2 comments about The Gardener's Book of Color.

1. This is one of my all time favorite books, I return to it time and again for ideas, ispiration and information. Andrew Lawson has written the definitive book on using color in the garden, there are wonderful examples of single color gardens, as well as using contrasting and co-ordinating colors with plants. He gives great suggestions for plants to use. The photographs in this book, taken by Lawson himself are superb. Every gardener will get something from this brilliant book.



2. Lawson does a better job of presenting and especially operationalizing color blending than any of ten books I looked at. He also consistently identifies what is in the glorious pictures. I am amazed by how many authors do not do this. It is an outstanding book for a beginner, that's me, to make a garden look like a pro did it, and for an experienced gardener to gain new perspectives and want to plant even more.

1 comments about Gateway Arch: An Architectural Dream.

1. This large coffee table book tells the history of one of our great national monuments. Compiled by respected Arch expert, National Park Service historian Robert J. Moore, Jr. (NOT "Robert Jefferson" as indicated), this book is filled with remarkable photos of the monument that few people have seen, along with text by various authors sharing an important history that every American should know. It is an amazing story of overcoming countless obstacles to build the largest stainless steel structure in history... A lasting international symbol of the westward expansion of the United States.

4 comments about Berkeley Rocks: Building with Nature.

1. Not surprisingly, it took an Australian trained geographer/rock climber to point out the obvious beauty and value of East Bay geology in the landscape design for private homes and parks in this wonderful pictorial work.
   If you think rock is something only the landscape architect has to design around, see the photos of how some banded rhyolite boulders look in a billiard room, or examine a mass of in situ chert protruding through a homeowner's bathroom wall (the geologist's 'dream' WC). Berkeley loves its rocks. While Chester never gets into it directly, this region's desire to protect rocks and outcrops is geoconservation in practice. For more on that, see my review of GEODIVERSITY.
   
   Chester includes a Berkeley Area map to locate these local geologic treasures, and a decent map of the bedrock geology of the Berkeley Hills on page 14. My only complaints would be 1) the title--the word 'nature' should be changed to 'geology', and 2) references to geologic works mentioned in chapter one are not included in the recommended reading section.



2. We liked this enough that we bought a copy as a present for another Berkeley resident. This is a fun book to look through.



3. I grew up one block from Pinnacle Rock in Berkeley, where my dad (Dick Leonard) and his pal Dave Brower climbed every Sunday with their Cragmont Climbing club buddies (1940's, 50's). This is an absolutely wonderful book about Berkeley's beautiful rocks and architecture, most of which are very familiar to this Berkeley native. I gave it to my husband on Christmas, and everyone was glued to it. Thanks so much.



4. For much of my life I held hope to be able to own a home in
   Berkeley with one of those great rocks filling the front of the lot and obscuring part of the house. It never happened, so finding this excellent book fulfilled part of my wish. The photography really captures the feeling of being near the geologic history of the area and there is a
   great source of geologic detail in the text, for anyone who
   wants to know why those rocks are there. Excellent photograpy and very informative text.

1 comments about Scottish Houses and Gardens: From the Archives of Country Life.

1. With its informative details and beautiful pictures, this book would interest history and gardening buffs alike.

No comments about Garden ideas A to Z.

No comments about Garden Makeovers: The Complete Guide to Reviving and Replenishing Your Garden.

No comments about Oase No. 64: Landscape And Mass Tourism.

1 comments about Bird Gardens (Better Homes & Gardens).

1. BH & G's newest gardening publication is a combination of the usual bird-gardening book array of garden styles, ideas, and bird and plant lists but it is also stuffed with inspirational photos, how-to projects, and a plethora of quick tips accompanying nearly every photo in the book. The book's loose flow seems created for browsing, and each time it is opened a new tidbit is found. Especially nice is the emphasis on being a little messy in the garden. Attracting birds means letting things to go to seed, including allowing lettuce to bolt, not hard pruning shrubs in the spring to allow for nesting, and letting some of those dropped branches stay put. It's so nice to see these ever so slightly sloppy gardens that are still aesthetically pleasing.
   Plant descriptions detail the plant's worth in the bird garden and list what birds will use them for - fruits, shelter, nesting, etc. Descriptions also include common and botanical names, general cultivation information and full color photos. Bird descriptions include information on habits, habitats, preferred foods, nest types, and common and Latin names along with full color photos and range maps.
   BH & G books have come a long way in recent years taking steps to marry inspirational photos with sound gardening practices; Bird Gardens is no exception.

No comments about The Papers of Frederick Law Olmsted: Slavery and the South, 1852--1857.

No comments about What's In Style: Outdoor Living (What's In Style).