4 comments about Vegetable Gardening: From Planting to Picking - The Complete Guide to Creating a Bountiful Garden.

1. I've checked out most vegetable gardening books at the local library and used the extension service materials, but this is the best general guide I've seen. Each vegetable and common herb gets its own page with how to plant, maintaing harvest and treat common problems. There are organic methods side by side with nonorganic methods to let the reader choose instance by instance. Each page has an illustration or actual photograph. Where appropriate information on growing in different hardiness zones is included. There are also step by step instructions on planing, preparing the ground, sowing and planting, making your garden grow (watering, feedings, weeding, pests diseases, harvest and storage, and lastly pages for each vegetable as grouped into sections such as herbs, root and stem crops etc. I checked this out from the library but decided to buy it after realzing how useful it will be in my house as a reference.



2. I received this gorgeous book last Christmas and have since read through it so many times it's getting dog-eared! It's not only a comprehensive volume, covering everything from salsify to celeriac and kolhrabi to tomatoes, peppers, and lettuce, but it also gives excellent tips on how to set up your garden, when to harvest, and how to store your vegetables. It's arranged in a very user-friendly way, with tips and tricks and reccommended varieties on the side and loads of photographs. In fact, the full-color pictures are so incredibly gorgeous that this could be a coffee table book! Do yourself or the gardener in your life (amateur or otherwise) a favor and pick this up!!



3. I found this book to be very helpful and a great read. I really like the way it is organized and illustrated, the pictures are beautiful and informative. The authors took the time to make the book accessable for those who may not be fully acquainted with the art of veggie gardening...
   
   overall it is a worthwhile buy.



4. I bought this book for my son who is a beginning gardner. He has reviewed it and says it will be very helpful with his garden next spring.

5 comments about Weedless Gardening.

1. The mental factors brought forth through this book will certainly help gardners all but stop weeding.
   Using the info in this book, I have all but eliminated weeding so far by placing 4 sheets of newspaper down before I build my rows.
   My weeding time has been cut down to 10 minutes or less daily in my 46' X 35' garden. I also use the same between rows with cardboard boxes cut to fit my walking needs, which has all but eliminated weeds or grass between rows.
   Try the book if you want to save yourself a lot of weeding this spring, summer and fall.



2. Having started my gardening life in the John Jeavon's double-digging school, it took me awhile to accept and implement the approach described so well in this book. Other reviewers have lauded the book and its benefits. I would like to add one that has really changed how I garden and how my garden looks. I used to rip out my large So-Cal vegetable garden completely twice a year, digging in the compost and amendments in one big push and starting fresh. With Reich's methods I can stagger my prep and planting in a way that spreads the work out, and makes the garden more beautiful. Winter flowers that aren't quite done can be easily left in while you plant the summer veggies around them. My newest bed, which was done with his newspaper method over a nasty lawn, is flourishing.



3. Doubtless there are some good suggestions in this book, e.g. the chapter on drip irrigation. However, if your garden area is infested with nut-grass (Cyperus rotundus) you can forget about the method the author propounds. I covered my garden area not with newspaper but with cardboard boxes, broken down and laid flat. That was four months ago. The nut-grass wasn't even fazed; it punched right through the cardboard and the 4" of mulch on top of it like those impediments weren't even there. I'm sure this method works on "kinder, gentler" weeds, but in my context the "weedless" thesis is useless.



4. I bought this book because from the write-up I read it sounded like he might have some new ideas. There really isn't much. If you already practice no-dig or low-dig gardening and mulch your beds I wouldn't bother. However, the information in this book is very basic and easily digestible for the novice gardener.
   
   There were a few things I though were lacking for the novice even. One was dealing rocky soils if you want tor grow root crops. He says if you have ledge you should make a raised bed. No kidding. However, many of us are between the extremes of growing on ledge or in the silty soil the author has. In the northeast pebbles, stones, rocks and boulders abound, and growing root crops directly into a rocky soil yields some pretty interesting results. Especially if you start your root garden over a boulder you didn't know was right beneath the surface. :-)
   
   All in all a good book for the beginner, but if you're a more experienced gardener and you're really curious I would check it out of the library, or better yet sit at the library and read it -- it took me less than 3 hours to read it from cover to cover.



5. I came across Lee Reich's book a few years ago in our local library (I've since purchased it to keep on hand). Since I was knee deep in weeds at the time the title intrigued me. At the time it was mid summer and my garden, as usual, was an example of spring time work gone awry.
   
