Outmoded, mundane gardens come alive with the tips in this invaluable design manual. As hard as it is to start a new garden from scratch, it is far more difficult to rework an established plot. Not only must you work around existing trees, entrenched bulbs, and landscape features, but you must learn to look at the whole with a fresh, unprejudiced eye. Whether you've inherited someone else's garden by moving into a new home or are redoing your own, whether you are planning drastic revisions or just tinkering with near-perfection, this book will take you every step of the way. From assessing which features are worth preserving and which may be discarded, changing the shape and topography of the site and drawing a plan, to choosing plants, backdrops, and ornaments, learn how to avoid pitfalls common to all gardening ventures, as well as those unique to garden redesign. A must for all gardeners not content with imperfection.