About the Author

Liz Primeau was a gardening magazine journalist for 30 years and now gives regular lectures on gardens and garden design, including a special presentation on front yard gardens. She has led many gardening seminars and is a featured speaker at gardening events. Liz Primeau is the founding editor of Canadian Gardening magazine and host of her own television program.

Reviews

[Primeau] provides more than 200 photographs of examples where lawns were ripped up and replaced with free-flowing, more environmentally friendly (and prettier) plants.--HGTV.com (06/19/2003)

[Starred review] This substantial book takes a refreshing look at front yard gardens ... Filled with practical ideas, Primeau's encouraging text is liberally supplemented by lush photos ... Highly recommended.-- (05/15/2003)

{Review listing of great gardening books] A witty and very well written volume that offers so much more than just details on basic gardening... a must for anyone who wants to create impact and dazzling color in their front (and back) yard gardens.-- (11/25/2005)

All the tips and photographs prove that you can keep off the grass -- step by step -- with style.-- (07/01/2003)

Alternatives to lawns ... from cactus austerity to full-blooming exuberance.-- (07/01/2003)

Conversational text and lovely photography by Andrew Leyerle make this edition an interesting choice for home gardeners.--Phoenix Home and Garden (09/01/2003)

For an in-depth look at designing, Front Yard Gardens, Growing More Than Grass by Liz Primeau is a thorough guide to a splendid collection of gardens. Although it is primarily for non-edible gardens, it provides helpful planning tips.-- (02/01/2009)

Great photographs ... full of interesting ideas on ways to take a different approach to an often blah and boring space.-- (05/17/2003)

I love this book... Primeau is a terrific writer and gardener, and this marvelous book just might inspire and guide you into a whole new level (and area) of gardening.-- (10/31/2003)

I've just finished reading [this book], and I've got to say I'm feeling excited and inspired. I should also mention that this makes my husband more than a little nervous.-- (06/27/2003)

Inspirational ... great tips on how to plant so your garden doesn't clash with the neighborhood.-- (04/26/2003)

Offers another compelling reason for putting flowers out front: Flowers look good... the concepts and how-tos for eight gardening styles are helpful.-- (12/20/2003)

The book is handsome, informative and amusingly written, and it should serve as an inspiration to those who are tired of old-fashioned lawns.--Publishers Weekly (02/17/2003)

The green green grass of home doesn't interest Liz Primeau. She's a front yard rebel and proud of it. Her 65 by 40-foot lawn is long gone, replaced by a gregarious gathering of vibrant vegetation -- fabulous flowers, cacti, shrub and small trees. The results are spectacular.-- (05/02/2009)

Very well written and illustrated book... thousands of ideas.-- (12/13/2003)

Visually compelling book, full of varied design suggestions.--Canadian House and Home (06/01/2003)

Wonderful photographs... a range of designs from minimalist to lush jungle to a swath of native grasses.-- (08/09/2003)

A well-written 232 pages, the authors knows of what she writes, having been there, done that and showcasing the landscaping to prove it.--Ian Munt"Sudbury Star" (04/03/2007)

Excellent primer on the rewards and challenges of starting a yard garden.--James Grainger"Quill and Quire" (05/01/2003)

Help in rejuvenating a front yard so that flowers, foliage, textures, and hardscaping come together in inviting swaths to both beautify and benefit the environment.--Alice Joyce"Booklist" (05/01/2003)

It's a gorgeous book.--Mairi MacLean"Edmonton Journal" (06/21/2007)

More than 70 examples of the kinds of front yard plans others have come up with, and a how-to manual that gives extensive lists of plants.--Verne Clemence"Saskatoon Star Phoenix" (04/12/2003)

Showcases more than 70 gardens from around the country that tackle the challenge of front yard design from a variety of perspectives.--Rita Pelczar"American Gardener" (10/15/2003)

The results will not only look superb, but will require no chemicals and take far less time and water to maintain.--Ken Smith"London Free Press" (07/12/2003)

Turn your yard into an earth-friendly showstopper.--Bonnie Schiedel"Chatelaine" (05/01/2003)

Very good.--Jamaica Kincaid"New York Times Book Review" (06/01/2003)

Will inspire homeowners to contemplate the use of flowers, shrubs, trees, ornamental grasses and creatively placed paths as the mainstay of their home's curbside beauty.--Patty Jessome"Edmonton Sun" (03/29/2003)

With so many great photos of front yard gardens, this book provides a great motivation to rip out grass in your front lawn.--Janice Kreider"GrowingEdibles.com" (11/25/2008)

Wonderfully literate.--Laurie Grassi"Style at Home Magazine" (06/01/2003)

The photographs are delightful and the text is written in informative and heartfelt prose.--Sylvia Jenkins"Central Coast Adventures" (01/01/2003)

