Tabletop Gardens: Create 40 intimate gardens for the home, no matter what the season [Hardcover]

Rosemary McCreary (Author), Sarah Dawson (Author), William Holt (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 21, 2002

TABLETOP GARDENS is a uniquely imaginative approach to gardening. Written by seasoned garden writer Rosemary McCreary and sumptuously photographed by William Holt, TABLETOP GARDENS stands apart - with exquisitely beautiful photographs of miniature indoor gardens, each planted in simple containers and shot in natural light.

The 40 designs offer many ideas for choosing a personal style and getting started - plants under glass, in bowls and trays, and even in water environments. Earthy, rich-green mosses in a glass globe. A burst of forced bulbs for spring. The textured foliage of a fern garden in an antique glass case. A living sculpture of twisted stems. A garden mosaic of creeping mint. It's the pleasure of creating a small Eden and enjoying it no matter what the season - in a cozy corner of a room, or on a windowsill splashed with sunlight. Each project includes complete advice on the materials needed and step-by-step information on how to create the garden. Along with providing design advice, TABLETOP GARDENS gives information on the culture and maintenance of each garden, how to place it where it will prosper, and how to keep it thriving. Popular, easy-to-grow herbs, grasses, bulbs, water plants, vines, and miniature trees are naturals for tabletop gardening. Color photographs show projects in a variety of room settings, with ideas for suitable containers and advice on how to group and style plants for the best effect.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Just as not all gardens are created equal, not all gardens are created outdoors. Whether one is trying to recapture a bit of summer splendor in the midst of winter on an indoor windowsill, or is an apartment dweller with a green thumb but no green space, miniature tabletop gardens can help satisfy a horticultural desire while breathing new life into home decor. McCreary offers 40 projects, from African violets tucked cunningly into a case suitable for a Victorian motif to succulent hens-and-chicks in a terra cotta tray reminiscent of the old Southwest, illustrating in each instance both the design principles and the gardening practices necessary to keep tabletop gardens in peak condition. Each project outlines the quantity and type of materials required, while detailed, step-by-step instructions guide the way to successful completion. For those ready to go beyond mere potted houseplants, McCreary shares her secrets for stylish and innovative alternatives. Carol Haggas
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

“If you’re looking to move beyond pothos vines, give these pages a turn.”—Randy Miranda, Minneapolis Star-Tribune (Minneapolis Star-Tribune )

"Most garden books are pretty, but something about McCreary’s is truly inspiring."— Sandy Dunham, The Seattle Times, Sept. 23, 2006 (Seattle Times )

"This goes far beyond conventional...displays of indoor plants...inspiration fills the pages of Tabletop Gardens."
—HortIdeas (HortIdeas )

"Vases, cake plates, buckets and colanders are all put to imaginative use for displaying a little bit of Eden."
—Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Seattle Post-Intelligencer )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 168 pages
• Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC (October 21, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580174663
• ISBN-13: 978-1580174664
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.7 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #881,034 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful and practical book for enhancing your home!, August 5, 2003

By 

R. Goodwin (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tabletop Gardens: Create 40 intimate gardens for the home, no matter what the season (Hardcover)

I purchased this book several months ago and have been thrilled with it's beautiful photography, clear instruction and easy (yet clever) ideas for gardening indoors. My home is not set up for big outdoor gardens, so these small container and tabletop gardens have been a godsend! I had never thought of decorating my kitchen and bathrooms with live plantings, and wow, what an improvement! I am buying copies for my friends and family. This makes a wonderful housewarming gift. Don't miss it!

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Uncomplicated advise and easy-to-follow instructions, March 6, 2003

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tabletop Gardens: Create 40 intimate gardens for the home, no matter what the season (Hardcover)

Tabletop Gardens: Create 40 Intimate Gardens For The Home, No Matter What The Season by gardening expert Rosemary McCreary offers a wealth of imaginative approaches to miniature indoor gardening. Included are ideas for deploying and displaying plants under glass, in bowls and trays, and even in water environments. The uncomplicated advise and easy-to-follow instructions will allow for any aspiring gardener to create harmonious combinations of plants in perfect containers. Whether working with herbs, grasses, bulbs, water plants, vines, or miniature shrubs, Tabletop Gardens is wonderfully illustrated, thoroughly "user friendly", and very highly recommended.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful design and practical, July 10, 2003

By 

Nicolas Randazzo (Campbell, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tabletop Gardens: Create 40 intimate gardens for the home, no matter what the season (Hardcover)

Received this as a gift and found it so well written and photographed that I ended up buying a few as gifts for others. Fabulous book design and layout. Beautiful pictures. Great container ideas and very clear information for ongoing care. The grass garden section was especially neat. The author suggests new takes on indoor gardens such as using mini primroses in a flat basket. I've always planted them outdoors but never imagined how nice they would look inside the house.