I bought several landscaping books, and this book turns out to be most useful. The book is organized into different "portfolio of designs" (e.g. narrow garden pathway, side front entrance, shady hideaway, under a shady tree, enclosed patio, etc.) For each design, it presents a list of drawings (nd pictures) showing what it will look like spring, summer, fall and sometimes winter. Every plant is geared to the Mid-Atlantic hardiness zone, and the design mix up the plants so you can have flowers year round. The drawing made it a lot easier to visualize the design than a photo. There is a plenty complete chapter of each recommended plant profiles (what types of soil, watering and sun need, growth size and spread, etc.) It also include a guide to installation and projects, with basic planting techniques. Just everything you need to get started. Starting with their portfolio designs and substituting their recommended plants with your own choice is much easier than designing the whole thing.