Creating the Perfect Garden

Most of us have yards with grass that we try to keep trimmed and dandelion free along with some flower pots and hangers so our home has some curb appeal. But, if you’re like most, you’d also love to have a backyard that’s infused with beauty and tranquility, but still has a purpose.

My ultimate goal would be to create an outdoor space where I can go and de-stress, meditate and enjoy the color and scents of delicate flowers and herbs. But, I need some landscaping ideas and how-to’s to get me started. I found a few books that set the tone for my ventures in creating a lush peaceful garden space.

Japan’s Master Gardens

Japanese gardens always emit a zen and harmonious ambience. They are artful oases with serene, restful, and alluring features where we feel compelled to sit and soak in the blossom scents and tranquil vibe. They act as a refuge for men, animals, and birds. They invite us to collect our thoughts and restore our spirit, our balance, and our yin and yang energy in a very short time.

Even though living space is at a premium in Japan, they have become amazingly resourceful at creating attractive gardens in both confined and open areas. Japan’s Master Gardens book offers lessons on using your space and environment effectively for the best results. The book is broken into five chapters, A Sense of Nature, The Modular Garden, Landscape Gardens, Requisitioning Space, and Healing Gardens.

The beautiful photography will not only give you ideas, they will inspire you to create your own tranquil space. They have used water, plants, rocks, stones, sand, statues, and Mother Nature’s natural environment to design gardens unlike any other.

The Edible Herb Garden

Herb gardens are becoming very popular. Many have turned their backyards into an edible oasis with raised gardening plots for both vegetables and herbs. With the cost of fresh produce and the uncertainty of harsh chemicals, many want to make constructive use of the real estate and grow their own garden. The Edible Herb Garden book is like a user manual that will get you started and excited about growing your own food. It will show you how to design an edible culinary herb garden in containers, pots, planters, and the ground. You’ll also learn how to grow herbs and harvest them properly.

The center of the book has an encyclopedia of culinary herbs from Angelica to Thyme along with colorful photos. They explain a little about each herb and share where and how to grow, tend, and harvest them. Did you know cilantro is a hardier plant? It grows best in cooler weather and can tolerate a light frost? It’s a perfect herb to grow here in Canada and I love it’s detoxing benefits.

The rest of the book shares a plethora of herb recipes and blends, along with some meal recipes that go well with herbal infusions. I really enjoyed thumbing through the pages and learning which herbs I can grow in my small space. This book would be a great addition for newbie and skilled gardeners.

Disclaimer: I received product to facilitate a review. All opinions are my own, yours may differ.