5 comments about Pools & Spas: Ideas for Planning, Designing, and Landscaping.

1. There are a lot of pretty home design books out there that have very little information tucked between the pictures. This book is full of information but also has a number of handsome photos of pools, spas, and water gardens which will give you ideas if you are planning a custom designed pool or tub. It's a great resource for someone thinking of installing these features in their backyard, and it also touches on landscaping, lighting, and even sauans.



2. I borrowed this book from the library (too many pool books are not worth buying), and spent the rest of the night looking at it. Great photo examples of various types of pools that are described in detail, along with chapters on Safety, Design, Landscaping, Materials, etc... One of the best! (Same review as Pool & Spa Planner by Better Homes & Gardens, because they are both great books!)



3. We also borrowed this from the library, but found we didn't want to return it. We spent hours showing each other what pictures we really liked, got great tips on thhe issues the pool owner faces and have a real idea of what we need to consider. So, since we want to use this during the planning process, we bought it!



4. There are some good ideas and landscape ideas in this book for designing spas and pools. In the end I probably only spent 20 minutes in this book and didn't get a whole lot out of it. We spent a considerable amount of money on our pool but we live in Arizona and the landscape ideas didn't apply to this climate. Overall, lots of pretty pictures. 2 out of 5 stars.



5. We needed to rennovate a pool that we inherited with the purchase of our house last year. This book provided many insights into design, landscaping, decking and general useful information on owning a pool.

5 comments about Sunset Hillside Landscaping.

1. We bought a hillside property a few years ago and didn't know what to do to beautify our slope and make it more useful for gardening and outdoor living. This book gave us a lot of great ideas plus we tried some of the projects in it. The instructions were easy to understand and everything came out great. We really recommend the book!



2. I live in Southern California where there are hills galore. I thought the book showed very pretty pictures and has nice planting tips, but it wasn't very helpful for homeowneres like my husband and I who wanted to try and landscape ourselves. I also purchased a book called Inspirational Terracing which was able to help my husband and I really landscape our yard ourselves with instructions and wonderful ideas for any situation and the author built all the landscapes himself, using afordable stones that the average person can lift. The book has beautiful pictures and it was very useful. It made me wonder how Hillside Landscaping got all their pictures, I think anyone can drive around and take pictures of landscapes that other people have built and work hard to maintain and beautify and turn around and make money off of other peoples hard efforts. It seemed more like a magazine than a book,it had beautiful scenery but used only materials that top notch contractors with huge equiptment, charging heafty prices could pull off. These landscapes are not for the person with an average house, only the upper class, homeowners could never afford these landscapes and nearly all of them could never be attempted by the homeowner.



3. I was a flat-land gardener most of my life, and when we retired and moved to a house with a backyard that sloped steeply down to a small river, I needed ideas on how to landscape our new property.
   
   "Hillside Landscaping" is a sort of pillow book for gardeners. The majority of its beautiful photographs show landscapes that gardeners of modest means can only dream about. I used the book to point out photographs of steps and retaining walls that I liked to the local landscaping firm, then we'd have a good laugh about the price, and work out cheaper compromises. For instance, instead of stone steps I now have wooden stairs leading down to the river.
   
   Don't misunderstand me, though. There are some very good ideas in this book. For instance, we used the suggestion to zig-zag the stairs down the slope, both to make the climb a bit easier (the slope varies from about 1:6 to 1:2) and to make the journey to the river more interesting.
   
   This book is divided into five sections:
   
   * "Understanding your Terrain"--this section is very important, no matter how much money you plan to spend. It discusses types of hillsides (most especially the severity of the slope) , drainage considerations, and whether or not the landscape needs to be reshaped, e.g. terraced.
   
   * "Inspiring Ideas"--beautiful photographs of slopes, decks, patios, steps, retaining walls, water features, etc. with suggestions on placement, materials, and plantings.
   
   * "It's all in the planning"--a very useful chapter, including the ABCs of garden design, and the mechanics of plotting your property. One of this chapter's suggestions that we plan to implement is a 'dry creekbed' to drain water from our backyard slope.
   
   * "Building on slopes"--Many landscaping features such as fences are more challenging to build on a slope. This chapter explains what factors you need to consider when building or gardening on a slope. I learned NOT to pull up weeds and saplings from their downhill side, after yanking out a small alder, losing my balance, and tumbling over the dry-stone retaining wall and down the steps. It was a cheap way of conducting my own bone density scan, but I wouldn't recommend this procedure to anyone else! I was also very glad that we had decided to build the steps out of wood, not stone.
   
