Outdoor lighting is very critical to the function of your outdoor area when the sun goes down. There are a variety of lights available for use outdoors from simple wall mounts to intricate pathway lighting.

Wall mounts are great for patios and porches. When placed near doors that enter your home they serve as security as well, keeping the dark shadow areas to a minimum. Wall mounts are available in a wide variety of styles, from detailed and decorative wall lanterns to bright and functional flood lights. Wall mounts are great for lighting your outdoor patio or porch since they can be wired from within your house and do not require additional underground work.

Deck post lights and lanterns are another great way to bring light to your porch. This style of lighting attaches to your porch railing, as the name implies. Post lanterns bring light to the outer parts of your porch where wall mounts may not reach.

Path lights or walkway lights are perfect for lighting a sidewalk that leads to a sitting area that is not attached to your home, such as a gazebo or water garden. Solar pathway lights have become very popular since they do not require any underground electrical work. An area away from your house requires a lot of additional lighting for outdoor use since it does not have the capability of having a bright wall mount fixture as the primary source. This additional lighting can be achieved by a variety of landscape lighting techniques including accent lights, spotlights, and garden lanterns.

Without the right lighting, your outdoor time is over when night falls. But if you carefully consider your lighting choices for your outdoor areas, you can have many hours of enjoyment and entertaining outdoors even after the sun has gone down.

Price : $18.98

Product Description

A well-designed garden provides pleasure to owner and visitor alike but often eludes even the most experienced gardener. Encompassing many different disciplines, garden design is one of the most challenging art forms but, with time and practice, everyone can develop the necessary skills. The Essential Garden Design Workbook guides you through every stage of designing a garden from site assessment through to drawing up plans and selecting suitable hard landscaping and plants. By working through the book from start to finish, a designer garden is within everyones reach.

This practical workbook goes right back to basics and pinpoints the key practical essentials for a successful design. Here you will learn how to assess your site and experiment with design ideas that fit well with the gardens surroundings. You will find easy ways to measure large spaces, estimate the height of a tree, and advice on the right proportions for a deck, pathway or steps. The book includes clear instructions for drawing up plans from initial site survey through to final design, complete with tips on drawing and rendering detail to give a professional touch.

This book is tailormade for hands-on gardeners who want to rework their gardens to achieve that sought-after designer finish. Hundreds of explanatory drawings and quick-reference diagrams provide facts at your fingertips making this workbook a vital addition to the bookshelves of every gardener, design student and newly qualified professional.

Customer Reviews

Review date : 2008-10-01
Very good book! This is a must have book for a beginner landscape design. A lot of examples to understand a process of garden design. I would most definitely recommend this book!!

Review date : 2008-02-12
Whether you’re a landscape designer or hands-on gardener, this is an excellent step-by-step workbook. There are many such guidebooks on the market but this is the most comprehensive. It’s packed with sketches to illustrate each point the author makes and offers a space-planning system for anyone suffering moments of ‘writer’s block.’ Having worked as a landscape desginer for many years, I pick up this book regularly and rediscover something new each time.

Review date : 2007-11-22
This book covers all phases of garden design, from original research, obtaining the owner’s requirements, site survey sketch, checklist and inventory, to conceptual diagrams, presentation plans, theme plan, preliminary garden layout plan and final planting plans.

It discusses space, light, proportion and scale, color plates, ground plane, vertical plane, overhead plane, materials, texture, principles of planting design, planting styles, practical considerations, seasonal effects, and rendering techniques for various plans. It also has a plant list and plant hardiness zones at the end. This is one of few books that actually discuss the design aspect of gardens / landscaping. Very practical!

Gang Chen, Author of "LEED AP Exam Guide" & "Planting Design Illustrated." LEED AP, AIA

Review date : 2006-03-21
I have been looking for a garden design book for some time that would be heavy on how to lay out the design professionally on paper. This book goes through the progression of the design process and shows each step in the process. It has been extremely helpful in my designing of a three acre property.

Review date : 2006-02-01
I am using this book as a textbook for a Garden Design class. I have several years of garden design experience and have many more years of gardening experience. This book explains the design process in an easy to understand and inspiring way. I have found that it addresses planting and design in subtley different ways that jog my mind to be more creative. It is well written, well designed and very informative.

Price : $10.92

Product Description

The essential sourcebook for creating your own dream garden. From planning to planting, a comprehensive guide to creating attractive landscapes and flourishing gardens.

Customer Reviews

Review date : 2008-06-11
I was pleased to see so many areas covered with enough information to do it yourself without further research. Many design guides give you the ideas, but not the full "how to." This book helps you with determining what will work best for you, and then how to go about doing it. The only problem after reading through this book will be deciding which ideas you’re going to use.

Review date : 2007-12-28
As the chairman of the Society of Landscape Designers, and a member of the Institute of Horticulture in England, Robin Williams summarized his professional experience and extensive knowledge in "Garden design."

"Garden design" covers every aspect of garden design, including the basic of garden design, elements of design (principles, style, the formal garden, the informal garden, the combination garden), establishing priorities (take your time, decide what you want, anticipate change, source of inspiration, complete your checklist), the survey and related drawings, the analysis, the zoning plan, the finished design, the working plan and work schedule, getting started (shaping and contouring, water problems, drainage, irrigation, marking out, space and proportion, pattern and scale, character underfoot), horizontal planting (lawn, decorative ground cover, natural effect), flexible surfaces (softer surfaces, hard surfaces, wood), edging, rigid surfaces (natural stone, reconstructed stone and concrete, paving, bricks and tiles, concrete laid on site,), steps and ramps (planting steps, safety features, ramps), furnishing the garden, plants and containers, garden accessories, water and rock features, leisure and garden games, garden plants, family gardens, water gardens, rose gardens, rock gardens, grass gardens, seaside gardens, plant lover’s gardens, country-style gardens, wildlife gardens, deck gardens, city gardens, and dry or Xeriscape gardens.

"Garden design" has 208 pages and over 500 interior color photos and illustrations. It is one of the most comprehensive garden design books, and a must-have for both design professionals and ordinary garden lovers!

Gang Chen, Author of "LEED AP Exam Guide" & "Planting Design Illustrated." LEED AP, AIA

Review date : 2007-09-18
Firs time I saw this book in library and it was great for me (I wanted to create a nice garden near the house and this book seemed very helpful) so I decided to try to buy the same through internet - found it at Amazon and was suprized about possibility to buy it not for $32 bur for $4.15 (Great Thanks to Smoky Mountain Books !!!) plus shipping ($3.99) - this prise was more than good especially for such a great book. The shipped it quick enought and in "like new" condition. So, now this book helps me a lot with my garden(it has nice pictures and good theoretical information) - it’s really great and more thanks to Smoky Mountains for such an affordable price. !!!!

Review date : 2003-02-16
This book not only contains wonderful landscape inspirations, but is a wonderful technical resource as well. The detail and diagrams provided help the novice attain professional results with structural elements in the garden.

Review date : 1997-10-09
Robin Williams takes the reader on a tour of the elements that make a garden complete. From making a survey of your property to designing a pergola, all types of gardens and garden elements are discussed and fully illustrated. Detailed descriptions and illustrations tell you how to prepare and lay a brick patio, design a special fence to enclosue your yard or even adding a gazebo. For those doing it themselves or those desiring to know how it is done this book is for you with full color illustrations and photographs.