Giveaway: Home Outside by Julie Moir Messervy

76 Comments »

1. I have a large yard that I am planning to turn into a little farm, but I would like to have some areas that are “just for pretty” so a landscape book would be very helpful.

   Comment by fugitiveartist — March 16, 2009 @ 2:22 am

2. I need it because we have the most boring plot of land that is all grass! My husband and I really want to transform it, but knowing where to start is really hard.

   Comment by Abby — March 16, 2009 @ 2:31 am

3. I need the book because it will help me realize the pleasure that’s involved in being out of doors, as promised by the author.

   Comment by blossom — March 16, 2009 @ 2:52 am

4. Oh… why? Weeeeell, we have a huge (and I mean it) backyard in the middle of the city. Beautiful, with a grape arbor and all… but it’s been growing randomly for the past twenty years, there are too many trees that give too much shade, walkways too narrow for two people, weeds out of control, nothing is easy to access… Daunting. I need help.

   Comment by Ana — March 16, 2009 @ 3:51 am

5. My husband and I are about to buy a vacant lot next door to our urban rowhouse in Pittsburgh. Right now the lot is just an overgrown gravel parking lot and we hope to turn it into a garden full of veggies, flowers and perhaps a fruit tree. Just the front cover of the book alone looks like it would provide inspiration for creating a quaint space. Thanks for offering the book – what a generous gift to random readers!

   Comment by Rebecca — March 16, 2009 @ 4:27 am

6. I live on a large, treed prairie property for which I have dreams of paths to different areas of discovery – a firepit, a bridge over the pond where tadpoles grow each spring, a beautified version of my 7 foot deer-fence around the veggie garden, plenty of milkweed for butterflies. I have more ideas and space than focus and know-how. It sounds like the author would love to help me!

   Comment by Erin H — March 16, 2009 @ 6:32 am

7. I would love to have this book because it is the first year in our new house where I don’t have a teeny baby to take care of and I’d LOVE to transform our yard into another room of the house.

   Comment by Rebecca — March 16, 2009 @ 8:02 am

8. I am seriously the worst garnder ever and I’m looking to improve my lack of skill this year. I need some inspiration. So glad I found your blog!

   Comment by Angela — March 16, 2009 @ 8:12 am

9. I need this book because I don’t have nearly enough gardening books.

   Comment by Jim/ArtofGardening — March 16, 2009 @ 8:12 am

10. i bought a home this fall, and the planning livable space in the back yard is the springs prokject!

    Comment by metis — March 16, 2009 @ 8:20 am

11. I would love this book! Our whole backyard is asphalt, which we will be ripping out this summer, and I need ideas! I will literally have a blank canvas to work with!

    Comment by Lauren V — March 16, 2009 @ 8:28 am

12. I would like that book because we just moved into a house and the yard is dismally neglected and I need the inspiration!

    Comment by Jaspenelle — March 16, 2009 @ 8:34 am

13. I need this book because our yard is classic suburban northwest but thoroughly uninspiring: rhodies and mulch. I’d like something more interesting but I don’t know what.

    Comment by Michelle — March 16, 2009 @ 9:16 am

14. We have lots of grass that I don’t want to waste water on and a vegetable garden that is fully functional but far from eye catching. I need a plan to make the yard both sustainable and a pleasure to be in.

    Comment by David — March 16, 2009 @ 9:38 am

15. Like the author, I too have a similar career as a landscape architect. Day in and day out, we pour our hearts and souls into the design of our clients “sacred spaces,” and in turn often neglect our own personal outdoor havens. If I had this book, I am sure I would use it, tab it and dog-ear the heck out of it! I love the retro furniture on the cover too, as I was just scouring the internet this weekend, trying to narrow down my next garden furniture purchase! Hope I win!!!

    Comment by Tyla B. — March 16, 2009 @ 10:07 am

16. I need this book because we are about to embark on a complete backyard makeover this spring/summer. I’d love new ideas.

