New Better Homes and Gardens Step-By-Step Landscaping: Planning, Planting, Building Paperback
A complete step-by-step guide to landscaping, including 550 full-color photographs and more than 200 illustrations to help readers design structures and fit them--along with plans--into an overall landscape. Also includes plant selection charts and advice on maintaining landscape structures and plants.
From a Review "This book walks you through the processes of landscaping, from planning to installation, in a very readable, understandable and enjoyable manner. As a landscape designer, I'm always searching for references of any type to use when creating "yard spaces" and presenting those ideas to my customers. With books, I'm usually disappointed either with the graphic and/or written content regarding the details of landscaping, particularly those publications sold at the Home Depots et al. This was different. Technical to the point that's necessary and not too "flowery" in it's narrative, it just provides well written ideas and executions for many landscaping tasks.
The illustrations & photography in many books I've seen work OK but give the books an "old" feel, because, in many cases, they are old in date and style. With few exceptions, the artwork and landscape "styling" in this book appear current and appropriate. That made it a more believable book too.
All said and done, this book is an excellent value for those seeking general-to-semi-technical information for a wide variety of landscaping tasks. With its emphasis on extensive and educated planning, this book is an asset to the homeowner and the landscape professional alike. In my opinion, one of the book's greatest achievements may be that homeowners, after reading it, can decide better whether to tackle a project themselves or work with professionals."