Deckscaping: Gardening and Landscaping on and Around Your Deck by Barbara W. Ellis, Catriona Tudor Erler

Living Mind
Home Improvement

Decks & Patios Book

Deckscaping: Gardening and Landscaping on and Around Your Deck
by Barbara W. Ellis, Catriona Tudor Erler

Paperback: 176 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.57 x 10.04 x 9.28
Publisher: Storey Books; (January 1, 2002)
ISBN: 1580174086

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From Publishers Weekly: In Deckscaping: Gardening and Landscaping on and Around Your Deck, Barbara W. Ellis observes that in many cases, the deck was nothing more than a platform that was stuck onto a dwelling. She goes into great detail, with color photos and drawings, to show how this space can be used and enjoyed year round, even in cold climates. From simple to elaborate, she suggests surfaces, materials, plantings, furniture and gives tips on maintenance as well.

From Booklist: The Great American Deck, that no-man's land between house and garden, is often a barren vista or neglected way station on the path to the backyard, but with Ellis' expert guidance, even the most lowly deck can be elevated into a lush garden room worthy of its inside partners. Using basic interior design principles, Ellis embarks on an exterior "deck-oration" process that begins by critically assessing views and recommending ways to adapt interior schemes for exterior enjoyment. Through Ellis' creative pointers, homeowners can easily develop a tempting transition from the backdoor to the backyard that will reflect their lifestyles and personalities. Inspirational color photographs and detailed project checklists help develop design needs; and to further enhance deck landscaping possibilities, Ellis thoughtfully recommends plants that attract hummingbirds and butterflies, incorporate fragrance, provide screening, or furnish kitchen herbs. From choosing containers to selecting furniture, every aspect of deck design and usage is thoroughly addressed, making this an excellent resource for new deck construction or old deck revitalization projects.

Book Description: Decks are popular in North American landscapes because they serve as outdoor sanctuaries. They are in the back yard, where life is quiet and less hectic. The deck is the perfect place to read the Sunday paper, listen to a ballgame, or entertain when the weather's nice. But a large, flat expanse of deck isn't all that exciting. Often, decks look bare and uninviting and can take up valuable gardening space.

With DECKSCAPING, learn to landscape on and around your deck. Landscaping and planting techniques help create the feeling that the deck is surrounded by the garden while hiding the deck's unsightly undercarriage. Add structure and privacy to the deck by building a lattice-covered pergola and growing climbing vines on it for shade. Containers planted with flowers, herbs, or vegetables bring the garden, with its fragrances, butterflies, birds, and wildlife, right up onto the deck. Running low on space? Attach hanging baskets and planter boxes to the railing. What you plant around your deck is just as important as what you plant around your house.

In addition to teaching landscaping and planting techniques, DECKSCAPING provides decorating tips on furniture, ornaments, and water features that strengthen the link between indoor and outdoor rooms. Homeowners will also learn how to evaluate a deck, analyze its usefulness and effectiveness, and identify options to improve it so that it is comfortable, safe, and appealing.

From the Inside Flap: Let climbing roses wander up a trellis or train old-fashioned wisteria on an arbor, enclosing your deck with color and shad and filling it with fragrance on summer evenings. Surround your deck with spring flowers and fall berries, as well as annuals and perennials that attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Plant ornamental edibles and herbs in containers or in a deckside bed for summertime meals. With flowers, vines, arbors, trellises, comfortable furnishings, well-placed lighting, and great decorating ideas, you can transform your deck into an inviting place to linger all year long.

About the Author: Barbara Ellis is a freelance writer, an editor, and a lifelong gardener. The author of several books in the Taylor's Guide series, she has also worked as a Managing Editor at Rodale Press and as a Publications Director for the American Horticultural Society. Ellis lives with her husband and an assortment of dogs in a 200-year-old stone farmhouse surrounded by a large, organic, wildlife-friendly garden.

Customer Reviews
how to create a welcoming haven!, April 8, 2002
Reviewer: A reader from Clallam Bay, WA United States
Gardening and Landscaping On and Around Your Deck. How to surround your deck with spring flowers & fall berries, & fill it with flowers that will attract birds & butterflies, as well as create an edible landscape for yourself.

Time to turn your deck into a place worth living in? Want to add a little Eden into your life?

Barbara Ellis has the book for you!

With gorgeous photographs & elegant drawings; lists of flowers that will attract wildlife; comparisons of different kinds of containers & trellises, & simple instructions on how to do almost anything with plants, DECKSCAPING is a must for anyone wanting to change that drab outdoor area into a welcoming haven for yourself & your wild life!

Deckscaping: Gardening and Landscaping on and Around your De, March 25, 2002
Reviewer: Ann McMahon from San Diego, CA United States
This book is an excellent addition to my collection of gardening books. The author did a great job of outlining projects and listing the plants used in the projects. The pictures are a great guide to anyone desiring to either duplicate her projects or simply get ideas. Since I work fulltime and have only the weekend to indulge my love of gardening, I look for ideas in books and gardening magazines--this book is a great source. With the current focus on extending our living space to the outdors, I like to maximize what little spare time I have by utilizing the results of someone else's vision and labor. I hope they don't mind.

THOROUGHLY INTRIGUING, February 27, 2002
Reviewer: petersmaclean from Prince Edward Island, Canada
This book thoroughly intriqued me because often when we think of decks, we think of some elaborate, expensive project. In this case building a deck can mean little more than building a simple platform and from there, expanding on your idea to whatever extent one chooses. How far one goes with design will likely depend to a certain degree on space, lifestyle and financial resources. There are some great ideas here for furniture, planters, etc. and the photography is quite appealing. Wondering what to plant around your deck and where? This book offers some really great suggestions. Now, if I could just find my existing deck under all this snow....

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