    Comment by KBO — March 16, 2009 @ 10:08 am

17. I’m a beginning gardener with a large lot. I really need to do something more to spruce up the place, but I’m feeling totally lost. I’ve put in hours and hours of work, but my garden is lack luster and I am criticised by my neighbors. Help!

    Comment by Jenn S. — March 16, 2009 @ 10:37 am

18. Oh, this would be perfect! We have big plans to really start tackling our yard, garden and porch this Summer. Right now there’s not much more than daffodils and weeds, and once the daffodils stop blooming in a couple weeks, it’s going to look really sad out there :o)

    Comment by marn — March 16, 2009 @ 10:41 am

19. We have three little spaces around our townhouse that we don’t know how to effectively utilise. This looks like a book that might help us find some solutions.

    Comment by Janet — March 16, 2009 @ 11:43 am

20. I’m great with the growing, just not so much the design. I wish I was one of those people with an innate design sense.

    Thanks for following me on Twitter!

    Comment by Eva — March 16, 2009 @ 12:01 pm

21. I have a big back yard that presents a lot of work and very little relaxation (my spouse calls it the prison garden). I need this book for inspiration and to create more of any oasis back there! Thanks for the giveaway.

    Comment by Susan — March 16, 2009 @ 1:07 pm

22. I want to know how to create more of a “home landscape” — I love that term.

    Comment by kelly — March 16, 2009 @ 1:15 pm

23. I’m always looking for new inspiration and landscape ideas!

    Comment by Steph — March 16, 2009 @ 1:44 pm

24. There once was a lady in Texas,
    Suffocating in the weeds of her “ex’es.”
    Her soul’s soil is depleted -
    Loamy inspiration is what’s needed –
    A lush book has the nutrients in excess!

    Comment by Stemme Fatale — March 16, 2009 @ 1:48 pm

25. I love planting but I have no idea where to start in my new yard!

    Comment by MJ — March 16, 2009 @ 2:27 pm

26. I have so many plans and not a shred of designer ability in me. OooOh I hope I win!

    Comment by Katie — March 16, 2009 @ 6:30 pm

27. I want because I need. We moved into this mature property last year when our son was 4 months old. The elderly people that lived here before didn

    Comment by Ms. S — March 16, 2009 @ 7:51 pm

28. My yard is very large with lots of possibilities I think but what they are and how I should proceed is a mystery. This book will help.

    Comment by ALLY in WA — March 16, 2009 @ 10:36 pm

29. My house is so small I’m always looking for ways to improve my outside space to make it more liveable.

    Comment by Kat Bryan — March 16, 2009 @ 11:16 pm

30. This book would be a tremendous inspiration to me. I’m a novice gardener and first time homeowner with big dreams to transform my front and back yard into places that my family, friends and neighbors will enjoy. I want my landscape to be a canvas to inspire everyone who sees it!

    Comment by Shawn Klinkner — March 16, 2009 @ 11:38 pm

31. I need to add more whimsy to my mini farm
    eleisa

    Comment by eleisa — March 17, 2009 @ 7:10 am

32. Any inspiration for the garden/landscape is always great–always looking for new creative ideas on art & achitecture for the outdoors :)

    Comment by Amber — March 17, 2009 @ 7:13 am

33. I am stuck in a cubicell 8-10 hrs a day. I want to to go home to the outside and i need help.

    Comment by Eric — March 17, 2009 @ 7:21 am

34. Our house is below street level, and built on a north slope, so we get a lot of shade. We need to create new landscaping that invites people down to the house, rather than making them feel that they’re descending into a dark hole.

