Designer Plant Combinations: 105 Stunning Gardens Using Six Plants or Fewer

For every gardener who has hesitated over plant pairings or wondered if an array of favorite plants will work well together in the garden, Designer Plant Combinations inspires and delights with professionally designed combinations using just two to six plants. Here are the secrets to combining French lavender with California fuchsia; prairie coneflower with hummingbird mint; and tall purple moor grass with dwarf Korean lilac in a small garden bed. The dramatic effects are marvelous.

Author Scott Calhoun traveled the country searching for the freshest, most exciting plant groupings. He visited the gardens of top designers from coast to coast and chose more than 100 combinations to include in his photographic celebration. Riots of complementary colors, masses of grasses, foliage spectacles in extraordinary shades of green and purple, and height variations as arresting as city skylines are all featured in these exciting gardens, each one an intimate self-contained glimpse of a larger garden.

Rather than complete garden designs, these combinations are small, understandable pieces that demystify the design process for home gardeners. The innovative ensembles are invitations to try plants together in fresh, inventive ways. The combinations are perfect as embellishments to or reinventions of existing gardens. A favorite pairing can be the beginning of a larger garden design, or a five-plant grouping might be all that is necessary to fill in a small urban garden. The possibilities are as varied as the gardener's imagination.

Thanks to species variation and the diversity of nature, you can produce comfortable and attractive garden spaces with six different types of plants or even fewer. Writing primarily for visually ambitious amateur gardeners with relatively little time or expertise, garden designer Calhoun uses a folksy approach and conversational language to present 105 gardens. He advocates mixing annuals, perennials, and grasses to produce garden spots rich in texture and color that are also responsive to seasonal changes. For example, he uses groups of presses that work together to represent the four seasons, masses of perennials that work together with annuals, and ground cover that remains attractive from spring through winter. He also includes tips for more advanced gardeners about companion planting and maintenance, and includes designs from public gardens for inspiration, along with designer resources and a USDA hardiness zone maps. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Perfect Combinations from America's Top Garden Designers

Put plants together in your own backyard using the best combination ideas from design professionals across the country. More than 100 stunning gardens inspire you to mix and match your favorite plants with confidence. Spark your garden-design creativity with proven groupings, test-planted and enjoyed by the experts. It's easy when every combination uses no more than six different plants!

The exciting ensembles include a variety of textures, colors, and seasonal displays. You will find chapters devoted to Perennial Partners, Masses of Grasses, Annual Acquaintances, and Ground Cover Groupies. There are plants for every preference and colors for every season, with alternatives for various climates. Choose your favorite and plant it as a gorgeous focal point in your garden or as a splash of fresh color in a small space.

Author Scott Calhoun has visited the gardens of top designers from coast to coast and

Scott Calhoun is an award-winning garden designer and the author of two previous books, Chasing Wildflowers and Yard Full of Sun, for which he won the American Horticultural Society's book award in 2006. Formerly the "Garden Expert" for Tucson's CBS affiliate, Calhoun now writes a weekly garden design column for The Arizona Daily Star and the Western states plant notes column for Country Gardens magazine. He's also a regular contributor to Sunset and Horticulture

Introduction

Perennial Partners

Masses of Grasses

Annual Acquaintances

Accent Plant Associates

Ground Cover Groupies

Buddies for Woodies

Designer Resources

Plant Resources

Public Gardens for Design Inspiration

USDA