Great gardening books

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3 Andrea Cochran: Landscapes
By Mary Myers, Princeton Architectural Press, $69.95

Who'll love this book: Landscape architecture wonks and modern design lovers.

Why: Known for her contemplative, contemporary gardens, lauded landscape architect Andrea Cochrane works in country and city, private homes and institutional settings.

The San Francisco-based architect marries her outdoor spaces to the spirit of the modern buildings they complement. She softens some edges, but doesn’t erase them. Wondering if gardens can be both lush and minimalist at the same time? Feast your eyes on the beautiful photos in this book and you’ll be convinced they can.

Sample wisdom: Consider pea gravel for your garden path or parking pad. It looks uniform, yet adds texture, tactile and auditory elements. Feeling and hearing it crunch underfoot is an instant mood lifter. And it’s more eco-friendly than concrete or asphalt since it absorbs rainwater and reflects less heat back into the atmosphere.

4 Backyards: A Sunset Design Guide
By Bridget Biscotti Bradley and the editors of Sunset Books, Sunset Publishing, $29.95

Who'll love this book: Anyone looking to improve their outdoor space this summer

Why: This book covers all the big topics when it comes to contemporary backyards. You'll find chapters devoted to cooking and entertaining, water features, play spaces for kids and pets, as well as the nitty gritty on lighting and heating, furniture and backyard structures.

Discussions of hardscaping materials, lawns and lawn alternatives, and transition spaces (side yards) are nicely illustrated.

Sunset Books sometimes get criticized for dated photography, but Backyards: A Sunset Design Guide boasts inspiring, on-trend photos and the information is service-oriented and hands-on.

The included interactive Sunset Landscape Designer DVD works on both PC and Macs.

Sample wisdom: Worried about the safety of a trampoline? Dig a hole in the ground, line it, and install the trampoline so the surface is at ground level. Accidental falls won’t be from an elevated surface. Added bonus: the formerly in-your-face trampoline visually recedes into the landscape, so your yard is less family-free-for-all and more family-chic.

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