aacrane

Lovin' the "controlled exuberance" aspect of it all. I tend to garden along those lines as well, though my standard sized house lot doesn't have a ton of space for exuberance!!!

I liked your comment about the euphorbia planted in the metal sleigh. I'm in SoCal, and I planted two in the back yard a couple years ago. I now have them popping up all over the place! Talk about a self-sower. The good part is that they easily pull out and re-plant without any down time. Though I have to say, recently, they've been ending up in the hot compost. Enough is enough! That said, I have a gorgeous pot of starts with little yellow flowers just popping out right now, and it's just a pretty pot on the patio.

I started loving gardening while I was living in a duplex, and the only control I had over the yard were my pots! I had some spectacular failures over the years, and learned little by little, how to do better. (Gaining a new friend who was a florist/horticulturist didn't hurt one bit!) Moving to my home in Seal Beach, CA 5 years ago, I needed to change my outdoor environment on a low budget: re-doing the yards/patios was not an option, then. Purchasing large pots and different plants was my solution....and I have had GREAT success! I have to be careful not to go container-crazy at every sale, and to remember to edit my selections. More is not always best. Sometimes, it's just MORE! I bet the new book would be a helpful addition as I move forward, and use my pots even better!

Sounds like a fun read! If I could do away with all my lawn, I would, but for now, I just keep it green and have the mow-n-blow guys keep it neat. New sprinklers and a new timer have helped with water control, and compost is helping keep it green. I love the idea of a more usable natural hardscape and perennials that fill in the holes. It's a slow process, but parts of the yard are working well that way. Other parts, well, maybe I just need some new inspiration!!!

Looks like a good reference specifically set to my climate! Woohoo! No more reading gardening info with "a grain of salt" making sure it was true for the sunbelt! I do like my Sunset reference as well, but if it has more info, I'm all for it. This is a book to use, regularly!