August 2017 – Cleveland, OH—You know those makeover shows that destroy everything in order to start over? Garden Renovation, the new garden makeover book by award-winning landscape designer Bobbie Schwartz, is not like that. She shares her forty-seven years of gardening and designing experience with you.
Real gardeners and homeowners are looking for help refreshing their yards with pointers. What they want are tips, tricks, techniques, and plant suggestions that will work within their problem spaces, soils, available water and sunlight, and HOA (Homeowner Association) requirements. Not advice that automatically starts with, “First, rent a bulldozer.” That’s just not realistic for most homeowners.
Garden Renovation for Real Gardeners (No TV Cameras Needed)
Bobbie meets gardeners where they are—unevenly graded spots, wet shade, nuclear sun and all other problematic sites—and offers advice for re-freshing, re-working, re-arranging, and, yes, renovating garden and landscape spaces.

Before getting to the how, she focuses on the why. Unlike those TV makeover shows, few people embark on a gigantic yard project without a vision. Her book will help homeowners decide whether their project can help them:

• Feel welcomed by their home and garden
• Add screening for increased privacy
• Restore utility and function to an area of the yard
• Refresh and update landscape beds to move beyond the 20th century foundation planting aesthetic and free windows from being covered by giant shrubs

Once homeowners have decided their goals, Bobbie helps them make a plan for successful implementation. She covers all bases, including:

• How to decide on a budget
• How to evaluate the current landscape (including soil conditions, existing plants, and hardscape features)
• How to determine what to keep and what to remove
• How to design simple plans for DIY projects
• How to choose plants that will be good replacements for rangy, old existing specimens
• How to decide when to hire help

There’s plenty of eye candy and ideas for everything from simple side yards to complex backyard overhauls. No matter the garden and design experience level, readers will find real takeaways to make a difference in their home landscapes.
In the foreword of the book, the Perennial Diva Stephanie Cohen says, “One of the major design problems most homeowners face is not planting a blank slate but rejuvenating an existing garden. They either have a suburban builder’s 1940’s design across the front, a former homeowner’s hodgepodge creation, or an expensive new home with an eighty-dollar landscape. All of these are daunting for the average homeowner, but Bobbie understands. She gets that gardeners are reluctant to change, as are all people. However, she knows that logic, as well as simple plans and pictures, can enhance a garden makeover, and make it a great experience that will provide years of enjoyment. This book puts all of Bobbie’s knowledge to work for the intrepid homeowner ready to dig in.” Stephanie says, “Take Bobbie’s advice and go for it!”
For interview requests, review copies, and excerpts, contact:
Katlynn Nicolls, Publicist
Email: knicolls@timberpress.com
Phone: 503-227-2878 x 141
Plan a Pep Talk: Invite Bobbie to Speak
Ready to “go for it”? Bring Bobbie in to marshal the troops. She offers a huge variety of talks on subjects including all aspects of garden design, history, maintenance, and travel. She can even lead hands-on workshops.
Some topics include:

• A Happy Marriage: Design Integration of House and Landscape
• The Artful Garden
• Pot It! Container Gardening
• Xeriscaping in Temperate Climates
• Why Don’t They Read? Designing a Deer-Resistant Landscape

Visit her website for a complete list of talk topics. Of course, she would also love to speak about “Garden Renovation,” which makes for an easy book signing tie-in. Bobbie is available for book signings starting immediately.
About Bobbie Schwartz
Award-winning landscape designer Bobbie Schwartz, FAPLD, lectures nationally and writes columns on perennials and landscape design. Her signature style is the use of perennials, flowering shrubs, and ornamental grasses to create year-round color and interest. For more information, visit www.clevelandlandscapegarden.com.