August 15, 2016
This book by Slatalla (editor-in-chief of the website Gardenista) consolidates years of research and practical experimentation for transforming the basic garden or back yard into an extension of indoor living space. More than mere garden planning, the book explores the additional elements of furnishings, accessories, accoutrements and color, integrating nature and luxury to create an outdoor home setting as a place of personal retreat. Horticultural advice is also woven into the plan so that, for example, an outdoor space that incorporates a color palette of burgundies, silver, and purple is well-served to cultivate Cotula leptinella as an optimal ground cover between pavers: “Aptly nicknamed dollhouse fern, low-growing ‘Platt’s Black’ has foliage with a purple sheen... grows densely and has a shallow root system, which makes it ideally suited to creeping between stones.” Aided by 480 color photographs, this beautiful book showcases innovative gardening concepts based upon real homes, highlighting details—the placement of beeswax tea candles, tablecloth clamps, and butterfly chairs—in harmony with shade trees, hedge shrubs, and stone walls. The end result is a display of outdoor living space that integrates plants, color, balance, design, and also functionality. Color photos.