Customer Reviews

Designing with Succulents

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you like the idea of growing succulents, but haven't a clue how to use them in combination with other plants in your garden, then this is the book for you. The beautiful photographs are rich with ideas and inspiration, and the indepth captions answer any question you might have about the plants in the pictures and even the location of the gardens. I was particularly drawn to the two top photos on page 234 and one of an Agave franzosinii taken at Mission San Juan Capistrano in California (page 150). Baldwin's writing style is delightful; easy to read, entertaining, and informative. Clearly she is writing from experience so you know what she says will be helpful and accurate. I highly recommend this book.

As a Landscape Architect with almost 30 years of experience designing gardens in Southern California, I have been a longtime fan of the excellent works created by Debra Lee Baldwin. It is no small coincidence that "Designing With Succulents" is well written, concise and wonderfully illustrated with stunning photography. This is a book that everyone from professional designers to home gardeners will want to keep very close to their desks for reference.

Living in an environment with precious water resources and little natural rainfall it will become essential for all of us to take a more aggressive stance utilizing low-water plants in our design work. I congratulate Debra for giving us a design reference filled with great inspiration and helpful technical information.

This is a great book on succulents. Debra Lee Baldwin has tackled a large body of material. She has explained it all very well in an interesting way. Well organized,well illustrated ,with great photos (most of which were her own). She has put a lot of work into this. It must have taken years of research followed by years of writing to get this all put together. This not just an encyclopedia on succulents, but a very readable treatment of the whole subject of how to use them and work with them in your own garden. She tells you everything you would want to know from propgation to pests. I can't say enough good things about this book . A real gem.

I've only recently gotten into succulents, which I find fascinating since they always look like they're from Mars. I can't imagine there is anywhere in the world a better book on succulents than Ms. Baldwin's. It's superb. It's comprehensive; it's detailed; it's perfectly structured, so that the sheer volume of information isn't in any way intimidating; and the artwork alone--the photographs--are worth twice what the book costs. It seems crazy to say, but I would recommend this book to anyone at all: gardener, computer geek, car salesman, anyone. If you've ever been awed by nature, this book will resonate with you. It's that good. And if you ARE a gardener--then holy cow, what are you waiting for?

When I picked this book up off the shelf at Barnes & Noble, I was skeptical. I thought it might be a "picture book" like most of the others I had paged through. Not so! It is giving me some really good tips for arranging my plants, as well as advice on what will grow best in south TX. Very nicely done.

My library contains about a dozen books on Cacti and Succulents and about thirty books related to garden design and landscape architecture. However, "Designing With Succulents" by Debra Lee Baldwin combines both subjects; drought tolerant plant materials and how to effectively design using these very popular and easy to grow plants. If you're thinking about trying to cut down on your water usage in the garden, don't hesitate to order this book so that you'll know everything you need to create a unique garden with these stunning stars of the garden world. A must have for any garden lover !!!

The jacket cover makes one want to stroll into the path to see what beauty is hiding beyond. Excellent reference book. All photos are beautiful. I have more appreciation for my succulents after reading this. A coffee table book. I have urged my gardener friends to read it.

A truly inspirational and indispensable garden book is a difficult thing to come by these days - but we are in luck! Debra Lee Baldwin has given us "Designing with Succulents", a well-written, beautifully photographed, top-notch exploration of a subject of increasing fascination for the modern gardener - how to integrate succulents into our diverse plantings. Debra leaves no flagstone unturned when it comes to finding examples of succulents used in interesting ways. She writes from the heart, and her love for her topic infuses the book and makes it more than a simple 'how-to'. It is not only an important reference tool for gardeners of all stripes, it is a joy to read ... Thank you Debra Lee Baldwin!

Im slowly planning to transition a part of my front lawn/garden into a more drought ready succulent type. This book is PERFECT for those who'd like to do the same, or even completely. It is a good read and the pictures are great and inspiring.

I love this book. Tons of great technical information on how to use these remarkable plants in small pots, huge planted areas, and everything in between. In addition to practical information she approaches succulents with an artists eye, providing excellent ideas for combining colors, textures, sizes, etc. I have an acre of slopped land in an arid area, the book gave me great ideas how to landscape it. She made me a true-believer.