Looking for books on landscaping

[mswlogo]

I have a BX24 and I'm in Central NH on a lake.

Here is a list of goals and worries, that I hope might be at least partially covered in a good book.

1) Keeping things natural looking and not over done.

2) Low maintenance, there is very little lawn now and I'll probably keep it that way.

3) The property has some steep slopes and I'm concerned if I pull some ugly looking stumps out the slope will weaken and wash down in a bad storm.

4) Same goes for some rocks. Also worry one rock keeps leading to another.

5) Proper drainage and managing storm run off. This summer it rained at a rate of 16 inch/hr for 10 minutes. Thank god it was only for 10 minutes but boy it did some damage.

6) Keeping dirt sorted. Ok I got this pile of dirt now, what to I do with it? I want to save it for the next project that may need fill. Should I not keep it all sorted (Fill, TopSoil) and just buy some top soil to have on hand for each projects? Will a mix top soil and under fill turn to top soil on it's own in a few years or a few millennia?

7) Should I hire pro for just the planning part? I'm not in any rush, I consider it a hobby.

I'd love to see a book for the idiots guide to DIY landscaping.

Thanks for any pointers

[BTDT]

Welcome to TBN. Maybe do a search for landscaping on the internet first. Then maybe go to a library, and check out what they have and that has info that your looking for. I have one that was put out by Better Homes and Gardens (or one of those type magazines, I forget), but it was pretty informative. You might check some of those magazines websites and see what they have, I think some have different versions for different parts of the country. Good luck with your search and your projects.

[Nasty135]

Have you seen http://www.lawnsite.com/ , the hard scaping section will address your questions...

Note: you may have to become a member before you can see pics

It's a good source for scapes, lighting, ponds, etc..

[wupham]

You also might try the New Hampshire Extension Service. They don't produce books but have "fact sheets" that provide a lot of useful information. They would have a list of adapted plants as well as landscape design ideas.

See UNH Cooperative Extension Publications - Home & Garden Information Publications and then scroll down the landscaping section.

[whiteh2okayaker]

Landscaping with Nature by Jeff Cox was money well spent when I built my gardens, pavilian and TONS of rock work. I am reworking the front of my home now, it was a deck, now a stone patio, stone wall if front of the patio, arbor over sidewalk and stone flowerbeds. This project alone is 15 TON of stone. Gardens plus this project I have bough/ picked up 30+ ton of stone. I am so happy/ proud of my work I am starting a stone masonary, landscape business this spring. I like stone work and in the mountains of E. Tennessee it just looks right.
kayaker

[BTDT]

Landscaping with Nature by Jeff Cox was money well spent when I built my gardens, pavilian and TONS of rock work. I am reworking the front of my home now, it was a deck, now a stone patio, stone wall if front of the patio, arbor over sidewalk and stone flowerbeds. This project alone is 15 TON of stone. Gardens plus this project I have bough/ picked up 30+ ton of stone. I am so happy/ proud of my work I am starting a stone masonary, landscape business this spring. I like stone work and in the mountains of E. Tennessee it just looks right.
kayaker

Sounds like a nice project, any pics?

[drtydeed]

There are many decent landscaping design books available on-line as well as at your bookstores. Some of what I have are the sunset, ortho, better homes and gardens as well as the creative series. I would suggest that you also look into getting a decent tree/shrub guide for your area. One that I use quite a bit for my landscaping business is called "Tough Plants for Northern Gardens" by Felder Rushing.

Sunset books also has a series for solving particular landscaping problems/needs: "Hillside Landscaping, and Landscaping with Stone" which may help to provide you with some good ideas and starting points. Believe it or not, there actually is an "idiots guide to landscaping". Don't get it, it's not worth your time. You can also check local colleges /garden clubs for non credit classes in garden design etc.

Whatever you decide, take your time and enjoy.

[whiteh2okayaker]

Sounds like a nice project, any pics?

Check out my pics here, you can see my gardens and pavilain that I built for my wedding three years ago. I will add some recent photos later this week. The deck on the front of my home is where my recent project is. The new patio mates up with the existing stone side walk/house, side patio as well as in front of my home. The deck was in the way of the mountain view from in the home, now it is open and adds a lot to the over all view. Thanks for your interest!

MySpace.com - Eric - 33 - Male - Dayton, Tennessee - www.myspace.com/204191803