Garden Style ---Better Homes and Gardens
Garden Styleis a rich book of ideas for those who have sun porches, glassed-in plant rooms, areas in the home that seem to be neither outside nor inside but somewhere in between. There's advice on how to accent plant life with bright patterned rugs, glass topped tables, or wicker chairs. Also included are ideas for kitchens and living rooms "inspired" by garden style: a few gaffes here, including curtain rods made from twigs, which look, well, weird. Much more successful are pages devoted to a "miniature conservatory," like the terrariums kids buy in kits, but these are built carefully and delicately--an ecosystem small enough to fit on a kitchen shelf. For those whose potting sheds have become dark caverns full of lost tools, there's a section devoted to this often neglected but highly important room, one that, if bright and well-organized, can inspire even the most weary gardener: all the tools lined up, all the seeds and bulbs labeled and in order, full of promise. For the city dweller there's advice on roof gardens designed around the skyline, and these have a wonderful feeling of oasis and secrecy.--Emily White