
Tapping into the joys of container gardening 267
Picking pots 268
Potting plants in containers 269
Working with thrillers, fillers, and spillers 271
Caring for potted plants 272
Chapter 16: Covering Lots of Ground 273
Getting a Fresh Start: Clearing the Way 274
Calling Groundcovers to the Rescue 276
Top groundcover choices for sun 277
Top groundcover choices for shade 278
Top groundcover choices for slopes 280
Top groundcover choices for wet areas 280
Top choices between paving stones 281
Shrubby plants to cover the ground 282
Planting groundcovers 283
Considering How Much Lawn You Need 285
Recognizing what having a lawn means 285
Choosing a lower-maintenance, lower-impact lawn 286
Putting In a New Lawn 287
Choosing grass types 287
Seeding your lawn 289
Installing sod 291
Watering efficiently 292
Buffering the borders 293
Part 4: Outside Factors You Can and Can’t Control 295
Chapter 17: Maintaining Your Landscape 297
Bettering Your Soil 297
Cultivating living soil 299
Putting your soil to the test 302
Adjusting soil pH 302
Incorporating amendments 303
Gardening with no-till methods 305
Composting 101: Making Black Gold 306
Step 1: Locate a suitable spot 307
Step 2: Get a bin 307
Step 3: Set up your compost pile 307
Step 4: Start making deposits 308
Step 5: Layer 308
Step 6: Stir it up 308
Step 7: Harvest from below 308
Feeding Your Plants — Which Type of Fertilizer to Use? 309
Finding out what they need 309
Figuring out the finer points of fertilizer 310
Deciding which choice is best: Going natural 313
Giving Your Plants a Trim — Pruning 101 314
Editing Your Landscape 315
Improving rather than replacing a plant 315
Knowing when take out a plant 316
Taking out a plant 317
Calling in a professional 317
Chapter 18: Dealing with Critters, Weeds, and Other Common Problems 319
Discovering Natural Pest Control 320
Avoid using pesticides 320
Know thy enemy 321
Be aware of the enemies of your enemy 321
Combat with care 322
Coping with Small Rodents 323
Dealing with Doe, a Deer 326
Choosing plants to deter deer 326
Trying home remedies 326
Considering anti-deer products 327
Fencing them out 327
Grappling with Weeds 328
Avoiding the biggest mistake 328
Patrolling, inspecting, and suspecting 329
Considering alternatives to spraying — Try natural weed control 330
Considering other ways to fight weeds 331
Handling Disease Problems 331
Preventing common diseases 331
Taking care of sick plants 332
Chapter 19: Coping with Mother Nature and Weather 333
Peeking at Zone Maps 333
Surviving Hot Summers 335
Surviving Cold Winters 336
Maximizing winter hardiness for plants 337
Identifying and mitigating winter plant injuries 337
Being proactive with other winter-protection tactics 340
Gardening in a Warmer World 341
Firescaping 342
Anticipating and recovering from flooding 343
Preparing for new plant choices and challenges 344
Part 5: Time to Add Flair to Your Landscape 345
Chapter 20: Contemplating Plans for Special Situations 347
Planting for Privacy 347
Deciduous plants for screening 349
Evergreen plants for screening 349
Adding a Low-Water Garden 349
Trees that require less water 350
Shrubby plants that require less water 350
Drought-tolerant flowers 351
Getting Ready for a Dip — around a Pool 352
Designing a Hillside Rock Garden 353
Small trees for a rock garden 354
Dwarf shrubs for a rock garden 354
Small perennials for a rock garden 355
Considering Shade When Gardening 355
Shade-loving plants 356
Chapter 21: Considering Theme Landscapes 363
Attracting and Nurturing Wild Creatures 364
Providing a Garden Space for Kids 366
Putting in a Kitchen Garden 367
Incorporating an Herb Garden 369
Establishing a Meadow Garden 370
Composing a Cottage Garden 372
Finding Your Meditation Area with a Retreat Garden 373
Making an Enchanting Evening Garden 374
Part 6: The Part of Tens 377
Chapter 22: Ten Ways to Make Your Surroundings Unique 379
Work on Your Front Yard 380
Reflect the Architecture of Your Home 380
Go Native 381
Coordinate with Neighbors 381
Design a Secret Garden 382
Bring the Inside Out 382
Have Fun with Accessories 383
Pick a Color Theme and Go For It! 383
Mix Ornamentals and Edibles 383
Add the Element of Sound 384
Chapter 23: Tens Ways to a Greener Landscape 385
Plant Trees for Shade 385
Compost 386
Wean from Garden Pesticides and Herbicides 386
Use Solar Lighting 387
Conserve Water 387
Match Plant Choices to Climate and Soil 387
Welcome/Tolerate Wildlife 388
Reduce or Eliminate Your Lawn 388
Use Tools That Don’t Require Fossil Fuel 388
Stay Away from Sphagnum Moss 389
Appendix A: Landscaping Resources 391
Reading for Ideas and Knowledge 391
Finding Specific Help 392
Exploring Learning Opportunities 393
Classes, lectures, presentations 393
Going to school for landscaping 394
Blogs, podcasts, websites 394
Viewing Other Gardens and Landscapes 395
Garden tours, near and far 396
Flower and garden shows 396
Appendix B: English-Metric Conversion Tables 397
Index 399