   * "Focusing on plants"--Erosion control. Erosion control. Erosion control. Figure out how you're going to work your beds. Use low-maintenance plants "if you want to avoid scrambling around your hillside to perform tasks such as weeding and pruning." There are suggestions on how to water on a slope--very important, and something I didn't think of when originally planning the beds.
   
   "Hillside Landscaping" is useful as well as beautiful and can be used by do-it-yourselfers as well as those of us who plan to hire the muscle to move the stones and build the steps.



4. Fantastic book. Great succinct overview. Provides clarification of what one can do.



5. I've lived with a problematic hillside on my property for many years. I finally hired a landscape designer to solve the problems. Before I signed the contract, I consulted HILLSIDE LANDSCAPING to be certain I was getting the best solution possible. I recommend this book to anyone with hillside gardening or erosion issues.

4 comments about Creating Beds and Borders: Creative Ideas from America's Best Gardeners (Fine Gardening Design Guides).

1. "Creating Beds and Borders" is a volume in the series of 'Fine Gardening' Design Guides issued by the Taunton Press. The book consists of separate articles by various contributors to 'Fine Gardening' magazine. Continuity is supplied by the subject matter, garden beds and borders.

   This book's articles are grouped into four sections: (1) Design Strategies; (2) Great Border Plants; (3) Special Techniques; (4) Garden Gallery. It begins with four articles on the design of island beds and borders. Plant selection and placement are the topics covered by the majority of the essays, along with techniques for starting and renovating perennial beds. Gardening in the shade, in bogs, and in Southeastern heat and humidity all receive special attention in section four.

   The one topic I felt could have used more coverage was flower bed edging techniques. One of the authors advocated a six inch by six inch trench to separate the bed from its surroundings. Another author, Sydney Eddison wrote an interesting article on "Good Looks Begin at the Edge," but she concentrates on edging plants, rather than on the physical separation of bed and lawn. Perhaps a future volume in the 'Fine Gardening' series will address the challenge of excluding the lawn from the flower bed (information I could certainly use).

   Because it discusses a technique we're currently experimenting with, my favorite article in "Creating Beds and Borders" is "Roses Enliven a Border" by Judith C. McKeon. Up until a few years ago, we segregated all of our roses into one bed, away from the other perennials (I don't remember why). However, McKeon advocates growing roses as specimens in a mixed border:

   "When shrub roses are grown as graceful specimens in the mixed border, they become part of its architecture, giving structure and a substantial backdrop for perennial companions. Like other ornamental deciduous shrubs, roses enhance the garden with the seasonal interest of their flowers, foliage texture and fruit displays."

   I would only disagree with McKeon's recommendation to use the old Alba rose, 'Konigin von Danemark' as part of a mixed border. Our specimen of 'the Queen' is a hefty seven-footer and she is absolutely covered with thorns. Even the thorns have thorns. If you plant one of these royal ladies in your border, you'll never work in there again unless you cover yourself in leather.

   'Konigin von Danemark' is a beautiful, raspberry-scented rose that could possibly be used as a deer hedge. For a mixed border, try other McKeon favorites such as 'The Fairy' or 'Gertrude Jekyll'.

   Color photographs grace almost every page of "Creating Beds and Borders". It is not organized as a reference book per se, but is a collection of beautifully illustrated and well-written essays for (most particularly) the American gardener.




2. Beds and borders are the heart of most gardens and finding new ideas for creating and improving them is always a treat. In this book Taunton Press has collected more than twenty of the best articles on the topic from its "Fine Gardening" magazine. They deal with issues such as design strategies, plants, techniques, and there is a special section on problem solving. Each article has a tiny photo and very brief bio of the writer so you get a sense of their background.

   The illustrations in these books, as in most Taunton books, are just gorgeous and the individual topics are well chosen. My favourite was "Lacing the Border with Beauty" which showed ways to lighten the border with lacy foliage and delicate flowers. The writer came up with ideas I'm dying to try, along with a list of lacy garden plants.

   Each article has a fresh approach, new ideas to solve problems such as a hot climate, wet soil, rocky soil and techniques for choosing and planting shrubs, perennials and annuals.

   The pleasure of books of collected articles is that you get a taste of many approaches without having to wade through thousands of words from any one writer, This lightness of touch, together with the careful selection of articles and first class illustrations make this book a delight.




3. Beds and borders are the heart of most gardens and finding new ideas for creating and improving them is always a treat. In this book Taunton Press has collected more than twenty of the best articles on the topic from its "Fine Gardening" magazine. They deal with issues such as design strategies, plants, techniques, and there is a special section on problem solving. Each article has a tiny photo and very brief bio of the writer so you get a sense of their background.

