— Chicago Botanic Garden — The Globe and Mail In this book, accomplished garden writer Judith Adam targets new homeowners in sterile, still-to-be-landscaped suburbs. Creating an attractive setting for a brand-new house is a high priority and hard to resist, as all improvements will add to the property's dollar value as well as the enjoyment of the new home. With a light hand Adam outlines the basic steps toward transforming an empty yard into a welcoming, appealing space, beginning with identifying a personal garden style and assessing the pros and cons of a site, then choosing, planting and maintaining plants. is a primer on the basic elements of landscape design and garden creation: planning for scale and balance, color selection, and architectural features are all landscape elements that homeowners must understand. Chapters include information on: All perennial and annual plant selections are easy to grow, suitable for all North American climates, and inexpensive. Judith Adams' previous title, , sold more than 72,000 copies. In she provides a highly readable road map for new homeowners and neophyte gardeners. It is an essential purchase for all collections.