Chicago Botanic Garden

Education — Lenhardt Library

Current Books & Book Reviews

PHOTO: bookcover

P. Allen Smith.
P. Allen Smith's Living in the Garden Home: Connecting the Seasons with Containers, Crafts, and Celebrations.
New York: Clarkson Potter, 2007.
cloth, 224 pp., ISBN 978–0–3073–4723–7, $32.50.

Garden designer P. Allen Smith encourages readers to "extend our living space to the garden" in this potpourri of ideas for beautifying homes and gardens. The popular TV celebrity communicates his wonderful sense of color and creative talents in this book that reflects his passion for gardening. He uses the seasons of the year as the format by which he organizes his thoughts. For example, the excitement of spring fosters his desire to get in touch with nature literally: to pick daffodils for a favorite vase, to build a potting table for starting seeds in containers, and to plant his garden, window boxes, and containers to welcome visitors to his attractive grounds. He provides colorful illustrations and instructions to accompany decorative projects for both indoor and outdoor living spaces. The text also contains valuable garden tips with lists of seasonal chores and his favorite plants. His charming floral designs and decorations will inspire the reader to add touches of personal style to seasonal décor and holiday celebrations.

— Marilyn K. Alaimo, garden writer and volunteer, Chicago Botanic Garden.