Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Landscape Design
Section 1 Planning Your Garden
Assessing Your Landscape Needs 6
Paving, Patios, and Privacy 8
Garden Accents and Special Needs 10
Using Ornamental Grasses 12
Section 2 Analyzing Your Landscape
Sizing Up Sun and Shade 14
Environmental Influences 16
Soil, Water, and Drainage Needs 18
Planting Lawns and Ornamental Grasses 20
Growth and Overgrowth 22
Section 3 Pests and Other Problems
Lawn and Ground Cover Weeds 24
Turf and Ground Cover Pests 26
Chapter 2 Getting Started with Gardening
Section 1 Beginning with the Basics
Tools for Gardening Projects 28
Preparing the Soil 30
Selecting Quality Plants 32
Nursery vs. Mail-Order Plants 34
Section 2 Care and Feeding
Quenching a Plant's Thirst 36
Keeping Weeds at Bay 40
Feeding Alternatives 42
Keeping Ahead of Pests 44
Safety With Pesticides 46
Chapter 3 Annuals
Section 1 Planning a Seasonal Kaleidoscope of Color
Color, Form, Texture, and Scale 50
The Varied Characteristics of Annuals 51
Massing Colors 52
Section 2 Annuals in the Landscape
Laying out an Annual Garden 56
Mingling Annuals With Other Plants 58
Container Gardening 60
Section 3 Caring for Annuals
Ways to Increase and Control Growth 66
Pesky Insects and Animals 68
Diseases 72
Section 4 Directory of Popular Annuals
Directory of Popular Annuals 74
Master Gardener Q&A 90
Chapter 4 Perennials
Section 1 How to Plan for Lasting Color
Choosing the Right Colors 94
Form and Texture 96
Beauty in the Shade Garden 100
Sequence of Bloom 102
Section 2 Getting Your Garden Off to a Good Start
Transplanting From Pots 106
Setting Bare-Root Plants 108
Coping With Shade 110
Bulb Maintenance 112
Dividing Perennials 114
Section 3 Landscaping with Perennials
Putting a Garden on Paper 117
Entrance Gardens, Borders, and Island Beds 118
Planning the Bulb Garden 120
What Is a Bulb? 122
Perennials and Bulbs in Containers 124
Section 4 Directory of Popular Perennials
Directory of Popular Perennials 126
Master Gardener Q&A 140
Chapter 5 Trees, Shrubs, and Vines
Section 1 Getting Started with Woody Plants
Woody Plants in the Landscape 144
Defining Woody Plants 146
Section 2 Checking Out All Options
Designing With Trees. Shrubs, and Vines 150
Putting Woody Plants to Good Use 152
The Size and Shape of Woody Plants 154
Selecting for Hardiness 156
Section 3 Caring for Woody Plants
Planting and Transplanting 160
Fertilizing and Mulching 162
Maintaining Your Trees, Shrubs, and Vines 164
Section 4 Keeping Ahead of the Challenges
Pruning 168
Environmental Hazards 171
Insects and Animals 173
Section 5 Directory of Popular Trees
Directory of Popular Trees 179
Master Gardener Q&A 190
USDA Plant Hardiness Map 192
