Tile designs: more than 100 ready-to-use tiling patterns

 by Leila Adam. Much like the art of patchwork, geometric designs, when applied to tiles and decorative surfaces, turn a prosaic floor, wall, and countertop into eye poetry. Math teacher Adams has combined her fascination with Islamic art and the precision inherent in her profession to produce more than 100 patterns. The introductory chapters focus on how-to's of laying. After that look at the basics, the author concentrates on the square grid: first detailing how to design with those restrictions, then offering different patterns. Most are based on her visual experiences in the Middle East: a mosque in Dubai, mall skylights in Brunei, and a coffeepot from Kuwait. Even better, she shows us the origins for many of her designs, contrasting her graphs with photographs of the original inspiration. Her actual tessellations (the art of fitting many repetitions of the same shape together to completely fill a flat plane, with no gaps), which are labeled with romantic monikers (such as Fatima square, Dubai deco, and Medina motif), are grouped by increasing complexity, from plain old tessellations for tiles to whole-square designs. -- Booklist. (Check Catalog)

Fearless Color Gardens: The Creative Gardener's Guide to Jumping Off the Color Wheel

Renowned garden artist and photographer Meadows has run a full-service landscaping company in the San Francisco Bay Area for 30-plus years; her own garden has been featured on a variety of television programs and in numerous magazines, including Sunset, Metropolitan Home, and Horticulture. Gardeners of all experience levels will find inspiration in her delightful book, illustrated throughout with vivid, sometimes whimsical, photographs and drawings. The text is filled with practical suggestions for exploring "color" in general and personal color preferences in particular, for use in creating gardens. Through numerous and varied examples, Meadows demonstrates ways to fully incorporate color knowledge and tastes into dazzling gardens using a full palette of plants, paving, walls, benches, containers, and art objects. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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The New York Botanical Garden

A comprehensive history of the landmark New York Botanical Garden in the heart of New York City explores the institution's extraordinary collections of plants in three hundred illustrations, including specially commisioned photographs and reproductions of rare botanical art, as well as the origins, purpose, and seminal research of the Garden since its founding in 1891.
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Easy concrete : 43 DIY projects for home & garden

 by Malena Skote. Creating with concrete is easier than most do-it-yourselfers imagine, and the results can be spectacular and practical. With beautiful photography,Easy Concretemakes the material truly inviting, and the simple instructions cover everything from creating molds out of cardboard, wood, and metal to using hypertufa-a versatile type of concrete made with peat moss. There is also helpful guidance on adding the perfect finish and decorative details. With 43 projects that include outdoor pots, candleholders, garden benches, and a compost bin, this is the perfect introduction to a highly useful craft. --Summary. (Check Catalog)