Intimate Gardens

Book excerpt: An intimate garden is just right for those who want welcoming outdoor spaces that smoothly integrate home and backyard, but are simply too busy for larger projects. From Brooklyn Botanical Garden guides, which the New York Times Book Review called "a brilliant collection of gardening books," comes wonderfully expert design, decoration, and cultivation advice for any region. Two esteemed, award-winning authors reveal how to get started; figure out the best shape for the space; work to the correct scale and proportion; add walls, fences, trellises, and hedges; put in terraces and decks; and select excellent trees, shrubs, and perennials. A plant encyclopedia covers all hardiness zones.