    Comment by Don — March 17, 2009 @ 7:31 am

35. I’ll be leaving my full time employment and embarking on my new career as “full time stay at home mom” just in time for spring (yay!) Thus leaving less money for my indulgences, but more time to dream (and drool) over such beautiful spaces…

    Comment by Jaime — March 17, 2009 @ 8:34 pm

36. i need this book to help fulfill the deep yearning for nature and free my withered city soul

    Comment by heidi — March 17, 2009 @ 10:22 pm

37. I need this book because my garden nerd is always showing.

    Comment by Gwen — March 18, 2009 @ 10:06 am

38. I just plain love gardening books, especially ones about design! My yard is slooooowly transforming from a muddy dog run/prize winning weed patch to something beautiful, but it still doesn’t have what it takes to make me want to spend time out there. Right now all I see are the jobs that need to be done…

    Comment by Lisa — March 18, 2009 @ 5:35 pm

39. I need this book because I’ve already taken out all the books at the Vancouver Library on design and I’m still kind of stuck. Alternatively…if you feel like a project…wanna come over and help me fix my borning back yard?

    Comment by Hannah — March 18, 2009 @ 7:10 pm

40. Thank you for offering the book.
    I’d like it because we finally got a house with a big yard that is currently full of nothing.

    …nothing but ivy, blackberries, nightshade, dying fruit trees, and one enormous sequoia. Where to start?

    Comment by Patrick Gracewood — March 18, 2009 @ 8:34 pm

41. I’d love to transform my stark suburban landscape but have no idea where to start. I think this book will inspire me.

    Comment by Freedom24 — March 19, 2009 @ 5:02 am

42. In the summer, my daughter (now 2 1/2) and I pretty much live outside in the garden. As soon as breakfast is over, we hit the beds – and we stay out there until dinnertime! Last year she learned about watering and how to pick up the weeds I pulled out. This year she will be helping to plant her own little garden. I am always looking for new ideas on how to create garden spaces, combine plants or other elements to make our outside home even more of an oasis. I would love to add this book to our collection!

    Comment by Carrie — March 19, 2009 @ 12:13 pm

43. hmmmm…

    I’d love to add this book to my vast library of garden books that I continually thumb through … they are like worry beads for me.

    But what I REALLY want is a garden book by the awesome ANDREA BELLAMY!!!

    … so I’ll wait for that one and congratulate the winner of this book!

    XOivette

    Comment by germi — March 19, 2009 @ 7:36 pm

44. I am convinced I can transform our little East Van yard into an urban oasis… but I need all the help I can get! Thanks, Andrea!

    Comment by kevin — March 19, 2009 @ 11:07 pm

45. I need this book because I’m a writer who used to support herself by teaching part-time, until all the colleges I teach in cut back on classes. So now I’m home, no classes to teach, and the only thing that keeps me calm is GARDENING! I have discovered gardening IN A BIG WAY the last few months, and even though I know our situation is precarious (hubby works in a start-up), I feel each plant or seedling that I buy is a way to put in a long-term investment, at minimal cost. When I garden, I don’t feel POOR. I’ve been gardening obssessively all day, every day, and all this sweat equity is showing me that — it IS possible to transform my shady backyard into a garden.

    Comment by Marianne Villanueva — March 19, 2009 @ 11:41 pm

46. I need inspiration to turn my newly acquired five acres into useful relaxing fabuloius outdoor garden rooms

    Comment by melanie — March 20, 2009 @ 7:04 am

47. Why do I need this book???
    I need some inspiration to make my back
    yard private again. As my new neighbours house towers over my small rancher I’ve
    noticed we haven’t been enjoying our
    back yard as much as past years.
    Good-bye beer guzzling bachelors!! (Hopefully)

    Comment by luv2dig — March 20, 2009 @ 9:39 am

48. I am also looking for inspiration for my yard. I love to be able to have a beautiful and restful space for my family and friends and inspire and help my neighbors to do the same in our neighborhood.

    Comment by Jean — March 21, 2009 @ 3:29 pm

49. I have a small city yard that was dominated by a large cedar tree. The tree is now gone and so is the covered patio which it took out when it fell, I have sunlight in the yard, and a huge pile of cedar chips. It’s time to start over with an updated design inspired by this book.

