January 18, 2025
Livingston Public Library: Garden Design, Ideas, And Plans

March 23, 2022

Designing a garden is a complex task. Where do you start? What kind of skills do you need? How do all the areas come together in a beautiful cohesive way? The books listed below will inspire you with simple garden design ideas and help you design your dream garden.

Understanding Garden Design: The Complete Handbook for Aspiring Designers by Vanessa Gardner Nagel

This comprehensive, accessible book lays out the entire process from start to finish in clear, precise language that avoids the pitfalls of “designspeak.” In fact, garden owners and clients of garden designers who want to understand more about the designer’s craft will be able to profit from the book’s lessons.

In The Beginner’s Guide to Starting a Garden, Sally Roth simplifies the process by showing you how to spend fewer hours (and a minimal amount of money) in the garden by tackling one small area at a time. You’ll find garden plans for ten unique areas—the entryway, the shady areas under trees, and more—that can be linked together over time to create a unified yard, and plants that are dependable, easy to find, and look good year after year.

Complete Container Herb Gardening: Design and Grow Beautiful, Bountiful Herb-Filled Pots by Sue Goetz

In Complete Container Herb Gardening, herbal guru and certified horticulturist Sue Goetz walks you through the ins and outs of growing these fragrant and flavorful plant treasures in containers. Capitalizing on the popular trends of edible, container, and small-space gardening, Complete Container Herb Gardening offers all the info needed to grow fresh herbs on balconies, patios, rooftops, decks, and even on the kitchen counter.

Garden Renovation: Transform Your Tired Yard into the Garden of Your Dreams by Bobbie Schwartz

Your garden, just like your house, sometimes needs a makeover. The change can be as minor as replacing a shrub or as major as pulling everything up and starting from scratch. No matter the size of your space or the scope of the project, the sage advice in Garden Renovation will help you turn your yard into a paradise.

New Backyard Idea Book by Natalie Russell

From flagstone patios and redwood decks to cozy fireplaces, open-air kitchens, and spectacular garden rooms, the New Backyard Idea Book is full of inspiring color photos and practical advice to help you re-think, re-design and rejuvenate your backyard.

Starter Vegetable Gardens by Barbara Pleasant

Book Ebook

Barbara Pleasant addresses common problems that first-time gardeners encounter. Using simple language and illustrated garden layouts, Pleasant shows you how to start, maintain, and eventually expand an organic vegetable garden in even the tiniest backyard. With handy tips on enriching soil, planting schedules, watering, fighting pests, and more, you’ll quickly discover how easy it is to enjoy your own homegrown vegetables.

The Essential Garden Design Workbook by Rosemary Alexander

Book Ebook

This fully revised and updated second edition features new U.S. case studies and new photographs. Valuable tips on green gardening are new to this edition, and include how to harvest rainwater, how to design a green roof, tips on sustainable planting, and a guide to composting.

House and Garden

Apr 01 2022

Magazine

House & Garden provides an invaluable sourcebook of ideas, from design and decoration to the best of travel, delicious recipes and fine wine. Britain’s most glamorous, inspiring and influential design and decoration magazine.

Outdoor Design

Issue #42 2022

Magazine

Outdoor Design & Living is one of Australia’s leading outdoor design magazines, showcasing the latest innovative design and construction for outdoor living spaces, bringing the best quality products and professional services in the landscaping industry to gardens all around Australia.

Hongmei, Adult Services & Acquisitions Librarian