   The illustrations in these books, as in most Taunton books, are just gorgeous and the individual topics are well chosen. My favourite was "Lacing the Border with Beauty" which showed ways to lighten the border with lacy foliage and delicate flowers. The writer came up with ideas I'm dying to try, along with a list of lacy garden plants.

   Each article has a fresh approach, new ideas to solve problems such as a hot climate, wet soil, rocky soil and techniques for choosing and planting shrubs, perennials and annuals.

   The pleasure of books of collected articles is that you get a taste of many approaches without having to wade through thousands of words from any one writer, This lightness of touch, together with the careful selection of articles and first class illustrations make this book a delight.




4. I admit it, I know nothing about gardening. I just figured out the difference between an annual and a perennial. This book is amazing. It's simple and easy to use. The book is mostly pictures but there's also descriptions of what plants are included in the pictures. You can also learn how to draw bed layouts. If you're new to gardening, pick this one up for some great idea.

5 comments about Stonework: Techniques and Projects.

1. Wonderful black & white pictures of stone walls, stone arches, stone bridges and sundry projects. The author makes much of ancient Scot stone work. There are a lot of nice pen drawings used for 'step by step' construction programs. There are many, many suggestions regarding stone choice and stone placement. These comments are the best feature of the book. Finally, there are a few pages on handling large stones with hydraulic booms, pick-up trucks and front-loaders. These suggestions are not going to be found in many books.
   
   There isn't much said about hand power-tool options, nor stone shaping. There are few 'construction tips'. For example, the details of mixing motar specific to your job are only broadly discussed and there are no aids for determining correct mortar wetness. There are no 'good' and 'bad' stone arrangements to illustrate stone arrangement tricks. If you are looking for a 'first project' guide, the Black & Decker 'Stonework & Masonry projects' book offers more assistance. If you've got a few walls completed and want to take the next step towards being a mason, this is your book.
   
   Table of Contents:
   Intro: Why stone?
   Part 1: Working with stone
   Chapter 1: Types of Stone
   Chapter 2: Sources of Stone
   Chapter 3: Handling Stone
   Chapter 4: Selecting Stone for a Project
   Chapter 5: Cutting and Shaping Stone
   Part 2: Stonework Projects
   Chapter 6: Basic and Inspired (curving) walls
   Chapter 7: Retaining walls
   Chapter 8: Entryways
   Chapter 9: Stone steps
   Chapter 10: Stone Projects for backyard and beyond (bbq, birdbath, sculpture, walkway, etc.)
   Chapter 11: Stone Bridges
   Chapter 12: Stone in Interior Spaces



2. If your looking for a book about stone masonry in general, this will give you a great primer for authentic stone masonry. He details some basic projects and gives you a great detailed how to. I was looking for something a little more advanced but I wished I had a resource like this when I was first starting out. Don't know if I agree with his technique for drystone retaining walls. He says start skinny and step back, I am a hard headed Irishman who believes that your wall should be just as wide at the base as it is tall. I will have to do some more research.
   
   Good read, very useful for beginners



3. Chuck will keep you smiling as your read his books. They contain plenty of humorous stories while they display the stone arts. There are better guides but you should read as many as possible: you'll need it.
   
   Stone work is the hardest task you'll probably ever do in your life. If your project is big, it seems to never end and you'll doubt you'll ever finish. One rock can take 2 hours to lay whereas if all goes well, you can lay 5 in an hour. So, if you are interested in stone work, I'd advise to start small on the first few projects. This book is a good guide to helping you along the way.



4. I really like the detail that this book has, as well as the fabulous pictures. The pictures not only of works in progress, but beautiful, finished works as well, often demonstrating the technique being presented. Thanks for a wonderful resource.



5. this books is a good intro to the fundamentals of stone working. there are a lot of great pictures and illustrated diagrams. it's only drawback in my opinion is that it's all in black and white. If you don't already own it, mcraven's "stone primer" is a wonderful read and superior in production quality.

5 comments about Bonsai Survival Manual: Tree-by-Tree Guide to Buying, Maintaining, and Problem Solving.

