Price : $21.96

Product Description

The Well-Designed Mixed Garden is a design book with a difference. Written for gardeners who are passionate about plants of all kinds (hence the mixed garden of the title), it reflects decades of professional experience and artistic innovation. As with her bestselling book The Well-Tended Perennial Garden, master designer and plantswoman Tracy DiSabato-Aust provides not only inspiration but also scrupulously organized information on design and connoisseur plants — all from original research dating back to her degree work in horticulture.

Her new offering is a master class of design fundamentals, with an emphasis on often-neglected topics, such as site evaluation, color theory, and planning for maintenance. It is also a gallery of detailed design plans that show how ideas are put onto paper and then translated into three dimensions. Lessons learned in its first two parts are strengthened in an Encyclopedia of Plant Combinations; each entry notes the design considerations at play and provides tips on how to keep the combination looking its best. And the lifetime care needs and unique design characteristics of featured plants are summarized in the useful charts and lists that conclude the book. The result is a nearly foolproof guide to every aspect of designing superior gardens with superior plants. With more than 250 color photos and illustrations, this book is as much a feast for the eyes as it will be a trusted reference for the library shelf.

Customer Reviews

Review date : 2007-09-03
Comprehensive and very user friendly. A book every home flower gardner would want to have.

Review date : 2007-05-16
I’ve heard other gardeners talk about Tracy’s books and what an inspiration they are, so I bought "The Well-Designed Mixed Garden" expecting to learn some GREAT ideas for my gardens. It has some good information on principles of design and how to work with color, texture, and so on. But I was disappointed at how weak and uninspiring the section is on plant combinations. She calls it an "encyclopedia of plant combinations," and the section is full of photos of flowers and plants she thinks are winning combinations. The combinations mostly have no real visual appeal, the photos (in that section) are plain, and it’s a wasted section of the book. I think there was only one of these combinations that actually looked beautiful. Most of these photos were from her own garden, and perhaps she let her personal affection for her own gardens cloud her judgment on what to include.

I like the rest of the book, however, and her examples of garden designs in other parts of the book have good photos and design layout drawings that are quite useful.

Review date : 2007-05-12
This book is so helpful in figuring out how to mix flowers and plants in border-type gardens. It details color combinations and tells what flowers go well together. It provides pictures of various gardens in different season to provide an idea of how the landscape will look in Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.

Review date : 2007-02-05
This is the first book I would recomend to anyone! Ms. Disabato-Aust compiles a vast amount of quality information in one book, and she explains abstract concepts in a way that regular people who aren’t master gardeners can understand. She also includes insights from her vast experience; it’s not a dry recitation seen in other sources. She explains when and why to break the generally-accepted guidelines.

I’ve been a hard-core gardener for about three years, and I’ve already gleaned some of the information from other sources. But I had to read a lot of different books and articles to get it, and it was often contradictory. The book not only ties it all together in a cohesive manner, but gives very detailed examples.

I particularly enjoyed the section on combinations, where Ms. Disabato-Aust explains why certain things work together in a converational tone. Far from being a preening dilletante, the author’s manner is friendly and warm.

I only had two complaints, and they are possibly unique to me. As you might expect, the "example" gardens shown used Ms. Disabato-Aust’s style of gardening. It’s wonderful, but I have a different style, and would have appreciated seeing the gardening principles illustrated using different styles. Second, I garden in North Florida. A fair number of the plants that look so beautiful in her Ohio garden wouldn’t make it in North Florida.

Review date : 2006-03-24
I’m a master gardener from Illinois,and have heard Tracy Disabato-Aust on a number of occasions. Her book The Well-Tended Perennial Garden has long been our bible for perennials. In this new book, she makes accessible for all gardeners the depth of her experience and research in incorporating many kinds of plants in a mixed border. The book is worth buying for the appendices alone: plants by design and maintenance characteristics as well as common/scientific name cross-references. A must-have garden reference book!

Annuals are beautiful flowers that grace almost every garden. Depending on your zone, they will last only the season and die off in winter. Sometimes called bedding plants they are relatively inexpensive and loved for their bright flowers which bloom all summer.

Annuals start and end their life cycle in one growing season. Typically, you would purchase them in spring and plant them after threat of frost has passed (although some hardy varieties may survive a frost). Some popular annuals include pansies, impatiens, petunias, marigolds and begonias.

