What separates the special garden from an ordinary one is not only what we plant in it, but also how we shape it. Build a wall with stone. Raise a trellis for the roses. Edge the herb bed with wattling. Be ambitious and erect an arbor for afternoon tea. Each of these is a garden structure-an element that has the power to define a garden's mood, guide its uses, anchor it in time, and deepen its meaning.Equal parts wish book and how-to, Garden Structures marries inspiration with the nitty-gritty of design, materials, and methods to help every gardener create and carry out plans that will transform dirt, plants, and dreams into an outdoor home. Illustrated with over 200 exquisite color photographs and instructional line drawings, Garden Structures ranges from the simplest to the most involved ways to create a framework on which a garden grows. Here are structures to define boundaries: gates, fences, walls, edgings. Structures that give a garden lift: trellises, arbors, pergolas. Structures, such as paths and walkways, that shape the garden underfoot. And structures for living: patios, decks, terraces, greenhouses. Complementing each section are dozens of sidebars, from "Bamboo Barriers" to "What to Plant Between the Cracks" to "The Osage Orange" and "Paving Particulars."

Linda Joan Smith is a conributing editor for Country Gardens magazine