Mix and match Take 'Margarita' potato vine, 'Merlot' lettuce, 'Superba' barberry and mix. The result is a delicious-looking combo that's ready for the tableau rather than the table.
That surprising plant mixture is one of 105 in "Designer Plant Combinations" (Storey Publishing, $18.95). Garden designer Scott Calhoun's book shows that a minimal number of plants -- six or fewer -- can yield maximum impact, from dynamic duos to smashing sextets. It includes advice for a variety of sites and conditions, from ground cover and borders to curbside plots and woodland paths.
Not all of the plant ingredients are zone-hardy, but tip boxes often suggest substitutions and offer how-to advice.
MARTHA BUNS
Small space possibilities If your landscape is the size of a postage stamp, you probably think your garden options are few. "Small Garden Design Bible" (Hamlyn, $24.95) will prove you wrong. Author Tim Newbury, a British landscape architect, promises "a design for every space," and delivers more than 40 small-scale garden plans, each accompanied by a diagram, list of elements, key features, suggested plants and step-by-step instructions for bringing the landscape to life. The plans are widely varied, with something for every aesthetic taste and time commitment, ranging from "tropical paradise balcony" to "wildlife garden" to "almost instant garden." But if none of these quite fulfills your garden fantasy, Newbury also makes it easy to "mix and match." For space-challenged gardeners who want to make the most of what little they have, this book is an invaluable resource.
KIM PALMER