   Each year, I dilligently tilled and rowed my garden as my father and his father had done, arranged the sprinklers, planted the best plants, staked the beans, caged the tomatoes and planned how this year I was going to have a TV worthy garden. Then May turned to June, to July and 98 degrees and 98% humidity stopped my outdoor adventures. I only went to the garden to harvest the results, which were rapidly disappearing under a malaise of weeds, bugs, and diseases. So once again by summer time the garden had become an unsightly eye sore rather than the picture of pride I had foolishly envisioned while reading over the seed catalogue. If only I didn't have a real job, and kids, and a to do list a mile long, I could spend my days toiling away in the garden to get one of those "fake" TV gardens that obviously cannot be produced by mere mortals.
   
   After skimming through the book I began to get excited. I really didn't expect much from the book but the concepts made a certain sense and if they worked, maybe I could actually improve my garden.
   
   Three years into this experiment, I can say that I look forward to gardening more now than ever. What used to be a chore is now a pleasant break from my routine and a source of pride to visitors. While no garden is truly weedless, it is much easier to stay ahead of the weeds using Lee's approach. It also fits much better into the rest of what I do. I used to have to figure out where to get rid of the grass clippings all year, and the mulch/chips from tree removal and land clearing. Now, my 1000 square foot garden consumes as much material as I can throw at it. My grass, my neigbors grass, my mothers grass, leaves, kitchen scraps, etc, most of which people are glad to have a place to dump, all go into my garden.
   
   I have not followed all the recommendations of Mr. Reich. I'm currently experimenting with composting in my overly large walkways (48 inch) rather than composting in a seperate compost bin. It cuts my yield but pleases the wife since there is no large ugly bin in the yard, and no turning of the compost. (My chickens turn it for me, while adding their own brand of nitrogen.)
   
   As with most garden books, the first half is dedicated to the topic at hand, the second half is a glossary of gardening topics, plant varieties, tools, and techniques/tips which are common to most any gardening book. This is often viewed as a "filler" in many books, a way to justify the price for the now larger book. This book has many such items in it's second half but all that I have read are specific to the no till, weedless method and are not simply added ad hoc from another source for filler.
   
   Again, three years into this experiment, I'd can honestly say I'd never go back to the till method.

No comments about Edible: An Illustrated Guide to the World's Food Plants.

5 comments about The New Urbanism: Toward an Architecture of Community.

1. This is a good book about bad ideas which-because of their influence-simply must be read. The problems with New Urbanism stem from five implicit premises it shares with other approaches to city planning. Consider them in turn.

   1. The same design approach is appropriate for both cities and suburbs.

   Peter Calethorpe claims the application of urban design principles "regardless of location: in suburbs and new growth areas as well as within the city" is a "simple but unique contribution of this movement." City planning, however, has often applied suburban principles-such as buildings as islands in a sea of grass-in both cities and suburbs. New and old share the underlying belief that the design problem of cities and suburbs is similar. Yet 40 years ago, Jane Jacobs showed us that cities were places where people had to feel safe amidst strangers, which fundamentally distinguished them from suburbs and small towns. The result when premise meets reality is laughable.

   For example, the chapter on the upscale, private golf community of Windsor, FL devotes four full pages to the castle-like entrance building where visitors must pass a security checkpoint. Perimeter walls form an important design element of South Brentwood Village, CA. The text and captions don't mention them, but they show clearly in the illustrations. Unless New Urbanism's model is the medieval walled city, it is hard to see these as urban.

   2. Community is primarily a matter of buildings and their arrangement.

   Those who have not received years of professional training easily fall into the trap that community has to do with people. Planners know better. Community is about buildings and the spaces they enclose. The planners' view is most apparent in the illustrations they choose. Seaside, FL's chapter is typical. Seaside requires front porches, because they supposedly encourage sociability. Seaside's front porches appear in 17 photos. Exactly one porch is in use. Of the six photos showing Seaside's public pavilions and gazebos, but one is in use. The photo of the pedestrian-friendly sand walkway is empty. The planners are proud of their porches, pavilions, paths and gazebos. They constitute "community." Who needs people?

   3. Appearance is more important than functionality.

   Planners design and evaluate with primary reference to aesthetic standards. The design must work at some level, but that limits rather than drives what the planner does.

   For example, the proposed conference center entrance in Montreal is a grand staircase, but it is hard to imagine anyone using it except joggers seeking a challenging exercise regimen. A large stair is also proposed for a park in Communications Hill, CA, not to get up and down, but to "terminate the view from a nearby street."