1. Nice book. Details many trees. Could be a bit more on styling.



2. Dear Mr. Lewis,
   THANK YOU SIR for writing this fabulous little book. See, like many other unnamed persons in this world, I threw away over $300.00 on my first Bonsai attempt at peace and serenity in my home. After many long deep breaths and twinges of * I must be insane to try this again*, I did order two new bonsai-who were every bit as scared of me as I was of them. But see, now Mr. Lewis, I "get it". You have given the Holy Grail, if you will to keep these little buggers alive and flourishing! Never again will I keep my beloved trees too close to a window to burn, or to near a furnace to suffer. No sir, in fact, thanks to your book I know exactly when to water, when to fertilize, and when to remember to breathe and just enjoy the beauty of owning bonsai. I have read dozens of books that were nothing more than pretty pictures, but what I really needed was someone to tell me what NOT to do. There is no better book for a bonsai beginner. I didn't need a book to show me the fine details of repotting or bending delicate bonsai limbs - I simply needed a band-aid to help me get them started in the first place. The Bonsai Survival Manual is worth its weight in gold. Now my little trees won't be so scared of me when they see me pick up all my fancy tools and pretend to "prune". (I can at least pretend for now)



3. The book is mainly geared for somebody who purchased a Bonsai and is wanting to maintain it and maybe make it a little better. It doesn't have much information on how to train and style a bonsai. The information on how to care for all the different kinds of trees is more than worth the price of the book. I find myself referring back to this book frequently.



4. This is a very good book to learn about individual species. This book has profiles 50 species of bonsais. It includes out door bonsais and indoor bonsais. Each profile is two pages. It includes one or two pictures, an older bonsai and a younger bonsai. It gives a description of the bonsai, which includes the history and where it is grown, along with a lot of helpful information on growing and caring for each bonsai. It has a chart for each bonsai with includes light, water, temperature, soil and a few other things. The information about each bonsai is very interesting and helpful. Many bonsai books don't give you much information on individual species and their needs. It is very important to know what a bonsai needs before you decide on a bonsai. You need to know if you can meet the needs of a bonsai.
   
   At the beginning of the book there is general information on bonsais, buying, care, plus trimming, pruning, repotting, root pruning, shaping with wire etc. This is good information and the pictures are detail, but it is not exceptional. There are better books on the care and training of bonsais. But the book is well worth getting for the information it gives you on the individual bonsais.



5. This is an excellent basics book and would rate it 5 stars if that is what you are looking for. I give it 4 stars because it gives one enough information to be dangerous but not enough to certain . Example: Using fungicides and pesticides. Certain trees Maples for instance, are very sensitive and be harmed using chemicals they recommend are safe for most trees. Define most!! An excellent starter basics book just not the only book one should use in my view.

5 comments about The Complete Book of Bonsai.

1. A great way to see many different examples of well done bonsai. Excellent inspiration for beginners.



2. This book is really nice the presentation is awesome it looks like a collection book it has a hardcover protector and the information is very usefull nice pics and good tips for begginers and medium masters it`s a must have book i recomend it 100%



3. When I received a bonsai tree for mother's day, I was determined not to kill it like I had done with a previous bonsai. After researching 7 or 8 books at the library, and several more at local book stores, this one stood out as positively the best one out there. It offers full-color pictures of over 100 different species plus growing, watering, pruning, propagation, and other tips for each kind of tree. There are step-by-step instructions for growing bonsai from seeds, cuttings, and several other techniques such as grafting are included. This has been the most helpful book out there, and my trees, including several I bought, pruned, and potted myself, are flourishing! This is a wonderful book for any bonsai lover, or even just as a beautiful centerpiece for your library. Happy gardening!



4. Great photos but lacking detailed information. Wonderful, I think, if you're a beginner. I was hoping for more.



5. If you are just getting started in Bonsai and could only buy one book this book will give you everything you need to know for a long time.
   
   This book has a nice section on the art of bonsai; it has beautiful pictures and good information, including pictures of bonsais in every season. The next section is on creating a bonsai. This includes style and containers; it shows in detail how to prepare a pot before planting. It has pictures and descriptions of all the tools that are used in bonsai, plus it has pictures and descriptions on how to use each tool. Excellent for beginners.
   
   This book gives many methods of creating a bonsai. It shows before and after pictures and many pictures of the author actually doing it. Along with each picture there is good descriptions of what he is doing. This first section of the book is very good for anyone getting started.
   
   The next section is a species guide to over 60 species. There are one to two pages on each tree. It has at least one picture for each species, plus an up close picture of the leaf. There is a description, cultivation information and additional points of interest for each species. This section has beautiful pictures and valuable information for both indoors and out door bonsais. I think this section is good for everyone. It is good to know what a bonsai requires before you get it.
   
   At the end of this book there is a list of over 300 trees and shrubs suitable for cultivation as bonsai. There is a description and cultivation information for each entry.
   
   This book is excellent, the text, the photographs and the captions combine make this a very easy to understand guidebook and a good reference book. I recommend this book very highly.

