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Create an Impression: Landscaping for Curb Appeal
This book is a must-have resource complete with 23 professionally designed, easy-to-execute landscape plans. Author Maggie Clayton thoughtfully applies her philosophy that gardening should be enjoyable and that there is an ideal design for every gardener's needs--regardless of experience. Beautifully illustrated and cleary explained, these plans focus on transforming challenging front yards into ideal spaces. Each plan uses commonly available plants and allows gardeners to landscape in stages according to time, budget and desire--a perfect resource for anyone landscaping a new property or reviving a tired one.
250 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2007
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December 9, 2020
I bought this book in the summer of 2007 and it is still one of my favourite gardening books along with Lois Hole's Favorite Trees and Shrubs, that I reference and reread. Part of that is because both books feature trees, shrubs and perennials that were suitable and available for my Zone 4b Ontario garden north of Toronto.
What I love about Maggie Clayton's book is how practical the planting plans are. Did I mention they are colourful, gorgeous and in three dimensions? They are affordable for an average homeowner who wants more than a tree, a bush and a few flowers in pots.
The emphasis is on the plantings, not extensive hardscaping. The plantings should be attractive from the street and from the house. She emphasizes that plants are not static, they grow. Homeowners, landscapers and gardeners need to take into account the mature size of trees, shrubs, grasses and perennials they plant much too close to the house, the neighbour's property or the sidewalk, driveways and roads.
She includes descriptions of commonly available plants-particularly suited for Alberta, Canada-and northern Ontario. Right in the beginning, she points out that landscape fabric and stone mulch looks great when it is first put in, but a mess within a year. How true! Who is going to pull out those weeds that blew in with the wind?
She starts each design with the suburban property's problems and the homeowners preferences and makes a plan to scale with up to three stages to finish the project. She makes sure the front walkway is visible and accessible, and that the house is framed and dressed to set it off attractively within its neighbourhood. Another excellent feature is that she generally does not line walkways with plantings and yet leave the yard empty. In our snowbelt area you don't want precious plants next to your driveway or walkway to be damaged by the heavy snow-and salt-your snowblower is going to dump right there. She beautifully balances evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs so there is something beautiful to see in winter as well as the greener seasons.
Through her writing and plans I have developed a much better understanding of garden design and how which plants work together so that I could improve my last garden in Barrie and my new front yard (on a corner lot!) in southwestern Ontario.
I love Maggie Clayton's renderings and Akemi Matsubuchi's photographs.
I highly recommend this book if you want to improve your front yard.
Evie in Ingersoll
What I love about Maggie Clayton's book is how practical the planting plans are. Did I mention they are colourful, gorgeous and in three dimensions? They are affordable for an average homeowner who wants more than a tree, a bush and a few flowers in pots.
The emphasis is on the plantings, not extensive hardscaping. The plantings should be attractive from the street and from the house. She emphasizes that plants are not static, they grow. Homeowners, landscapers and gardeners need to take into account the mature size of trees, shrubs, grasses and perennials they plant much too close to the house, the neighbour's property or the sidewalk, driveways and roads.
She includes descriptions of commonly available plants-particularly suited for Alberta, Canada-and northern Ontario. Right in the beginning, she points out that landscape fabric and stone mulch looks great when it is first put in, but a mess within a year. How true! Who is going to pull out those weeds that blew in with the wind?
She starts each design with the suburban property's problems and the homeowners preferences and makes a plan to scale with up to three stages to finish the project. She makes sure the front walkway is visible and accessible, and that the house is framed and dressed to set it off attractively within its neighbourhood. Another excellent feature is that she generally does not line walkways with plantings and yet leave the yard empty. In our snowbelt area you don't want precious plants next to your driveway or walkway to be damaged by the heavy snow-and salt-your snowblower is going to dump right there. She beautifully balances evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs so there is something beautiful to see in winter as well as the greener seasons.
Through her writing and plans I have developed a much better understanding of garden design and how which plants work together so that I could improve my last garden in Barrie and my new front yard (on a corner lot!) in southwestern Ontario.
I love Maggie Clayton's renderings and Akemi Matsubuchi's photographs.
I highly recommend this book if you want to improve your front yard.
Evie in Ingersoll
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