Author: Joanna Smith
Publisher: Hamlyn, 2003
Soft Cover, 10.5″x8.0″, 96 pages

This is a slim but useful primer for designing and redoing small gardens. Chapters, marked by color-coded tabs, highlight her five steps in planning a garden: “Where to Start,” “Temporary Measures,” “Make the Framework,” “Fill in the Detail,” and “Put the Plan into Action.” Many of her recommendations are perfect for urban dwellers with small plots of land (or even those who want to garden on terraces or balconies) as well as gardeners wanting to redo the landscape surrounding their summer cottages.

To begin, she recommends choosing a style (e.g., formal vs. informal, symmetrical vs. relaxed) and then making a plan on paper to, she provides advice on removing rubble, drainage, leveling the land and adding topsoil. She discusses framework, such as fences, stone borders and brick terraces.