    Comment by Teri — March 22, 2009 @ 10:22 am

50. because it looks like a wonderful and informative read as well as a good coffee table book thanks for the giveaway

    Comment by mindy — March 22, 2009 @ 2:33 pm

51. I need this book because I don’t have doors on my bedroom and my three sons are driving me insane and they never go outside for fear of wilting so I would like to turn my back yard of my first home into a special place that one of us can go for some peace & quiet!!!

    Comment by SallyGirl — March 22, 2009 @ 5:32 pm

52. Oh- I so need this book. I have a huge backyard that I haven’t had a clue of what to do with all the years I have lived here. So now it is just a weed patch with a few odd trees and bushes here and there. This book would be great. Thanks for the chance.

    Comment by Carol S — March 22, 2009 @ 7:13 pm

53. I need this book because my garden/yard is crying out for help: bare patches, dying shrubs, mud pits, and moss everywhere. Can this book save my outdoor space?

    Comment by Emma — March 22, 2009 @ 7:37 pm

54. Hooray, another giveaway!

    I’ve enjoyed your blog since I started a landscaping certification program where I work. My ultimate goal is to help people design edible/livable spaces in small residential settings, and now that I’m gaining a designer’s perspective, I realize the need for descriptive imagery. Having always been a visual learner, I rely on books and other examples that I can show to prospective clients. At this point, however, I have only beginner’s library. This garden book seems like a wonderful picture book for the adult, and I would love to have it on hand to provide inspiration for myself as well as anyone that I can help assist in creating their own small-scale paradise.

    Thanks as always for your creative blogging, and happy Spring wishes!

    Comment by Genevieve L. — March 22, 2009 @ 10:39 pm

55. This book would really help me, it would inspire many ideas!

    Comment by Carol — March 23, 2009 @ 4:01 am

56. I need to start working on getting my yard together.
    Thanks for the giveaway!
    kimspam66(at)yahoo(dot)com

    Comment by Kim V — March 23, 2009 @ 5:39 am

57. I need it because I like to dream.

    Comment by Jeanine — March 23, 2009 @ 7:03 am

58. this book looks very inspiring…We have recently moved to a small town on North Vancouver Island and our house/yard are basically our universe…we are putting all our energy and resources into making it a safe and fun space for our family.

    Comment by Lisa — March 23, 2009 @ 9:26 am

59. We are forever improving our yard and outdoor entertaining spaces, and I can never have enough inspiration.

    Comment by ashley morgan — March 23, 2009 @ 1:46 pm

60. After ten years, we have finally gotten the inside of the house to almost where we’d like,now it’s time for our big old yard to get a facelift

    Comment by Roxanne — March 23, 2009 @ 5:41 pm

61. We just bought a new (to us) house and I am at a total loss what to do with the landscaping. This book looks like it’s “user-friendly” and would work well for a novice gardener like myself.
    digicat{AT}sbcglobal{DOT}net

    Comment by Carolsue — March 23, 2009 @ 10:14 pm

62. We just bought a small 4 acre farm!

    The plan is to transform the 3 acre field into an organic market garden. But our priority is to create an interesting, inviting space which draws people from the entrance along the winding paths filled with butterfly and bee gardens, outdoor rooms, free-range hens, fruit and nut trees, etc.

    The advice from this book would be inspirational!

    Comment by Andrea — March 24, 2009 @ 11:03 am

63. I think that I need this book the most, because I have a two-fold reason:

    1. I live in an apartment in which the backyard / patio area is severly lacking and I need some cost-effective ways to make it look welcoming – so that we actually want to spend time there….

    2. My parents just moved into a house that is absolutely boring landscape-wise. They need some help and I have offered, but I am plum out of ideas.

    Pick me!!!!

    Comment by Robin — March 24, 2009 @ 12:26 pm

64. Great book!
    I’ve a concrete terrace that is as gray as a Vancouver fog. I need help! The terrace needs colour, inspiration and some direction to get in tip top shape and producing veggies. I’ve the “man power” to build me some planter boxes, but need the design know-how to make it beautiful. So far it appears more like a landing pad for a mega testosterone bar-b-que and his constant companion the earth machine. I need to interject some yin to the yang and get the terrace blooming beautiful.