   The plan for part of Brooklyn, NY, shows a seven block length of Atlantic Avenue taken up by five buildings with nearly identical facades, three one-block long, and two two-blocks long, blocking two cross streets. The centerpiece of this stretch? A two-block-long parking garage. Does anyone really believe vibrant street life could exist here?

   4. Inside the boundary, plan. Outside, ignore or conquer.

   A convention of the planning field concerns how the area surrounding that planned for is portrayed in plans and renderings. Of course, the planner's work is always shown in living color and full detail. Two basic approaches are followed in showing surroundings. In one, surroundings are simply left out, as if the planned area were a space station, or the sole settlement on a virgin continent. In the second, surroundings appear in monochromatic outline, making the viewer aware there is a context, but giving little information about it. Whether this convention is cause, effect, or coincidence, what is clear is that it strongly parallels planners' values and thought process.

   This premise can be seen in action in what is perhaps the worst single design feature in the book. A "major goal" for the Clinton area of New York City was preservation of the few remaining low-rise buildings, including a corner gas station. To the planner, this meant the gas station was "outside" the planning area. Not content with surrounding it with an eight-story building taking the rest of the block along both street frontages, the planner proposed building a canopy on air rights over the gas station, thus engulfing it, amoeba style. Such bizarre design makes sense only when one starts from the planner's premise that what is outside the plan is at best something to be ignored, and at worst an obstacle to be overcome.

   5. Give planners complete control. They know best.

   The desire of planners for complete control is evident from the opening essays, where the wants and ideas of "businesses and public officials" are referred to as "hurdles," and the changes a planner makes to incorporate others' ideas are called "accommodations" and "compromises." Examples of building codes to limit architects and builders to the planners' vision grace several chapters. The pinnacle of control is achieved in Mashpee Commons, MA, where the developer retained ownership of streets to avoid zoning setback requirements.

   The premise that we would all be better off if we would just do what the planners want stems from their deep seated belief that they know best. I hope it is apparent by now that this hubris has no basis in ability or performance.

   As horrifying as these five premises are, it hasn't stopped New Urbanist planners from getting plenty of work, and in many cases getting their plans built. For suburban developers trying to create a simulacrum of pre-WWII, small-town America ala Disneyland's Main Street, the New Urbanism is probably harmless. For cities, the stakes are considerably higher. Cities have already suffered immensely at the hands of planners, and in their current state can hardly afford another round of arrogant ignorance. New Urbanist planners have already been to work on New York, Los Angeles, and Montreal. Read this book before they come to a city near you.




2. The basic principles presented in this book are the stuff that dreams are made of. I have shared the ideas presented in this book with many of my friends and they all want to live in communities such as this. We've been strip-malled, mega-malled and automobilized to near-death. New Urbanism as presented here is like a million breaths of fresh air.

   It is best to read the basic principles presented in the front of the book first. It may look like dry reading at first but as you get into it, your interest will be piqued at first, then grabbed, and you won't want to put it down till you've read it all. Having read this part you will be armed with the knowledge that, to date, no development or developer has had the guts to follow the principles completely. All of the projects presented include some elements of New Urbanism but none of them have it right. One of the other customer reviewers of this book, Ken Wing, missed this entirely. Hey Ken, there is no people in the Seaside pictures because they want the reader to see the architecture! Those who don't get it, or are afraid of change, tend to trivialze New Urbanism and mis-represent it.

   Once you have read this book, you, like myself will want to immediately pack up and move to a New Urbanist community. Better ones are coming out of the ground each year and I hope to see one near me real soon.




3. A very good appraisal of design examples of new communities with also a consistent theoretical approach to New Urbanism concepts. This is a necessary reading to those that want to be updated with the best design practices of integrated urban spaces.



4. I have only had the book a day and already it has given me great pleasure and joy. I love the fantastic pictures and diagrams. The computer digitalizations on a few existing towns today and what they could be like were truely fasinating. I couldn't help not liking the indepth descriptions of numourous cities, towns, and villages from around the country and canada as well. This book had colorful photos and diagrams, this book to me is pure genus!



5. I grew up in what new urbanists would probably call a paradise. It was a real community in which neighbours were really neighbours. People did sit on their verandahs and converse with their neighbours on the street. There was an understanding that one could borrow things if the owner wasn't using them. It was considered polite to tell the owner if he was there but if he was away one could just borrow the thing and tell him when he came home if one was still using it. In short it was everything new urbanism wants. This was in a moderately large city in Canada.

