How to Create Your Garden: Ideas and Advice for Transforming Your Outdoor Space

A good beginner's book with some great garden examples, but the bulk of the book focuses on "how to" do the labor (drawing your garden plan, building the garden (hardscape, building raised beds, etc.) rather than inspirational ideas for design and planting. The photos that do show gorgeous inspirational design ideas do not have plant identifications attached. There are sections on specific plants with identification. Good points: Adam Frost really knows his stuff, his sample plans are accompanied by drawings of how it would actually look (a rarity in books with garden plans), his ideas for inspiring oneself are very good, and his "how I work" sections are excellent (the sequence of specific plants he would choose for a garden). If you want lots more design inspiration (plant combinations, etc.), I suggest the two books by Matt James (RHS publisher) which are loaded with gorgeous ideas.

This book is full of great ideas for all types of gardens and gardeners.

👍🏼

beautiful book. and so much information---it's a start to finish instruction book. Great pictures and instructions.

While this ebook provides some good design information, especially for a beginner, I found it of little value because it is formatted such that I can’t highlight, page-mark, cut/copy, nor add notes. These are basic features available in the myriad ebooks on this topic which I’ve purchased.This is a personal preference, I know; but, absent these basics, I am left having to take notes by hand in order to take advantage of anything in the book I may wish to refer back to at a later date, which defeats one of the primary purposes of digitization. To me, this was a frustrating disappointment.

This is a very good reference book for explaining how to plan your garden, lay brick and gravel paths, how to figure out what tools and materials you need, how to layer the border, etc, along with helpful pictures and illustrations. Included some beautiful pictures of finished gardens. Although Frost is from the UK, measurements, etc are in inches and feet for us Americans who are metrically-challenged. Many of the plants are too tender for my NE area but the book's strong points lay in the planning, how-to areas of landscaping.

Great book with lots of helpful information. Beautiful photos.

Adam Frost is so enlightening with his ideas,expert advise - such an enjoyable book to own.Thank you Adam

If ever a publication needs the Amazon ‘LOOK INSIDE’ facility, for me, this is it and, at the time of writing, I hope it comes along in the future. Until then, apologies for the lengthy writing!On the first flick through, my initial impression was that this book is aimed at fairly serious garden designer level.However, on closer inspection, there is a fair amount of straightforward advice & guidance to encourage the lay-man, depending on experience & budget, with each design section benefitting from a useful ‘ASK ADAM’ close, each of which includes a 'QUICK FIX' & 'KEY KNOWLEDGE' facts that also make interesting reading.Colourfully illustrated throughout, the publication also benefits from clearly laid out, numbered, step-by-step instructions, where relevant, e.g. 'BUILD A WATER FEATURE', on pages 194/195.Technically, if you throw enough money at it, you could create practically anything, but a significant level of skill is required along with specialist tools, to accomplish some of the projects, and IMO, some professional help might also be a wise investment.ooOoo~ RHS/DK~ HOW TO CREATE YOUR GARDEN: IDEAS AND ADVICE FOR TRANSFORMING YOUR OUTDOOR SPACE~ ADAM FROSTooOooWell designed for quick access to a point of interest, the chunky hardback measures around 23.75 cm x 19.75 cm x 2.75 cm and opens to 256 matte-finish pages, split over 3 main chapters as shown in the 'CONTENTS' (1st image below refers), then into various sub-sections, namely:(1) DESIGN:~ UNDERSTAND YOUR SPACE:IntroductionGet to know your spaceMap out your spaceGet to know your soilAssess your garden’s climateThink about your settingASK ADAM~ DESIGN FOR PEOPLE:IntroductionWho is your garden for?What is your garden for?How much time to do have?ASK ADAM~ FIND YOUR STYLE:IntroductionChoosing your materialsTerracesDesigning terracesPaths and walkwaysDesigning paths and walkwaysSteps and level changesBoundariesFurnitureWater featuresLightingFeaturesStructuresBuild a moodboardASK ADAM~ CHOOSE YOUR PLANTS:IntroductionFinding your planting styleThink in layersUpper and lower canopy of treesMid-layer shrubsPerennialsBulbsClimbers and wall shrubsAnnuals, biennials and short-lived plantsHedgesA mixed borderA shady borderA hot, dry borderA damp borderReview you planting wish listASK ADAM~ BRING IT ALL TOGETHERIntroductionStep 1: Start the processStep 2: Explore optionsStep 3: Find the right balanceStep 4: Add some detailStep 5: Finalise your planStep 6: Build your layersStep 7: Plot your plantsASK ADAMooOoo(2) BUILD:~ BUILD YOUR GARDENIntroduction Basic tools for hard landscaping Preparing the site Creating a good base Lay a gravel path Lay slab paving Lay brick paving Build a low brick wall Build steps Concreting posts Erect fencing Build a plant support with rope swags Build a raised bed Build a water feature~ PLANT YOUR GARDENIntroductionBasic tools for soft landscapingPreparing the ground for grassLay turfPlant trees and shrubsPlant perennialsPlant bulbsooOoo(3) ENJOYThis section is simply an introduction ahead of a double-page spread dedicated to each month of the year, with things to do.A section entitled ‘USEFUL INFORMATION’, starts on page 240:~ MEASURING YOUR SITE~ CALCULATING QUANTITIES~ GLOSSARY~ BASIC BUILDING MATERIALSThe book winds up with a 3-page alphabetical INDEX, with italicised page numbers denoting illustrations, just ahead of the page of ACKNOWLEDGMENTS & a page ABOUT THE AUTHOR.[30 images attached ©ADAM FROST & DK/2019](17/03/19)

Great book from one of the best in the business. If you like Adam Frost on Gardeners World then you will love this book.I love how there are sections within sections. So the overarching themes of designing, building and then enjoying your garden can be read as one book, or you can dip in and out when you need a bit of advice from a true pro.So I am looking to lay a good base of hardcore and pebbles for an area of 18 raised beds soon. The section which covers what tools you need, preparing the site, and creating a good base (for paths) will be really useful.It has everything from what plants to use, to tree planting, to a month by month guide.Finally some superb illustrations and photographs.Just love it!

Very disappointed. I had hoped for something more inspirational and with much more emphasis on planting. Instead, it’s more like a diy manual for gardens, for example, several pages on how to concrete in fence posts, not what I wanted. Far too few planting ideas. There are thousands of you tube videos to tell me how to lay concrete. The ‘Transforming your outdoor space’ in the title is very misleading. It’s basically a book about hard landscaping with a few planting suggestions almost as an afterthought.

Gosh this reminds me so much of the lovely Geoff Hamilton who I loved to watch. His gardeners world programmes were not only great because he’d talk about plants, but he made things too which I attempted (as a young women then) with great eagerness...This book by Adam however is even better...And as a now 50+ lady I’m sure to find something to attempt to do.I’ve also brought this book for my daughter who is sure to learn the passion for gardening with the attention to detail with book has to offer.

Really enjoy dipping in and out of this book. It is so simple but gives good ideas on planning with suggestions on scheme, i e a dry garden. I really like the hard landscaping section. It makes it seem possible for anyone with some DIY skills. I think it has appeal to people wanting to achieve simple one off tasks and to those wanting to re-design a full garden.