    Love your blog and have enjoyed it for many years! Cheers.

    Comment by Caoch Payne, Support your local Roller Derby, and of course urban gardens — March 25, 2009 @ 11:53 am

65. I have a small corner unfinished area in my yard that needs some loving. It has sat there for the past 20 years with a neglected dirt pile and old pipes. I can use some inspiration to bring this corner back into the mix of things of the rest of the outdoor living we enjoy.

    Rumpling corner of this comment, hoping you’ll pick me! Thanks!

    Comment by annette — March 25, 2009 @ 5:45 pm

66. That would be a great win! My outdoor space consists of a lot of overgrowth, a broken concrete patio, and two patio tables, one with a broken off umbrella in it…wow that’s embarassing…
    I would love this book, it would help me with my little – “design issue”

    Comment by Alexandrea M — March 25, 2009 @ 7:03 pm

67. Thanks for offering the ‘give away’! Sounds like a great book – if I don’t win, I might have to check it out and add it to my library anyway. Have spent the morning going through your posts that I have missed. Now I should go and plan my veggies for the year. My tomato seedlings are getting tall on the window ledge – just waiting for the snow to disappear :).

    Comment by Kate from UK in UT — March 26, 2009 @ 10:07 am

68. With a big yard, outdoor living is easy. Guess I took that for granted, having never lived in the city. Now I live in a small apartment that lacks light but has great little garden space where I’m planting veggies and perennials. I’d much rather put effort into making this outdoor space livable then reminiscing about what I used to have.

    Comment by KM — March 27, 2009 @ 7:09 am

69. i need this book because i live on the 7th floor of a high-rise apartment building and i need something to look forward to. i can’t move until the end of the year, but when i do, it will be a small house with a little funky backyard where i can grow a small patch of veggies and hang lights from the trees and watch my kitties nap in the sun. i need this book for ideas on how to make that happen!

    love your blog, just discovered it today…

    many thanks, gail

    Comment by Gail — March 27, 2009 @ 11:05 am

70. I need this book because it is: pretty; I must have it; and our yard is a nightmare and needs all the help that can be thrown at it. Thank you for the nice giveaway.

    Comment by Leslie D. — March 28, 2009 @ 1:32 am

71. My neighbors think I’m nuts and I’m devaluing their properties with MY garden “design” ideas…I need help from the experts. This book will not only help me have a dream garden that I can be proud of, but also help me get back in the neighbors’ good books….help!

    Comment by chanti — March 28, 2009 @ 10:55 am

72. Wow, I love that cover. I wish my TINY yard could fit a lovely shed in it. I would love this book as I am always open to new ideas in my garden, though I have it pretty jammed packed with plants I am always fiddling with it and changing things around. I also share my books with friends and family so we can all enjoy them.

    Comment by Leslie — March 28, 2009 @ 1:23 pm

73. i’ve turned 90% of my small front yard into garden beds and now have issues -either with the design/scale or performance – of about half the stuff i’ve planted! this book could save my yard! thanks for doing the giveaway.

    Comment by sherri s. — March 28, 2009 @ 3:24 pm

74. I would love this book so I could learn to make my apartment sized yarn more than a collection of containers and pots.

    Comment by jen — March 30, 2009 @ 3:19 pm

75. seems to be a great source of inspiration… And I am always open to new source of inspiration …
    I just moved into a new home. and there is a lot to do. this is so exciting. there is a lot to do but this is so full of possibilities :)

    thanks for sharing . and keep up with this great blog you had. just discovered it and already love it :)

    Comment by la marquise des anges — March 31, 2009 @ 9:20 am

76. i am a day late for the deadline – this book would go a long way to inspiring me to be more on top of things like planting and harvesting on time! and that would go a long way to making my view from the porch a whole lot nicer. land-e-scape!

    Comment by alex — April 1, 2009 @ 7:02 pm

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