The Small Garden: A Practical Guide to Planning & Planting (Wayside Gardens Collection)

Book by Toll, Julie

In the latest installment in the Wayside Gardens Collection series, garden designer Toll addresses the particular challenges and satisfactions of gardening in limited spaces. She assumes a bit of knowledge on the part of the reader (most plants are referred to only by their Latin names), but the design principles she sets forth are easy to grasp. In a no-nonsense style, she covers all the bases, including budget, soil requirements, plant care and everything in between, adding a select list of 50 plants she deems especially suitable. The book has been Americanized but retains a decidedly British flavor, which is usually charming (one lawn disease is called "fairy rings") but might frustrate someone dealing with, say, a small suburban tract plot: most of the gardens pictured look like those found behind London row houses, what with the abundance of aged brick walls and statuary. Still, it's a trove of ideas dished up in an elegant format, and it should help inspire those hoping to spruce up small spaces.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.