Blue Planet Garden Blog

Refresh Your Garden Design - Virtual Book Party

I’m excited to announce friend, co-author and designer extraordinaire Rebecca Sweet has written a new book:  Refresh Your Garden Design with Color, Texture and Form. To celebrate, I’m joining a group of six talented bloggers for a virtual book party – and you’re invited!



Even experienced gardeners reach a point where they know the garden needs an overhaul, but just can’t figure out where to start. Inspired by her years of garden design consulting, Rebecca’s book is filled with easy-to-implement, beautifully illustrated solutions, and the timing couldn’t be better. Autumn is when many of us simplify our gardening routine and start planning for next spring. With Refresh Your Garden Design, you’ll have the tools you need to hit the ground running when the weather turns.

Or maybe not all the tools. All good parties have favors, and every blog on the tour is giving away a different prize geared towards helping you wake up your own garden. I feel lucky because I’m giving away the best prize. (Hmm, maybe because I took advantage of our friendship and asked Rebecca to customize my offering?) In addition to a year’s subscription to Horticulture and an ebook edition of Rebecca’s popular ‘Harmony in the Garden’ column, one lucky winner will receive a free, virtual consultation with Rebecca!

How does it work? Simply take a few photos from different angles of a garden bed or two in need of a refresh. Rebecca will analyze them using the principles of color, form and texture featured in both her book and the popular talks she gives around the country. Then, she’ll provide you with a customized set of suggestions.  How cool is that?

An example of a "virtual garden makeover" from one of Rebecca's presentations:


Good

Better (Tip from the book: eliminate the distraction of color when you want to analyze form and texture)

But don’t limit yourself to just one chance to win! A total of seven blogs are giving away the prizes listed below. Simply click on the links and leave a comment on each blog to enter.

The giveaway runs through Sunday, November 10th at 11:59 pm and the winners will be announced on Monday the 11th. Please note that because of shipping costs, this giveaway is restricted to residents of the continental U.S.

Check back next Monday to see if you're a winner. Good luck!

Dee Nash at Red Dirt Ramblings is offering a hand-selected bulb bonanza in conjunction with Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply.  Known online as GrowOrganic.com, Peaceful Valley was established by organic farmers in 1976 and has grown to be the largest organic gardening supply company in the U.S! This organic bulb collection is an ideal way to introduce seasonal color echoes into your garden. (valued at $50.00)

 

Pam Penick at Digging is giving away a $50 gift certificate to the irresistible online nursery Annie’s Annuals. Annie’s specializes in rare and unusual annual & perennial plants, including cottage garden heirlooms and native wildflowers. They have a huge selection of amazing treasures that are guaranteed to help introduce color, texture and form back into your garden!

 

Robin Horton at Urban Gardens is offering a fantastic garden-watering duo from the kind folks at Dramm:  the One Touch Rain Wand and Color Storm Turret Sprinkler (valued at $50). Dramm is a family-run business that makes some of the best, and certainly most colorful, garden watering tools around, helping to make your garden chores easy and fun!

 

Shawna Coronado is giving away a $75 online gift card from Proven Winners, a mail-order nursery that’s a plant lover’s dream. With the company’s goal of introducing ‘the best, most unique and high performing plants’ to the public, this prize is an ideal way to add a breath of fresh air to your garden!

 

Carol Michel at May Dreams Gardens is giving away a much-desired Fiskars tool set: a Telescoping Bypass Loper and a Long-Handled Aluminum Hoe (valued at $65).  Fiskars products are renowned worldwide for their functionality and cutting-edge design so what better way to take care of your garden, keeping it in tip-top shape!

At Gossip in the Garden, Rebecca is offering something for tech-savvy and traditional gardeners alike: a Garden App Package consisting of Sunset’s Western Garden app, Foolproof Plants for Small Gardens app and the Garden Tracker-Bumper Crop app - as well as a signed copy of her new book (valued at $40.00)

 

Quick links:

Red Dirt Ramblings is offering the bulb bonanza from Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply

Digging is offering a $50 gift certificate from Annie’s Annuals

Urban Gardens is offering garden-watering duo Dramm

May Dreams Gardens is offering a garden tool combo from Fiskars

Shawna Coronado is giving away a $75 gift card from Proven Winners

Blue Planet Garden Blog is giving away a garden consultation by Rebecca and a Horticulture combo pack

Gossip in the Garden is giving away the Garden App & Book Package

 

UPDATE: Congratulations to Kris Peterson, our contest winner!

 

 

Book Roundup: Fine Foliage, Slow Flowers and Apprentice to a Garden

For some it’s the sight of roses bursting into bloom or the taste of freshly picked asparagus that signals spring has finally arrived. For me, spring is officially here when the postman begins delivering a steady stream of new gardening books to my mailbox. Here’s a roundup of some of the season’s best:

 

 First up is Fine Foliage: Elegant Plant Combinations for Garden and Container (2013 St. Lynn’s Press) by Karen Chapman and Christina Salwitz, with principal photography by Ashley deLatour. While I find myself learning from a range of gardening books, those that focus on design usually speak to me the most. Newly minted authors Karen and Christina have an eye for combining foliage textures and colors that will leave you wondering why you ever bothered with flowers in the first place. Of note is the book’s innovative and appealing layout: on one page, we’re invited to “meet the players” via a small photo and brief description of two or three plants that combine well. On the facing page, a large color photograph shows how the plants look together.

