The Garden Bible: Designing Your Perfect Outdoor Space
By Barbara Ballinger and Michael Glassman (Images publishing, 2016) Buy It Now“Consider us your garden doctors, here to make a house call.” Dutchess County design writer Ballinger (The Kitchen Bible: Designing the Perfect Culinary Space, written with Margaret Crane) joined forces with landscape architect and photographer Glassman to assemble this dream book of outdoor spaces. Their definition of “garden” is broad, from luxurious poolside plantings and outdoor kitchens to traditional English cottage gardens, Zen gardens, and urban rooftop terraces. Chapters cover such topics as climate and sun, budgeting, working with landscape professionals, design principles, garden tours and public gardens, and other resources. But the book’s centerpiece is its detailed presentations of 30 properties with different architectural styles and site challenges, including before-and-after photos, ground plans, and key design features. Dig in!