Mrs. Greenthumbs Plows Ahead : Five Steps to the Drop-Dead Gorgeous Garden of Your Dreams

Rating:
Summary: Lighthearted writing to take seriously
Review: I first happened across this book on display at my library and was entranced. The breezy style and down to earth advice were just right for my overworked, January-numbed mind. And after about the twentieth time Cassandra hammered away at the concept of garden "rooms," something finally clicked. I know this sounds corny, but one of those lightbulbs flashed on above my head, and I finally thought, "Hey, I really can do this in my own yard! I can have GARDENS!" Her clear, personal, descriptions of how to create gardens have radically changed how I view my little suburban yard and the act of gardening. And yes, I'm happily planning for spring.

Rating:
Summary: Not Quite As Great as The First
Review: I ordered this book because I laughed til I wept reading the first Mrs. Greenthumbs book, and at the same time dog-eared pages to refer back to for specific information. A perfect gardening reference (or would have been perfect, with the addition of good drawings)! This sequel, however, is Mrs. Greenthumbs Lite. Though the lovely drawings in this volume are welcome and helpful, they feel like padding added to a thin mixture. While the material is useful and clear there just isn't much of it. Also, the humor in this book definitely strains for its effects and ends up being more vulgar than genuinely amusing (not the case with Mrs. Greenthumbs I, which is hilarious and, yes, somewhat risqué).

Rating:
Summary: Easy to understand design concepts explained with humor
Review: What a wonderful garden book! This is the first garden book I've found that explains the idea of proportion in garden design, with many specific examples to make the concept clear and easy to understand. (For example, if you have a six foot fence, the bed alongside it should be four feet deep. Read the book to get the mathematical formula.) She also describes the idea of "garden rooms" as a way to organize a property's landscaping. Very, very helpful and inspiring.

Rating:
Summary: Warm, witty and wise
Review: When I grow up, I want to be like Mrs. Greenthumbs!
This book doesn't have any glossy photos - just so much practical gardening information that it's the BEST gardening book I ever read (and I've read many, many, many). Cassandra Danz shares her successes - and her failures - and hard-learned lessons in a funny, easy-to-read, month-by-month format. I LOVE this!!!