Landscaping for Dummies
by Bob Beckstrom, Lance Walheim, Phillip Giroux, The Editors of the National Gardening Association
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Book Summary Information
Author: Bob Beckstrom, Lance Walheim, Phillip Giroux, The Editors of the National Gardening AssociationEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1999-01-27
ISBN: 0764551280
Number of pages: 392
Publisher: For Dummies
Book Reviews of Landscaping for Dummies
Book Review: Very nice starting point for a broad subject. Great bibliography
Summary: 4 Stars
`Landscaping for Dummies' by Philip Giroux, Bob Beckstrom, Lance Walheim and a cast of thousands is a typically ironic example of what you will find in this huge `Dummies' series of books, which started out as a series of texts for PC subjects, where the PC had a knack of making us all feel like dummies. Since then, it has expanded to touch virtually every `practical' subject in the known universe. That is, I haven't seen any `Wittgenstein for Dummies' or `Quantum Thermodynamics for Dummies', as neither of these subjects are things the average intelligent, but uninformed person is likely to pick up to brief themselves for a weekend project of as a start to a new hobby.
The irony of this particular volume is that you really can't make full use of it if you don't have a good head on your shoulders and a fair amount of book learning under your belt, including such arcane High School subjects such as geometry and some building skills such as working with mortar, power saws, a level, and a full-sized shovel.
The first thing you discover is that landscaping is a really big subject. You probably didn't know this, or you would not be considering buying this book. In four `parts', the book breaks the subject down into Designing, Hardscaping, Planting, Planning, and Tips for putting Landscaping to good use. Since this book (and all books in this series) advertises itself as `A Reference for the Rest of Us', I can't complain too much about the odd order of these five subjects, but it does seem that `Objectives' and `Planning' should be Parts I and II respectively, rather than Parts V and IV. I confess that I even bought the book exclusively for its Hardscaping chapter, so I didn't care if that came before or after planning.
Regarding the Hardscaping material, I found it remarkably advanced for a `dummy'. The projects start with simple walkways, but quickly advance to retaining walls, brick walls, and fences. My biggest surprise was the depth to which one must build deep planning into so simple a job as a retaining wall that is installed to square off an annoying slope in your yard. Not only do you have to lay a deep foundation, you also need to worry about drainage and install a special drainage pipe to carry off rainwater. Who Knew!!!
In other Parts of the book, it devotes relatively short chapters to subjects to which one could easily dedicate a whole book. One example is in the selection of a tree or trees to plant in your landscaping project. I looked at the description for Japanese maple (since I happen to have one of these) and found the entry reasonable, but possibly not as detailed as one may want, since it glossed over the fact that the difference in growing speed and average height of the different varieties of Acer Palmatum are sizable, and one will be disappointed if they get the tall lanky variety, when they wanted the low, burly `weeping' variety.
But, if what you want is a first book on the subject, you could really do a lot worse. It has the one essential ingredient for an introductory book, a comprehensive bibliography, which includes not only books, but lots of magazines, professional organizations, and international web sites for getting more information.
I rarely resort to books in this series, but for those of you who want to venture into do it yourself landscaping, this is probably better, and possibly far better than, for example, the `Home Depot' manual on the subject.
Summary of Landscaping for Dummies
A beautiful landscape reflects well on your house, making it a welcome part of a neighborhood or native terrain. And it dramatically increases your home?s value. Landscaping also makes your house and yard more useful and better able to complement your family?s lifestyle. Trees shade your home to reduce energy use. Thorny shrubs deter prowlers. Lawns reduce dust from bare ground and give children the perfect play area. Patios and decks are great for entertaining. And a vegetable garden can yield fresh, delicious salads to eat on that patio or deck.Landscaping for Dummies has everything you need to turn the little patch of earth you call your own into a personal paradise. Whether you?ve waited for the day to have property to landscape, you?d never given it a second thought until you had to, or you want to improve on an existing landscape, this book offers a clearly written wealth of knowledge on:
- Designs
- Fences, walls, gates, and paths
- Decks, patios, and outdoor rooms
- Trees
- Shrubs and vines
- Ground cover
From the basic principles of landscape design, to all the ins and outs of hillsides, balcony gardens, and water gardens, this book will show you how to:
- Think like a designer
- Dream up the right landscape for your family?s needs
- Increase your home?s resale value
- Conserve energy
- Deal with contractors, nurseries, and hardware suppliers
- Create an edible landscape
Full of helpful problem-solvers for all kinds of landscapes, Landscaping for Dummies also features sample plans, ?theme? landscape ideas, and a brilliant color photo section to inspire the imagination. Accessible and informative to both beginner and expert landscapers, this is the complete guide to creating the yard you?ve always wanted.
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