   There were two things wrong with this paradise:

   a) it was not about verandahs, facing the street etc. It was about control and conformity. The neighbourhood protected itself by frowning on unexpected behavior. There was an expected range of interests and an expected range of activity. If someone went out of this range, one could expect social sanctions unfailingly. The dark side of Jacobs 'eyes-on-the-street' is Foucault's 'gaze.' The neighbourhood worked as an exercise in power. The verandahs and street life were instruments of that power. Heaven help anyone who had non-standard interests.

   b) the neighbourhood was unsustaining. With the growth of the personal rights ethos, the ability of the neighbourhood to control its inhabitants fell away. No longer could the neighbourhood fathers take action to control petty teenage misbehaviour. Instead personal rights and social policy took these controls away from the neighbourhood and gave them to government agencies. As a result the neighbourhood is now perhaps not unsafe but definitely uncomfortable. No one leaves tools or equipment out now in case a neighbour needs to borrow it. Everything is locked up. The doors are firmly closed and neighbours now complain to the police instead of discussing thier joint problems.

   New urbanism seems to miss this point. Neighbourhoods are about local power. For some people this produces a comfortable paradise. For those slightly different it creates a jail of conformity. Some people thrive in it. Some peole will be stifled. Neighboourhoods are an exercise in hopefully beneficent control. Architecture does not create this control. It can destroy it certainly and make it impossible but it cannot create it.

5 comments about The Fence Bible: How to plan, install, and build fences and gates to meet every home style and property need, no matter what size your yard..

1. The author (Jeff Beneke) has a nice way of explaining options in a approachable and casual manner making the project of designing/building a fence and/or gate much more fun. This book is very complete in it's review of latches, hinges, fence options for consideration along with beatiful photography and sketchs to illustrate ideas or concepts.
   Even the guys at our local fence supply company where we bought our materials were impressed with this book when I used it to reference a particular piece of hardware.



2. This book has lots and lots of pretty pictures of fences that are not explained or detailed. There is decent information about rock walls, but otherwise this book really lacks in the substance needed to build fences.



3. I couldn't disagree more with the review from "GloverEggs". I borrowed this book from my library to build my first fence, and not only did it provide ample guidance on the 6' wood fence I needed at the time, but it also inspired me to think about using fences in different ways. Beneke has a great writing style, very easy to follow, interesting ancillary information. Most home "how-to" books I have read are written solely for instructional purposes; this one is not only useful, but interesting in its own right.



4. We were looking for a good basic idea book on fence styles and types. "The Fence Bible" fit the bill. It is loaded with illustrations and "how-to" information on every kind of fence and/or barrier you can imagine. A reference any homeowner with a garden or yard would be happy to have. Highly recommended if you're starting from square one on any fence project.



5. I didn't find this book to be especially strong in any area. If you are familiar with the "Better Homes & Gardens" style of "how to" book then you know what to expect from this book. The editors provided an overview of all aspects of fence building without really setting a good foundation for building any fence. After reading this book you will be better equiped to discuss a new fence with a fencing contractor and if that's what your after, this could be your book.

No comments about Plant-Driven Design: Creating Gardens That Honor Plants, Place, and Spirit.

5 comments about Daddy's Ties.

1. I am probably like most of the people who are searching for a book like this, I want to make something useful, beautiful, practical, etc. from the numerous ties that the men in my life are no longer using (for various reasons- changing tastes, or fashion, just plain worn-out, or becuase they have passed away.) I found this book to be wanting in the areas of my greatest interest. It seemed like too much emphasis was placed on acquiring ties, like how to word a classified ad, and where to look at thrift shops. I wanted some more guidance in the actual assembly of the projects, and this book just didn't provide that.
   I also have to admit I was a bit put off by the photo of the author displaying her 'creations' she gave the me impression of a gypsy. The items she made are not attractive, and not at all what I was looking for. I wanted a book that would show me how to assemble the ties into a pretty wall hanging, pillow or quilt, not a funky hat or vest and skirt.



2. I really liked the book. Not only did it give me good ideas, it also included patterns that I could use. All of the instructions are easy to understand. I am not a crafty person but wanted to make something for my kids from their dad's ties for christmas. This book has so many good idea's that I am having a hard time trying to figure out what one to do. I may just have to keep doing projects until I run out of ties.



3. A treasure trove for anyone who is looking for ideas to use those old ties hanging in the closet or hiding somewhere in a dresser drawer.
   
