Saturday, January 28, 2017

Book Launching: Introducing My Second Book-Landscape Design Combinations!

Landscape Design Combinations
The Story Behind the Book:

I am very excited to be officially announcing the launching of my second book, Landscape Design Combinations! Fifty something years ago, I developed a passion for all things green and started digging in the soil by the age of five. In the 1980's, I entered the field of education and after sixteen years, with the encouragement of friends, started up a landscape design business in 1996. I took up an interest in blog writing and photography in 2010, and after retiring from 32 years of teaching in 2013, I decided to put all my experiences into a published work. I had quickly realized that writing and publishing a book was not an easy task, but persisted in accomplishing what I had started. By 2015, I published my first book A Guide to Northeastern Gardening. 

The thought of starting the process all over again was the furthest thing from my mind, but to my own astonishment, the desire to write within me grew even stronger. There was still so much I wanted to share. As I started to write, the words came easily, and a second book started to materialize.  Now, two years later, I have completed Landscape Design Combinations, which takes the first book a step further by going much deeper into the design process, while offering numerous landscape designs with labeled photographs and descriptions. One can say that it completes what I had started. I am now thrilled to be able to share my love of gardening and design with you through a second book. 

What does this book have to offer?

Landscape Design Combinations is a comprehensive guide to help you plan your outdoor space. If you have ever felt overwhelmed by “what to plant where” in your garden, or have spent months, or even years, not knowing where to begin, Landscape Design Combinations will help to facilitate the process. The first two chapters deal with the basic principles of landscape design and color coordination. You will get ideas for the desired function of your space and discover your own personal sense of garden style and color preference. Throughout the book, each chapter builds upon the one before it, discussing foliage combinations, then types of and proper placement of evergreens, followed by flowering shrubs and finally, perennials.

Numbered and labeled photographs are supplied throughout the book with information on each plant, such as common or scientific name, plant descriptions and cold hardiness. Once plant usage and placement is covered, the remaining chapters discuss hardscape, with directions on how to build a simple stone walkway or patio, along with more information on garden styles. Each chapter will incorporate plants discussed earlier and create designs starting from simple perennial combinations to full landscape designs.

Discussion of evergreens and flowering plants will focus on placement and interest provided, while perennial combinations will include bloom time for each plant discussed. As each chapter progress, more detailed design plan layouts will be provided as a guide to assist you in planning your space. In the later chapters, topics covered include designing for seasonal interest, container combinations and hardscaping, with easy to follow designs. The book ends with "Garden Inspiration", which discusses garden styles throughout the centuries and how various design elements have developed over the years. Finally, a glossary is included with definitions of design terms used throughout the book.


About the Book:
Landscape Design Combinations provides the necessary tools to help you easily plan your garden, while offering a multitude of design plans with labeled photographs and detailed descriptions. Topics such as landscape design principles, color in design, the use of foliage, designing with deciduous and evergreen plants, planter combinations and landscape planning are discussed. Additional topics include designing with hardscape with “quick and easy” landscape designs and garden styles throughout history, with colorful illustrations. The information presented is applicable to both novice or professional gardener alike, and is all based on Lee Miller’s personal experience as a landscape designer for over twenty years. Lee Miller is also the author of “A Guide to Northeastern Gardening: Journeys of a Garden Designer”, initially published in 2015.

About the Author: 
Lee Miller is a professional landscape/garden designer involved in the horticultural industry since 1996. Having started a gardening blog in 2010, she is the author of over 200 articles on general gardening, landscape design principles, gardening tips, planting, pruning, garden maintenance, feature plants and more. In addition, Lee Miller has donated her time as a contributing writer for the American Heart Association Gardening Blog, as well as Gardening Know How, and has been involved as a presenter at local gardening clubs. 

To Preview Landscape Design Combinations, simply click on the link or icon below. I hope to inspire you!

As Always...Happy Gardening!

Author: Lee@A Guide to Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2017. All rights reserved

23 comments:

  1. this sounds like a great book!! i find landscape design, and garden layout so interesting and helpful!!! your images are beautiful!!!

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    1. Thank you Debbie! This book is an extension of the first and goes much more into the actual design process, with numerous numbered and labeled layouts. I took all the photographs myself, except for a few. Thank you for your kind words.

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  2. Congrats on the book and beautiful photos. I have always had a green thumb and started out rooting my own plants when I was a small girl and doing science fair projects on what makes plants grow in 2nd grade. Gardening is a peaceful and joyous passion and you show this in your photos

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    1. Thanks so much Renee! I hear from so many gardeners that their passion started while they were very young. I started digging in the soil by the age of five and my mom would buy me marigold seeds, so that I could nurture them and watch them grow. In addition, my next door neighbor had a yard with beautiful flowers, so I think part of my passion grew from knowing her. I believe gardening is a lifetime love.

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    1. Thanks so much Birgitta! Love your photography as always! Have a great week!

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  4. Congratulations on the book!
    Have a wonderful day!

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  5. Congrats on your second book Lee! Hope it will find new readers, your experience and knowledge is so valuable. Perhaps one day your book is translated and I buy it too.

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    1. Thanks so much for your kind words Nadezda. It would be nice if Kindle was able to translate. I know the basic Kindle has a translation dictionary, but am not sure how easy it would be to use.

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  6. I love to see and here about the garden beautiful flowers green forever my relax time is when I am with my flowers but since I came in California Sacramento area I can't really have such a colorful garden because of the very hot sunshine and to dry what I wanted to ask before I buy this book which sounds what I need is that for also the plants you can plant in base of area like California or the places when is rain and sunshine as New York ..let me know please Miranda

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    1. Hi Miranda. I looked up Sacramento, California on the USDA plant hardiness map and it is listed as hardiness zone 9b. I did a little investigating and some of the plants suggested for California are also grown here. The plants discussed in the book are hardy in a range of zones, mostly from zones 3-9 and I also teach about layout of evergreens, perennials, etc. Hope this information helps. Have a good day!

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  7. Congratulations to you Mrs Miller. Looks like a wonderful book.
    May you have much success getting published is hard, but your work is beautiful. yvonne

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    1. Thanks so much Yvonne! It is a lot of work but I am so glad to finally be able to share it!

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  8. It looks like an excellent read, Lee! Good luck with it and I hope it proves to be very successful.

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    1. Thank you Jane for your kind words and good wishes! I am just happy that the previews are finally running and the kindle version is published. Now it is a matter of getting the word out!

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    2. Thanks for the comment and the choices. I like the picks you made.
      Have a great weekend. yvonne

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  9. Congratulations on your new book. It looks like it is very informative and helpful, and filled with garden eye-candy! My kind of book!

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    1. Thank you Deb! I had fun putting this one together. I had taken a lot of photographs of botanical gardens that I was able to include as part of the "eye-candy"! Have a great week!

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    1. Thank you for stopping by and commenting Shon! I am glad you enjoyed the post. Have a wonderful week!

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  11. I really enjoyed reading this book. Nothing relaxes me more than cultivating my garden so that my family and I can really enjoy our backyard space. This book gave me some great ideas and even though I had to hire others to accomplish them sometimes, it's always worth it. What a great read!

    Natacha Davies @ Acer Landscape Services

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    1. Thank you so much for the beautiful review Natacha. I am so happy you found the book to be useful and coming from a fellow designer, it really means a lot. If you have a moment, could you be so kind to share your thoughts in a review on Amazon? I would really appreciate it!

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Thank you for visiting. I love reading your comments and knowing you have been here, and will try to reciprocate on your blog. If you have any questions I will try my very best to answer them. As always...HAPPY GARDENING!