 

With whimsical names like “Sunset Shades” and “Rich and Regal,” plant combinations are included for a range of cultural conditions, making this appropriate for different climates. A greater range of plants is listed for more temperate USDA zones, however, even those in colder or harsher desert climates will benefit from the advice on how to combine foliage effectively, and can easily substitute plants from their area. While all gardeners should find this book useful and entertaining, the three plant format lends itself particularly well to container gardening.

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A follow-up to last year’s inspiring 50 Mile Bouquet (read my review here),   Slow Flowers: Four Seasons of Locally Grown Bouquets from the Garden, Meadow and Farm by Debra Prinzing  represents a departure from the author’s journalistic style as she assumes a more personal how-to approach, explaining how she created 52 weeks of seasonal bouquets. If the term “slow flowers” is new to you, the introduction explains that it represents “a cultural shift in consumer attitudes toward local, seasonal and sustainably-grown flowers.” Both more practical and (I think) more beautiful than a traditional book on flower arranging, Slow Flowers is organized by the four seasons—the flower-equivalent of a seasonal cookbook, and is an idea whose time has come.

 

Arrangements utilize both locally sourced flowers and foliage, as well as plants from Debra’s own garden. Slow Flowers succeeds both as inspirational eye-candy and practical how-to, with specific instructions in creating a range of unique and artful arrangements. As with Fine Foliage, the small size, accessible topic and attractive layout that emphasizes high-quality photography make this an excellent gift book.

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If you are a fan of gardening memoirs, be sure to check out Apprentice to a Garden: A new urban gardener goes wild (2013 LessLawn Press) by Evelyn Hadden. Part memoir and part garden essay, it tells the story of how Evelyn transformed her “lifeless urban lawn” into a garden overflowing with plants over the course of four years. Originally published in 2005, the book has been updated with 19 black and white drawings by artist Shari Zimmerman.

I am a great admirer of Evelyn’s writing style (find my review of her 2012 bestseller Beautiful No-Mow Yards here) and this book makes for an entertaining read, despite the lack of full-color photos we garden book fans are so fond of.  Passionate gardeners will see themselves reflected in Evelyn’s story, as she writes: “I wanted to feel my garden, to interact with it, not just observe it.”

Stay tuned: Future reviews include two book being released in the next month: Succulents Simplified: Growing, Designing, and Crafting with 100 Easy-Care Varieties by succulent expert Debra Baldwin and Indoor Plant Decor: The Design Stylebook for Houseplants by Kylee Baumle and Jenny Peterson.

 

 Review copies of Fine Foliage and Apprentice to a Garden were given to me by the publisher, however, all opinions expressed are my own.

 

Book Review: Lawn Gone!

Not only is the lawn reform movement still going strong; I'm happy to report that it continues to gain momentum. Lawn Gone!: Low-Maintenance, Sustainable, Attractive Alternatives for Your Yard by popular blogger and garden designer Pam Penick  is the latest book to tackle the topic. Its soup-to-nuts approach, inspiring photos and emphasis on DIY solutions make it a must-have for anyone considering reducing or eliminating lawn.

The book is divided into three parts. “Part One: Beyond the Lawn” explores what to do with all the real estate eliminating or reducing a lawn makes available. Low-growing plant alternatives are discussed in detail, but Lawn Gone also makes a case for replacing lawn with new living spaces and garden features, such as patios, ponds and play spaces.

Mixed species lawn. Design and photograph by Rebecca Sweet

“Part Two: Out with the Grass, In with a Garden” gives step-by-step instructions on removing an existing lawn. This is an area where the book really shines, as Pam explores multiple methods, and provides the pros and cons of each. She knows her target audience of DIYers well, and also includes instructions on planning and creating a range of garden features, from how to edge pathways, to basics on bed preparation.

A welcoming space for entertaining. Photograph courtesy of Pam Penick

In “Part Three: The Politics, Health and Safety of Going Lawnless,” Pam provides tips on dealing with both man-made obstacles (think HOAs and city codes) and natural ones, such as lawn alternatives for fire prone areas.

Design and photograph by Kelly Kipatrick

 

What I liked

• The book is one of the most well-organized and thorough resources I have yet to read on on lawn alternatives. What isn’t addressed?  From removing lawn, to dealing with skeptical neighbors, Lawn Gone covers all your questions, including some you probably haven’t even thought of yet.

• I enjoyed the conversational tone of the book, which feels appropriate for both advanced and new gardeners. as even those with years of gardening under their belts don’t necessarily have experience with removing and replacing lawn.