   Whether the ties are a memory of a persons lifetime, or tucked away in a box in the attic or just having too many; this 96 page book with its color illustrations, simplistic and step-by-step instruction is excellent and a must have for those seeking wonderful and illustrative patterns.
   
   Instructions on how to use the ties in this book has a myriad of ideas and is welcomed and definitely worth its weight in gold.
   
   Thank you Shirley Botsford for your insightful book.
   
   Carl



4. This is a well written craft book that gives plenty of ideas for using ties in crafts. My father recently passed away and he had many ties. Using this book I can make something for myself, my sister and brother using his ties as a remembrance.



5. This book is wonderful. I wish I had it when my dad passed away then I would have known to keep all of his ties. It has some wonderful quilt and craft ideas that are very stylish using men's ties.

2 comments about Foods Jesus Ate and How to Grow Them.

1. This book was a very pleasant surprise. Not only does it have wonderful pictures and illustrations, the content is very comprehensive and informative. I am very happy with this purchase.



2. This book Had excellant information on the plants grown and eaten in Jesus' time however, do not let it lead you astray, people trying to follow God's instructions for health; in the book are recipes for foods God deemed unclean, those being pork, shell fish and other animals listed in Leviticus 11. Don't be lead astray by the false teaching that Jesus made these foods clean (he was Jewish and only ate clean food and tells his followers to walk as he walked). If you yourself don't have the ability to figure this out from reading the scripture (Old Testament and New Testament), you should also buy the book Holy Cow! by Hope Egan who does an excellant job breaking through false teaching of Christens and Jewish and shines light on Gods intended plan for our eating habits and many other things. May God be with you on your journey to a healthier and more spiritual lifestyle.

5 comments about The Cannabis Breeder's Bible: The Definitive Guide to Marijuana Genetics, Cannabis Botany and Creating Strains for the Seed Market.

1. To have gone through this book and come out the other side is a profound experience, like some sort of a futuristic biology class that specialized in the stuff that gets you best baked. I would not hesitate to force any kind of plant lover to gravitate towards this book like it was about a rose bush or an apple tree. It is a progressively deeper and meaningful insight into the world of plants and the humans who care for them. On one page we are getting an illustrated history of the evolution of the cannabis plant and on the next page how to use materials to enhance the genes that make flowers big like they where back in the prehistoric ages. It is unparalleled in the way its advanced scientific information is brought out in a practical and applicable manner to your grow. The best part is that we can have it all now. The fact that Greg Green is a cotemporary makes now the best time to repeat what he is advising because you can do it the same way with the same stuff. The evidence is in the book. Nowhere else, anywhere else, has anything, even remotely addressed the kind of topics in this book, let alone experiment and produce consistent results with them. This kind of detail is avant-garde marijuana research. It is influencing and changing the way cannabis cultivation is done on daily bases.
   
   Chapter 1: Overview of the Cannabis Strain Market
   Chapter 2: Basic Breeding
   Chapter 3: Donor Parents, Pollination and Seeds
   Chapter 4: Compatible Breeding Models
   Chapter 5: Plant Cells, Growth and Hormones
   Chapter 6: The Code of Life
   Chapter 7: Evolution and Mutations
   Chapter 8: Tissue Culture
   Chapter 9: What the Market Wants
   Chapter 10: Quarantining Foreign Cuttings
   Chapter 11: Breeding Talk
   Chapter 12: How to Protect Your Work
   Chapter 13: The Breeding lab
   Chapter 14: Product Testing and Dealing with the Consumer
   Chapter 15: Seed Gender, Plant Gender and Sex-Inherited Traits
   Chapter 16: The Effects of Chromosome Modifications In Cannabis
   Chapter 17: The Evolutionary Conduit of Dioecious Cannabis Plants on the Outcome of Inbreeding Depression with Cannabis
   Chapter 18: Cannabis Plant Morphology and Breeding Traits
   Chapter 19: Advanced Floral Traits
   Chapter 20: Advanced Breeding Principles
   Chapter 21: The Basics of Cannabis Photosynthesis Chemistry
   Chapter 22: The Scientific Classification of Cannabis, Cannabinoids and Cannabinoid Receptors
   Chapter 23: Force Flowering Concepts and a Correct Approach to Calyx Development
   
   It is thanks to fresh new invigorating material like this that we are finally going to get a pause in the factory pumped out marijuana cultivation articles that get rehashed every year. For anybody who wants to be blown away by a Marijuana book, be blown away by Greg Green.