5 comments about The New Ecological Home: A Complete Guide to Green Building Options (Chelsea Green Guides for Homeowners).

1. This book was a little bit hard to understand, especially if you are not knowledgable on the subject. I would recommend something more clear and easier to read.



2. Author Dan Chiras has produced a series of amazing books on green building, including The Natural House, The Solar House, Superbia!, and The Natural Plaster Book. His books are extremely well written, well organized, comprehensive, and extremely well illustrated. He's truly one of the best, if not the best, writer in the green building field.
   
   The New Ecological Home is no exception. In fact, I think it is one of the best books he has written. Although the cover is pretty drab, the book is a beauty inside. The book is engaging, easy to read, and full of interesting and helpful information that will assist those who want to explore the many options for building homes that are good for people, the planet, and the economy. This book should be read by all who are considering building a new home as well as those who are thinking about remodeling their homes. It is also a valuable resource for architects, builders, and students of architecture. Adding to its value, this book has a detailed resource guide that adds considerably to its value.



3. During the planning phase of building our first home, this book was very helpful. We liked the emphasis right at the start on site selection -- what to look for in everything from the overall community to aspects of the land itself and how to environmentally protect that land during construction. A comparison checklist for assessing lots is included. Even though ours will not be a "natural House" (rammed earth, straw bale, etc.) and though those types of construction are covered, there was plenty of solid information on building a more energy efficient, and less wasteful, home of wood and concrete. Also included are chapters on design, using green and non- or less toxic materials, sustainable approaches to water and waste, environmental landscaping, and enery-efficient design, heating, and cooling. As this will be a retirement home, we especially appreciated the chapter on accessiblilty and ergonomic design.



4. This book could very easily serve as a textbook for a green building course. It's not a coffee table book - the photos are small, and black and white - but very useful in supporting the text. This is a serious book about alternative building written by and about a group of people who have been creatively, responsibly, thoughtfully building for a very long time. It's a good choice for builders who want to learn more about sustainability, students who want to go into the field, or homeowners who are looking to build. It's not so much glitzy and inspirational as it is informative and useful: comprehensive from site selection and design through building options and techniques, to landscaping, it also contains a great resource guide.



5. Having been the first of it's kind I have read, this book is well-organized and readable. It seems good for the person brainstorming on what steps to take in the design of their eco-home. For more specific information to carry out the tasks, I would suggest other resources.

1 comments about Italian Villas and Their Gardens: The Original 1904 Edition.

1. My sister read about this book in a recent magazine and we are totally delighted to see that it was available as a reprint from the original plates. Maxfield Parrish, the painter, did the illustrations and they are wonderful in their dreamlike qualities. And the prose by Ms Wharton are flowing and typical of the turn of the last century.
   
   I would recommend this book as a coffe table book, a piece of art and a conversation piece all in one.

5 comments about Backyard Idea Book: Outdoor Kitchens Fireplaces Sheds & Storage Play Spaces Pools & Spa (Idea Books).

1. I haven't finished reading it yet but so far love it. It has many photos along with a paragraph about why/how this works - the type of landscape and things to make sure you do/don't do. I am buying a copy for my sister for xmas.



2. This book has excellent photo's of backyard ideas. It is a great book if you are just looking for ideas. I had expected a book with a little "how-to" mixed in.



3. I'm satisfied. More than enough pictures with detailed analysis for each. There is nothing missing.



4. This is a wonderful book with beautiful photos and great ideas. It is not a how to book, but it does inspire!



5. The book clearly states that it is a 'Backyard Idea' book, not a how to or a design book. So for the 2 star review before, it is just plain silly. However, this is a great book if you like to sit back and dream ideas for your backyard. It has some ideas that may be out of reach financially for some, but it also has some budget tight ideas as well. And you can create a combo of both if you'd like! I love designing my own backyard landscapes and this book certainly adds to even more ideas. Recommended for those who sit in their yards dreaming what they can do to make them fun and relaxing.

2 comments about Gardening Indoors with Soil & Hydroponics.

1. After seven years of purchasing books here, this is my first review. I think so highly of this book I had to write a review. High quality product, and information. This book may not have enough meat for a graduate student to use but certainaly the greenhouse owner or gardenstore worker will benefit greatly. Nice depth in wide array of topics. Good full color photographs used liberally throughout the book. Very best information available on lighting in the greenhouse or indoor applications. I have read a full dozen books on hydroponics, and greenhouse operations for the home grower or small farm. This is the best. If you need one book this is it.



2. I have done a great purchase. This book is full of detailed explanations and very useful information, based on scientific facts but with understandable words (I must say I'm not English spoken). Great, Great, Great.