You can buy annuals for your garden and most garden centers and even the big home centers like Lowes and Home Depot. Annuals are sold in different packages - some come in large pots but many come in tiny little individual packages like an ice cube tray with about 6 plants per pack. You can buy as many packs as you need to fill in your area, but be sure to read the instructions on the tag as to how far apart to plant so you know how many to get.

Planting them depends on the particular variety that you have but most annuals like a sunny spot with well drained soil. Annuals need warm soil and stable temperatures so you want to wait until it is well into spring and you know the ground is warmed up and it wont be getting too cold.

One good way to figure out where you want to place the plants is to place them in different spots and configurations while still in their containers. Once you have found the perfect arrangement, youre ready to plant!

Its a good idea to moisten the soil before you start planting. Then dig the holes deep enough so that the base of the plant stem will be even with the top of the dirt (all the roots will be under the ground just like when it was in the pot). Carefully remove the annual from its original container, shake some of the dirt loose from the roots and place in the hole. Then put the dirt back around the plant, pat gently and water thoroughly. You might want to add some organic mulch and liquid fertilizer.

As your annuals begin growing and producing flowers youll want to be sure to water them every day - not too much though, just enough to soak the ground. Also, get a good fertilizer specifically for flowers and use it as directed. Inspect your flowers for pests or disease and remove dead flowers, leaves and branches regularly. This will prevent fungi from growing which can hurt your plants. Look for signs of wilting and yellowed leaves and adjust your care accordingly.

Planting annuals in your garden can give you variety of plants and color year after year. It will allow you to experiment with different plants until you find the combination perfect for your garden.

Lee Dobbins writes for http://www.backyard-garden-and-patio.com where you can get more articles on annuals and gardening.

Annuals provide gardeners with an inexpensive way to add variety and long lasting color to the landscape. Though they will bloom all season long, annuals sprout from seed, flower, set seed and die within one growing season and need to be replanted each year, at least here in New England. What can be considered and annual here in Massachusetts may actually be a perennial in Florida so the term annual is somewhat relative.

Most annuals cannot tolerate freezing temperatures so they should be planted after the last spring frost; here in Massachusetts its usually safe to plant in early may. Be aware of your local conditions before you plant as well of the needs of the plant. Few annuals will thrive in the shade. Most prefer between 6 and 8 hours of sun each day, there are a few annuals, however, such as impatiens and begonias, which will tolerate some light shade. When choosing your site, avoid areas which remain water logged after summer showers.

With their impressive displays of color, annuals are able stand on their own as bedding plants. They can also add color to the herb garden or fill in thin spots and gaps in the perennial bed where they can be used to compliment other flowers.

Proper site preparation is essential. To prepare the ground for planting turn over the soil to the depth of about 1′ and add compost and peat moss. Basically, you’ll want to prepare the planting area the same way you would a perennial bed. Add compost and other organic matter to increase water retention in sandy soils. For clay soils, add compost and sand to improve drainage. To promote deep root growth water thoroughly. Let the soil dry out before watering again. Soaker hoses work well in annual beds since they slowly soak the soil while keeping the flowers and leaves dry. Nutrient rich soil will help annuals get established quickly which is critical in areas with short growing seasons. When planting, add to the soil a slow release fertilizer so the plants are fed through the entire season.

Once the annuals begin to flower deadheading becomes very important. This the process in which the past blooms are pruned or pinched off of the plant. Deadheading prevents annuals from putting all of its energy into producing seed heads; rather, the energy put forth will go into producing more flowers. Along with deadheading, be sure to cultivate the garden soil throughout the season, this will loosen compacted soil and allow moisture and nutrients to reach the plants deepest roots.

Light mulch, such as buckwheat hulls, will help reduce the growth of weeds in the garden and help the soil retain its moisture. Be sure to remove any weeds that do appear as annuals do not like competition for water and nutrients. Annuals can also be in competition with other garden plants. If the flowers are to be grown along the edges of the lawn, make sure that you edge the garden bed often with a garden spade. This will help keep the grass roots from growing beneath the garden and robbing the annuals of nutrients and moisture. If your planting beds are cut into the lawn, they should be at least 3 ft. wide; this will give the plants enough room to flourish.

When spring arrives, head out to the greenhouse, pick out some annuals and plant them as soon as the weather permits. Annuals tend to be a bit more labor intensive than perennials but the payoff, non stop colorful blooms from spring through autumn, makes it worth it.

T Hallinan is a landscape designer and builder in Massachusetts. Visit his garden resource website http://www.gardenlistings.com for all kind of helpful information. For more garden guides visit http://www.gardenlistings.com/resources.htm