Garden Variety

Many beautiful outdoor spaces—golf courses, public parks and gardens, even cemeteries—can seem like natural oases born out of thin air, but they're actually carefully planned out and tended to by experts. It's very interesting to learn about the artists behind these spaces and it can provide endless inspiration for your own landscaping projects. Read more...

It’s a British invasion! And it’s been going on for centuries. England’s mild climate was ideal for gardening, and despite our appreciation of French and Italian gardens, England holds the garden crown. How did it all begin? Read more...

Writing and gardening are both solitary obsessions, but most gardeners will talk a blue streak about their favorite hobby. It’s only natural that some prolific gardeners have produced words as prolifically as blossoms. Read more...

Healing gardens, Zen gardens, spiritual gardens, meditation gardens, Japanese gardens—there are many names for these serene spaces, but all offer respite from the hectic pace of daily life. Here are five books to help you create your own garden retreat. Read more...

Impress your Thanksgiving guests with a homemade centerpiece. I've discovered that it's actually not that hard to create professional-looking flower arrangements at home—and you'll be saving on your holiday florist bill. Read more...

... in gardens, beauty is a by-product. The main business is sex and death ... - Sam Llewelyn Read more...

Roses are red, violets are blue, gardening’s hot in romance fiction, too. Read more...

The planting pit that hides a grave, the freshly tilled soil revealing bleached bones—these are age-old themes in the mystery genre. Who hasn’t read a mystery that featured arsenic or strychnine in the garden shed or clues left clinging to the ivy outside the victim’s window? Like Holmes and Watson, like Poirot and Hastings, gardens and mysteries are a perfect pair. Read more...

Pablo Picasso asked, "Why do two colors, put one next to the other, sing? Can one really explain this? No." If Picasso couldn't answer this, I sure can't. That's why I collect books about color, particularly color in the garden. Luckily, there are plenty of books to choose from. Read more...

What is a conifer? If that question makes you wrinkle your forehead and hesitantly think of pines and Christmas trees, these books may not be for you. On the other hand, if you know that conifers come in many colors—far beyond "ever green"—and that some are even deciduous, at least one of these books deserves a place on your bookshelf. Read more...