In this book, accomplished garden writer Judith Adam targets new homeowners in sterile, still-to-be-landscaped suburbs. Creating an attractive setting for a brand-new house is a high priority and hard to resist, as all improvements will add to the property's dollar value as well as the enjoyment of the new home.

With a light hand Adam outlines the basic steps toward transforming an empty yard into a welcoming, appealing space, beginning with identifying a personal garden style and assessing the pros and cons of a site, then choosing, planting and maintaining plants.

Your First Garden is a primer on the basic elements of landscape design and garden creation: planning for scale and balance, color selection, and architectural features are all landscape elements that homeowners must understand.

Chapters include information on:

• How property improvements build value into your new purchase
• Tips on budgeting garden improvements over several seasons
• Scale and balance in the garden
• Planting style and succession planting
• A landscaping plan checklist
• Evaluating soil with a tip sheet explaining soil chemistry and pH
• The science and art of fertilization, including organic humus
• The 10 critical gardening tools
• How to create garden beds from nothing
• Calculating soil and mulch quantities
• Planting suggestions for foundation, perennial and shrub beds
• Getting the best performance out of your plants with the least amount of work
• Best practices for planting perennials, annuals, shrubs and trees
• Tips on pruning and weeding.

All perennial and annual plant selections are easy to grow, suitable for all North American climates, and inexpensive.

Judith Adams' previous title, Landscape Planning, sold more than 72,000 copies. In Your First Garden she provides a highly readable road map for new homeowners and neophyte gardeners. It is an essential purchase for all collections.