Product Description

This all-new second edition, the companion book to the much beloved Western Garden Book, promises to be just as successful as the first. Packed with expert advice from landscape designers, gardeners, and others, it addresses climatic, soil, and topographical challenges—and solutions—for Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and southwestern Canada.

Features:

* The only landscaping guide designed specifically for Western gardeners

* Over 600 photographs and dozens of ready-to-use landscape plans

* Step-by-Step illustrations and exploded views show easy, do-it-yourself solutions

* Seasonal gardening guides and checklists ensure year-round success for experienced and novice gardeners alike

* Easy-to-understand plant selection and growing instructions

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #185210 in Books
• Published on: 2006-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

Customer Reviews

All western landscapes types, many photos & diagrams
This is a very comprehensive book describing all western regions including the low and high desert, the Pacific Northwest and southern California. The book includes many landscape ideas with diagrams and suggested plant types and many plant photos. Ideas for special needs such as privacy, patio & small spaces , desert areas, swimming pools, decks, lots for shade, low water and other requirements are covered. Types of fencing and decking are also covered. If you are starting out with a bare backyard, as I am, this is the book for you!

A fine companion to "Sunset Western Garden Book"
Famous Landscape Architect Thomas Church once wrote: " Landscaping is logical, down-to-earth and aimed at making your plot of ground produce what you want and need from it."

The original bestseller, "Sunset Western Garden Book" is one of the best encyclopedia and is the "Bible" of Western Gardening. I am very happy to read its companion, "Sunset Western Landscaping Book." This new addition to the Sunset family is a great attempt in covering the design aspect of landscaping. It covers topography, climate, lifestyle, plants, and environment. It starts with the purpose, design and planning of gardens, microclimates, seasons, soils, understanding of site, Western garden styles, the process from plan to reality, and gardens in different regions of the West. It continues to explore the use of various garden structures (arbors, decks, fences, fireplaces, gazebos, kitchens, paths, patios, steps, walls, etc) and garden plants (trees, shrubs, vines, perennials, annuals, bulbs, herbs, fruits and vegetables, ornamental grasses, wild flowers, and succulents, etc) in landscaping. It also discusses finishing touches (lighting, containers, birdhouses, garden art, water features, etc), regional problems and solutions, materials and techniques, and landscape plans.

I like the color landscape plans in "Sunset Western Landscaping Book." I can tell Fiona Gilsenan and Kathleen Norris Brenzel and their team put in a lot of effort in creating and selecting the plans. They also have good, professionally trained eyes. The colors of the plans are harmonious and pleasant. They can be used as good samples for selecting colors for landscape presentation plans.

"Sunset Western Landscaping Book" has 416 pages and many color interior photographs. It is a fine companion to "Sunset Western Garden Book" and a must-have for personal, professional, academic, and community library Gardening & Landscaping reference collections.

Gang Chen, Author of "LEED AP Exam Guide" & "Planting Design Illustrated." LEED AP, AIA

Get the magazine
If you get Sunset the magazine, you probably don't need this book. The book has some beautiful pictures of varied landscape types in varied climates and some general planting suggestions (like the magazine). But, also like the magazine, unless you have $50K-$100K lying around, good luck pulling any of these things off. I say get the magazine because you can get the landscaping ideas, seasonally relevant planting suggestions along with some nice recipes, gardening and traveling tips.