Prof. Lerner's Reading List For Garden Design 101

When it's time to rest from weeding and watering, consider some books on landscaping that will educate you about planting techniques, what to install and how to design.

· "Bringing Nature Home" by Douglas W. Tallamy provides the rationale behind the use of native plants, a concept that has rapidly been gaining momentum in North America and elsewhere. The impact on our environment is huge. Within the food web, according to Tallamy, "count all the terrestrial bird species in North America that rely on insects and other arthropods to feed their young, you would find that figure to be about 96 percent."

All animals, including humans, depend on insects that have the ability to transfer energy in plants into a form that can be eaten by animals. Insects count on indigenous plants for food and habitat. Without them, the bugs become extinct, and wildlife that depends on them soon follows. Biodiversity is critical if we are to preserve balance in the environment. This 288-page hardcover offers 308 color photographs. I am not a purist about native plants but have advocated the use of them. The text makes a case for native plants and animals in a compelling and complete fashion. (Timber Press, 2007, $27.95.)

· "Yard and Garden Makeovers" by George Kay, Brian Kay and Jennifer Derryberry Mann, offers the elements needed for a comprehensive landscape design. Father and son are practicing landscape architects and Mann combines their theories to present the logic of landscape design in a simple fashion that amateur and landscape professionals can use to create beautiful gardens. The foundation for their guidelines is broken into eight parts, with an emphasis on keeping landscape design simple and logical. They suggest focusing on basic principles of design, site assessment, entries, back yards, harmony and style of master plan. Tips are offered for working with professionals to complete designs. There are ideas for garden structures and plants, as well as criteria for drainage, drafting, permitting, surveys and other necessary steps. There are more than 100 color photographs in this 162-page hardcover, with full-color landscape designs. (Ball Publishing, 2008, $39.95.)

· "Small Garden Design Bible" by Tim Newberry, is truly a do-it-yourself book, offering 40 plan view designs, covering numerous uses of garden spaces for children and wildlife, shade, entertaining, simple, formal, fragrant, edible, natural, plus many more. His style is very organic, with big beds and sweeping lines, water features, screening elements, structures, murals, angles, repetition of forms and other "bones" that comprise the skeleton of a garden. Plant suggestions and design principles are covered. How to use color and texture to make a garden advance toward the viewer or add a spacious touch to it, among other design concepts are offered. You are sure to gain more ideas as you peruse this book. This is the beginning of the decision process. Forty plan view designs in this 256-page full color hardcover are complemented with photographs and color artistic renderings of plan view installed designs shown in the book. (Hamlyn, 2008, $24.95.)

· "Serene Gardens: Creating Japanese Design and Detail in the Western Garden" by Yoko Kawaguchi presents choices for small-scale Japanese garden designs and outlines steps necessary to install one of these outdoor "rooms," including how to build bamboo fences, install wooden and mixed-media walks, lay boulder stepping stones and determine stone patterns. This is an Asian garden design book illustrating teahouses, pagodas, lantern sculptures, koi ponds and other Japanese themes that would feel completely comfortable installed in Western gardens. Ideas include entry, rear and courtyard gardens, with examples of meandering paths, perspective, enclosure, sculpture, water and plants, all with a meditative mood. This 144-page paperback has more than 100 photographs and sketches. (New Holland Publishers, 2008, $17.95.)

· "Bleeding Hearts, Corydalis, and Their Relatives," by Mark Tebbitt, Magnus Lidén & Henrik Zetterlund is about a plant family that few people understand and is widely dispersed around the world. The bleeding hearts ( Dicentra) and corydalis, native to North America, are many people's favorites. They are nectar and host plants for a number of butterflies in spite of a toxic nature that most herbivores dislike. Bleeding hearts and corydalis appear to be dainty flowers, but are tough, with varieties that thrive in sun, shade, woodland, rooftops, cliff walls and mountaintops. They have a long flowering period when growing in rocky, well-drained soil and fit beautifully in perennial and shrub borders, containers and herb gardens. The story told about the migration around the world of this eye-catching family of plants is as captivating as the variety of flowers they produce. Flowers of the bleeding heart family, of which corydalis is the largest genus, can be blue, lavender, purple, red, pink, orange, yellow or white. This 176-page hardcover has 112 color photographs and 50 line drawings. (Timber Press, 2008, $34.95.)

· "Garden Style Guides," by Caroline Tilston, photographed by Steve Gorton (Wiley, 2008, $16.95 each) is a series of four paperbacks, each focusing on a specialized part of landscape design. They are written and illustrated in an easy-to-read and understandable style. The author focuses on one design process in each handbook.

"Garden Makeovers: Quick Fixes and Designer Secrets to Transform Your Garden" advises homeowners on improving outdoor living spaces. The first half of this 192-page handbook is aimed at ways to develop practical and aesthetically pleasing gardens. Illustrations suggest changing shapes, creating special areas, paths, walls, lighting, colors, themes, decorations, water and projects for children. The second half is what Tilston considers inspiration for your garden using landscape design ideas to interpret the elements, with some before and after shots.

"Low-Maintenance Gardens: 10 Simple Steps to Beautiful, Easy and Stylish Outside Spaces" is broken into a section on practical information and one on aesthetic inspiration. First, learn simple planning by choosing from several ideas including horizontal paving, vertical screening and form, plant choices, lighting, water, decoration and wildlife. Inspiration for the outside spaces is in the second part of the 192 pages. Each element is documented with images and 10 garden designs to ponder.

"Design Your Garden: 10 Simple Steps to Transform Your Garden" is a landscape design handbook. Tilston takes you through the decision-making process to create a landscape design that meets your needs. The second section discusses and illustrates various themed gardens that are possible and how to achieve them. The designs are big on ideas but light on specific plant identification.

"Rooftop & Terrace Gardens: A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating a Modern and Stylish Space" includes almost as many innovative design treatments as in-ground garden design suggestions. Organized in the same manner, this handbook covers the information necessary to carry out projects, such as the important question: Is your roof ready for a garden? Practical matters are gathering information, creating spaces, walls and floors, containers, water features, sculptures, lighting, plants and green roofs. She offers many examples of rooftop treatments, including tiny spaces, decorations, entertainment, terraces, themes, hillsides, minimalist and desert-style rooftop gardens.

Joel M. Lerner is president of Environmental Design in Capitol View Park, Md. E-mail or contact him through his Web site, http://www.gardenlerner.com.