Successful Small Gardens

Sm Quarto, 1995, PP.144, New Designs For Time Conscious Gardeners

Judging from the title, Successful Small Gardens was written for every gardener I've ever known--we are all short of time, and never have enough room for all the plants we want to grow.

In case you turn to this book expecting advice on small urban gardens, take note that Strong is a British author, and the Brits have a different take than we do here in the States on what constitutes a small garden. Anything less than an acre is considered quite small; consequently many of the gardens photographed here seem generous if not downright spacious. Still, good ideas and examples of strong design abound, along with Strong's practical advice about garden-making and maintenance. The photographs are plentiful and beautiful, focusing on overall garden shots rather than plant portraits. Schematic drawings and plant lists provide the details.

"Some of the most stylish of all gardens are in fact labour-saving," begins Strong in his chapter entitled "Gardens for the Hard-Pressed," designed to require only an hour or two of work each week. Pergolas and paving, naturalized bulbs, simple parterres, and the use of evergreens are a few of the techniques suggested to cut down on maintenance.

For those of us for whom gardening is such a way of life that we try our best never to add up the number of hours involved, Strong has included more complex gardens with a wide variety of plants. At every level of maintenance, from an hour a week to more than a full day a week, each garden discussed is a fine example of expert plantsmanship and design. --Val Easton