Potted gardens: a fresh approach to container gardening

Rebecca Cole--once an actress/activist and now the owner of the trend-setting Greenwich Village store Potted Gardens--introduces a whole new way to garden. Using any container--from the bed of a toy truck to a bedpan--and any kind of plant--from rose to weed--would-be gardeners can follow Rebecca's guidance and plant a bit of beauty in a corner of their homes or gardens.

Starting at the beginning--what a garden means to urban dwellers and their country cousins and how to stimulate your own imagination--she then helps us hunt for plants at neighborhood nurseries and markets (which she advocates over catalogue shopping); gather containers from dumps, attics, flea markets, and antiques stores; and put it all together in potted gardens for windowsill, desk, and patio. In a chapter on terraces, she turns to the great outdoors, explaining the design and creation of complete gardens made up of  containers, artfully arranged to make the most of small spaces. And all along the way she shares her own experiences with breaking all the rules to achieve ebullient flowering displays.

With nearly 200 spectacular photographs, illustrated step-by-step instructions on how to plant in wooden boxes, metal containers, and how to plant bulbs; tips on maintaining a finished potted garden; suggestions on further reading; and a glossary--Potted Gardens is the everyday companion for the new and experienced container gardener alike.

Rebecca Cole is the proprietor of one of New York City's most talked-about shops, Potted Gardens, where she mixes well-loved antiques (and old sinks and watering cans) with flowers and plants. She has made appearances on "Our Home" and "Home Matters" and is a regular guest on "Fox After Breakfast." Her work has been featured in Architectural Digest, Travel and Leisure, House Beautiful, the New York Times, and Victoria, among others. She lives in New York City.

Richard Felber has been photographing America's gardens for two decades. Among the many magazines that have published his work are House Beautiful, Garden Design, and New York magazine. This is his first book. He lives in Connecticut.

Grab a pot, a wooden box, or a tin can; gather your bulbs and flowers; and read Rebecca Cole's Potted Gardens for a whole new way to look at gardening.