Primeau, founding editor of Canadian Gardening magazine, posits that a perfect lawn may not always be a good thing, arguing that well-manicured lawns are high-maintenance, chemical-dependent water guzzlers; she would be happy to see them all replaced by the flower gardens so often relegated to the back yards of urban and suburban houses. Starting with the luxuriant display of flowers, foliage plants, and shrubs in her own front yard in Toronto, she discusses more than 70 front yard gardens, most of them in Canada but some in Texas, Arizona, California and Wisconsin. She divides these front yard gardens into eight types-cottage, small city, opulent, minimalist, fusion (some grass allowed), natural, neighborhood and secret-and shows in text and photographs how they were designed, how they reflect the personalities of their owners, and what plants were used. There can be obstacles to such gardens in cities and suburbs-neighbors' objections, local regulations, overhead and underground wires, bad drainage, and hard surfaces-and she describes how many people have overcome these problems. Unfortunately, Primeau doesn't include among the many splendid photographs in the book any that show how one of these colorful gardens would stand out in the context of a block where all the other houses are fronted with carpets of grass. But this is a small matter. The book is handsome, informative and amusingly written, and it should serve as an inspiration to those who are tired of old-fashioned lawns. 240 color photographs. Garden Book Club and Country Home & Garden Book Club selection. (Mar.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

[Primeau] provides more than 200 photographs of examples where lawns were ripped up and replaced with free-flowing, more environmentally friendly (and prettier) plants.--HGTV.com (06/19/2003)
[Starred review] This substantial book takes a refreshing look at front yard gardens ... Filled with practical ideas, Primeau's encouraging text is liberally supplemented by lush photos ... Highly recommended.-- (05/15/2003)
{Review listing of great gardening books] A witty and very well written volume that offers so much more than just details on basic gardening... a must for anyone who wants to create impact and dazzling color in their front (and back) yard gardens.-- (11/25/2005)
All the tips and photographs prove that you can keep off the grass -- step by step -- with style.-- (07/01/2003)
Alternatives to lawns ... from cactus austerity to full-blooming exuberance.-- (07/01/2003)
Conversational text and lovely photography by Andrew Leyerle make this edition an interesting choice for home gardeners.--Phoenix Home and Garden (09/01/2003)
For an in-depth look at designing, Front Yard Gardens, Growing More Than Grass by Liz Primeau is a thorough guide to a splendid collection of gardens. Although it is primarily for non-edible gardens, it provides helpful planning tips.-- (02/01/2009)
Great photographs ... full of interesting ideas on ways to take a different approach to an often blah and boring space.-- (05/17/2003)
I love this book... Primeau is a terrific writer and gardener, and this marvelous book just might inspire and guide you into a whole new level (and area) of gardening.-- (10/31/2003)
I've just finished reading [this book], and I've got to say I'm feeling excited and inspired. I should also mention that this makes my husband more than a little nervous.-- (06/27/2003)
Inspirational ... great tips on how to plant so your garden doesn't clash with the neighborhood.-- (04/26/2003)
Offers another compelling reason for putting flowers out front: Flowers look good... the concepts and how-tos for eight gardening styles are helpful.-- (12/20/2003)
The book is handsome, informative and amusingly written, and it should serve as an inspiration to those who are tired of old-fashioned lawns.--Publishers Weekly (02/17/2003)
The green green grass of home doesn't interest Liz Primeau. She's a front yard rebel and proud of it. Her 65 by 40-foot lawn is long gone, replaced by a gregarious gathering of vibrant vegetation -- fabulous flowers, cacti, shrub and small trees. The results are spectacular.-- (05/02/2009)
Very well written and illustrated book... thousands of ideas.-- (12/13/2003)
Visually compelling book, full of varied design suggestions.--Canadian House and Home (06/01/2003)
Wonderful photographs... a range of designs from minimalist to lush jungle to a swath of native grasses.-- (08/09/2003)
A well-written 232 pages, the authors knows of what she writes, having been there, done that and showcasing the landscaping to prove it.--Ian Munt"Sudbury Star" (04/03/2007)
Excellent primer on the rewards and challenges of starting a yard garden.--James Grainger"Quill and Quire" (05/01/2003)
Help in rejuvenating a front yard so that flowers, foliage, textures, and hardscaping come together in inviting swaths to both beautify and benefit the environment.--Alice Joyce"Booklist" (05/01/2003)
It's a gorgeous book.--Mairi MacLean"Edmonton Journal" (06/21/2007)
More than 70 examples of the kinds of front yard plans others have come up with, and a how-to manual that gives extensive lists of plants.--Verne Clemence"Saskatoon Star Phoenix" (04/12/2003)
Showcases more than 70 gardens from around the country that tackle the challenge of front yard design from a variety of perspectives.--Rita Pelczar"American Gardener" (10/15/2003)
The results will not only look superb, but will require no chemicals and take far less time and water to maintain.--Ken Smith"London Free Press" (07/12/2003)
Turn your yard into an earth-friendly showstopper.--Bonnie Schiedel"Chatelaine" (05/01/2003)
Very good.--Jamaica Kincaid"New York Times Book Review" (06/01/2003)
Will inspire homeowners to contemplate the use of flowers, shrubs, trees, ornamental grasses and creatively placed paths as the mainstay of their home's curbside beauty.--Patty Jessome"Edmonton Sun" (03/29/2003)
With so many great photos of front yard gardens, this book provides a great motivation to rip out grass in your front lawn.--Janice Kreider"GrowingEdibles.com" (11/25/2008)
Wonderfully literate.--Laurie Grassi"Style at Home Magazine" (06/01/2003)
The photographs are delightful and the text is written in informative and heartfelt prose.--Sylvia Jenkins"Central Coast Adventures" (01/01/2003)