• The inclusion of regional experts greatly broadens the Lawn Gone’s potential readership. In the final chapter, Pam taps garden experts from eleven regions of the country for suggestions on the best lawn alternatives for their specific area. Beyond that, throughout the book advice is regularly qualified as to what parts of the country the tips apply to.

• Lawn Gone paints an enticing picture of the lawn-free lifestyle without sugarcoating the realities of what’s involved to get there. While you may be thrilled to ditch the lawnmower, Pam makes it clear that a successful garden still requires an ongoing commitment.

 

Quibbles

No quibbles this time, but be sure to do your research before following any of the specific plant advice in the book. Many of the plants mentioned, in particular the ornamental grasses, are invasive in California and other regions of the country - I counted more than one plant  I would hesitate to recommend to my clients. This can’t really be avoided in a book geared towards a national audience, but follow the advice Pam includes in Lawn Gone, and be sure to check online or with your county’s extension program before choosing plants for your garden.

Confidential to California gardeners: The alternatives provided that most closely mimic a lawn are mainly those grown from seed or plugs. Since here in California we're addicted to the look of fresh sod rolled out in a new garden, I usually specify no-mow native grass mixes in sod form for my clients. Check out Delta Bluegrass for alternatives that work in a range of USDA zone 9 cultural conditions.

 A must read for anyone considering reducing or eliminating a lawn, Lawn Gone provides a thoughtful, well-researched mix of step-by-step solutions and troubleshooting tips.

 

I received this book as a review copy. Photos reprinted with permission from Lawn Gone! Low-Maintenance, Sustainable, Attractive Alternatives for Your Yard by Pam Penick (Ten Speed Press, 2013).

 

Gardening App: Foolproof Plants for Small Gardens

 

I’m thrilled to announce the publication of my new gardening app, Foolproof Plants for Small Gardens. Published by Sutro Media and available for $2.99 from both iTunes and Google Play (where it is titled Plant Picks for Small Gardens), this app is yet another manifestation of my ongoing obsession with small space design.

With almost 100 plants and 450 photos, Foolproof Plants highlights some of the best options for ornamental plants that stay a manageable size, from trees that grow less than 25’ to shrubs smaller than 5’—not to mention well-behaved vines that won’t eat your house. It’s all organized in a highly searchable database that allows you to search by plant category, USDA zone, or desirable characteristics like flower color or drought tolerance. 

 

 

Here’s a breakdown on what’s included:

•  90+ plants in seven categories: trees, shrubs, perennials, vines, groundcovers and ornamental grasses plus a special bonus category.

• Plant descriptions that include cultural requirements, maintenance tips, when to “proceed with caution” and alternate varieties.
• Tags that let you narrow down your selection by USDA climate zone, flower color, drought tolerance and more.
• Links to online nurseries and how-to videos.
• Pronunciation guide for botanical names that is both written and recorded.
• Step-by-step guidelines on sustainable planting practices, including sheet mulching.
• Garden glossary.
• Sunset zones included for Western gardeners.

 

 

Because this app is intended as a resource for small-space gardeners all over the country, I enlisted the help of a talented group of horticulturists and landscape designers from other USDA zones to contribute plant choices that represent some of the best small-space plants from their regions. Click on the Contributors section in the app, and you’ll be impressed by the credentials of co-authors Katie Elzer-Peters (zone 7), Jenny Peterson (zone 8), Maria Zampini (zones 5 and 6) and Genevieve Schmidt (Zone 9 and my go-to source for the best maintenance advice).

 

To celebrate, I’m giving the iTunes version of Foolproof Plants away to three readers! To win, leave a comment by next Monday at midnight. Winners will be chosen randomly. Unfortunately, I only have promotional codes for the iTunes version, so this giveaway will run on iPhone or iPad, but not on other smart phones or on your computer. But don’t worry if you're not a fan of technology that begins with i; an eBook version is in the works, so stay tuned for another announcement in the near future…

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Update!  The three lucky winners are Leslie Peluso, Valerie Robertson and Pam Kirsting!

Book Giveaway: Why Grow That When you Can Grow This?

Update 12-20-12: Congratulations to Bobbie Schmidt, the lucky winner of Why Grow That When You Can Grow This!

A little known fact about me: I paid for most of my college education working in beauty salons as a manicurist. In the process I learned many life skills, including how to give an excellent hand massage and the fine art of gossiping discretely. I also learned that at one point or another, most of us want what we can’t have. Curly-haired beauties yearned for stick-straight tresses, while those blessed with long, sleek manes pointed wistfully at photos of short, sassy dos.

It turns out gardeners suffer from the same kind of plant envy, often pining for the plants of their childhood or tropical specimens remembered from a favorite vacation—zones and cultural conditions be damned. Fortunately for us, in his new book, Why Grow That When You Can Grow This?: 255 Extraordinary Alternatives to Everyday Problem Plants, Andrew Keys shows us that we can enjoy the garden of our dreams, while still acknowledging the reality of our growing conditions.