| Introduction | 6 |
| Thinking Outside the Box | |
| Lawn's Roots | 8 |
| Early Beginnings | 10 |
| Coming to America | 12 |
| The Lawn Mower and the Suburbs | 14 |
| The Importance of Golf | 16 |
| Lawns as Lifestyle | 20 |
| Considering the Possibilities | 22 |
| Assessing Family Needs | 24 |
| Narrowing the Lists | 26 |
| Creating a Field Sketch | 28 |
| Analyzing Your Site | 30 |
| Creating a Base Map | 32 |
| Creating a Bubble Diagram | 34 |
| The Landscape Plan | 36 |
| Creating a Master Plan | 38 |
| Living in Your Lawnscape | 40 |
| Benefits of a Living Carpet | 42 |
| Getting to Know Lawn Grasses | 44 |
| Grasses Up Close and Personal | 46 |
| Behind Garden Walls | 48 |
| Give Me Shelter | 50 |
| Playing with a Full Deck | 52 |
| On Solid Ground | 54 |
| A Room with a View | 56 |
| Satellite Decks and Patios | 58 |
| Make Room for Kids | 60 |
| Lawn Play | 62 |
| Putting on the Green | 64 |
| Completing the Picture | 66 |
| Blending Indoors and Out | 68 |
| Entryways | 70 |
| Appealing Entries | 72 |
| Getting There from Here | 74 |
| The Path Less Traveled | 76 |
| Step Lively | 78 |
| Auto Access | 80 |
| Service Areas | 82 |
| Going in Style | 84 |
| Basics of Garden Design | 86 |
| Balance/Symmetry | 86 |
| Scale | 88 |
| Repetition/Rhythm | 88 |
| Perspective | 90 |
| Framing | 91 |
| Color | 92 |
| Contrast | 93 |
| Texture | 94 |
| Design Complexity | 95 |
| Formal Style | 96 |
| Courtyard Style | 98 |
| Naturalistic Style | 100 |
| Cottage Style | 102 |
| Southwestern Style | 104 |
| Urban Style | 106 |
| Playing the Hand You're Dealt | 108 |
| Soil Analysis | 110 |
| Soil Improvement | 111 |
| Taming a Slope | 112 |
| Managing Sun and Shade | 114 |
| Dealing with Drainage | 116 |
| Watering Your Landscape | 118 |
| Portable Systems | 120 |
| Watering Trees and Shrubs | 122 |
| Watering Annuals and Perennials | 124 |
| A Word to the Water-Wise | 126 |
| Planting Your Lawnscape | 128 |
| Start with the Lawn | 130 |
| Overseeding an Unhealthy Lawn | 132 |
| Instant Lawn with Sod | 134 |
| Laying Sod | 136 |
| Trees in the Landscape | 138 |
| Shrubs in the Landscape | 140 |
| Purchasing and Planting Trees and Shrubs | 142 |
| Herbaceous Plants | 144 |
| Timeless Beauty from Perennials | 146 |
| Ground Control | 148 |
| Groundcover Gallery | 150 |
| Pulling it All Together | 152 |
| Caring for Your Lawnscape | 156 |
| Lawn Maintenance | 158 |
| Mowing Right | 160 |
| The Finishing Touch | 161 |
| Watering Your Lawn | 162 |
| A Breath of Fresh Air | 164 |
| Weed Wars | 166 |
| Pest-Case Scenarios | 168 |
| The Importance of Fertilizer | 172 |
| Spreading Fertilizer | 174 |
| Maintaining the Rest of Your Lawnscape | 176 |
| The Joys of Mulch | 178 |
| Pruning Trees and Shrubs | 180 |
| Resources | 182 |
| USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Maps | 183 |
| Index | 184 |