2. I Lightly read part of this book when i first began to read about cannabis. Boy oh boy was it a handful. This is a very advanced book. If you are simply a toker then i wouldn't suggest this book, but if you are an advanced grower/breeder this is for you.
   
   I would suggest reading other grow material and particularly greens grow bible before diving into this book.
   
   I will have to read it again now that i am a little more knowledgable.



3. This is an excellent resource on cannabis genetic's and how cannabis genetic characteristic's are utilized from the male and female plants.. IT IS NOT FOR THE BEGINNER wanting to learn how to grown cannabis, it is for experienced growers and designed for the advanced grower or anyone interested in cannabis genetic's to create their own variety of cannabis. If you do not have the time to understand how genetic's work nor do not understand basic chemistry about genetic's, this book is not for you. Verl McCown, GG



4. I bought this book with the hopes of learning something about genetics, and I learned that the author should devote some time to reading "marijuana botany" by Robert Connell Clarke. Unfortunately "The Cannabis Breeders Bible" is not a "definitive guide to marijuana genetics" the book is more like recycled garbage from a bunch of other grow books. It does nothing to explain the real deal with breeding like identifying strains that are compatible and in turn can breed. He puts it in a manner saying all you have to do is find a male and find a female and voila you have seeds. Any good cannabis breeder knows this is not the truth. Anyone looking at this book should just buy "Marijuana Botany" and leave it at that. The Cannabis breeders bible did nothing more than waste my time.



5. I think this is a really good book for people who understand horticulture and have been growing for a long time and want to expand. It is however no good for the first time or novice who may get confused with the scientific nature of the book.

5 comments about Outside the Bungalow: America's Arts and Crafts Garden.

1. Disclaimer: I'm a bit biased, because its my home on the cover, despite this, the book is a crucial tool, there was so obvious a need for a book on this topic, one that relates to what people were wanting to do with their homes, and helping them to avoid. to a point, having to scrounge through years of bound periodicals in the library, and random drives through promising neighborhoods in search of inspiring examples....not that you would get to see the back yards.
   Doug and Paul have gone out of their way to search out appropriate examples for all three of their bungalow books together, ranging always from the garden shed to the Gamble house. This is the only in-print book I'd recommend for the topics of Arts & Crafts fencing, walls, paths, site integration etc.
   Having seen many of these sites in person, I can say that photographer Doug Keister, has brought a focus that many would miss in person. My wisteria only blooms 4-5 weeks a year, but of course, they got it then.
   My only complaint is that the photos are so compelling that many might never get to read all the text, which is what the book is all about.
   There is some validity to the point above about a West-Coast bias to the topics, but when you consider that virtually every other A & C garden book has a English tilt, it seems less a problem. There is room for a knowledgeable Mid-Westerner to write a good book as well. "Outside the Bungalow" is not the last book that should be written on the topic, just the best, by far, so far.



2. This book covers the architectural aspects of the property surrounding the bungalow - gates, arbors, fences, walls, paths, steps, water features, courtyards, patios, pergolas, porches, outdoor furniture, etc. The photography and color illustrations are superb and it is hard to take your eyes off the photos to actually read the text! And although the photos were taken at the present, the authors have not neglected the history of these dwellings and have included beautiful colored postcards that were so popular during the 1920s and 1930s. An introductory sections discusses the movers and shakers of the Arts and Crafts Movement, like William Morris, William Robinson, Gertrude Jekyll and Gustav Stickley. The final chapter is devoted to the architectural firm of Greene and Greene, whose style was a major influence. Most of the houses and gardens photographed here are on the West Coast (mainly Seattle, WA, Portland, OR and Pasadena, CA) although there are some Rhode Island properties included as well. A final section is devoted to planting the garden and includes lists of plants which are good for any situation imaginable. This is a wonderful book - beautiful, unique and inspiring!



3. This book is full of pictures of lovely arts and crafts style homes and gardens. I got several ideas for my own yard just from leafing through the pages.



4. I was a bit disappointed by the quality of photographs in this book. They are not sharp pictures and I found the examples of gardens less than interesting. I was hoping to obtain some great ideas to incorporate into my own gardens, but nothing jumped out at me. Nice book, but I wouldn't recommend buying it. You can borrow mine!



5. I was looking for ideas to use in planning some landscaping for my craftsman bungalow. This book met that need, and then some, with lots of detail and plenty of photos. I especially liked the period landscape designs. All in all, a good book for casually perusing or for reading in more depth.