Gardeners will enjoy digging into the hefty, lavishly photographed Terrain: The Container Garden Book, full of tips on creating container plantings in and around the home.
Melissa Bartley and Greg Lehmkuhl of Terrain, the home and garden lifestyle brand, believe "every empty planter is a potential fantasyland." Embracing a "nature-first ethos," the enthusiastic gardeners advise planning before planting, considering design principles, plant types, and container placement. Lush photos of the almost 100 projects are organized by the four seasons. Photo spreads of two or more pages feature component plants laid out side-by-side, followed by the completed container and a brief tutorial on how to create it. The designers don't limit themselves to traditional nursery plants but also include small trees, herbs, bulbs, grasses, mosses, and more. Reflecting their passion for their work, the authors' prose is as vivacious as the photographs, praising "fiery blooms" or "a vibrant fuchsia color palette" or a hydrangea's "chartreuse charm." Bursting with inspiration, Terrain: The Container Garden Book is designed to be "soil streaked and oft consulted." --Cheryl McKeon, Book House, Albany, N.Y.