Take It Outside by Mel Brasier

Take It Outside by Mel Brasier, Garrett Magee, and James DeSantis

This book came out in 2021, and the subtitle is A Guide to Designing Beautiful Spaces Just Beyond Your Door.

Mel, Garrett, and James host Bravo's Backyard Envy. They have been called the "plantfluencers" by the New York Times and own the Manscapers landscaping company. Their main differentiator is viewing outdoor spaces the way interior designers evaluate rooms. In this book, Mel, Garrett, and James take you step-by-step through their process of transforming outdoor spaces -  no matter the size. 

In the introduction, they write,

The three of us came to the landscape business with backgrounds in design, not degrees in horticulture: Mel and James are interiors experts, and Garrett trained as a graphic designer. Together, we decided to pool our talents and take our collective skill set outside. We learned to transform city lots into lush hideaways, tiny terraces into chic outdoor lounges, and suburban yards into anything-but-cookie-cutter retreats. Along the way, we realized that no matter the size, location, or budget of any outdoor location, the makeover process is pretty much the same.

Rather than be put off by the unpredictability of garden design, we fell in love with its ever-changing nature. Today we are constantly inspired by the prospect of working outside, where every project mirrors the seasons and offers the promise of transformation and progress. Nothing is stagnant outside.

Time and again, we're faced with many of the same landscape design conundrums, but we're always up to the challenge of solving them. With this book, we're stoked to share our tried-and-true tricks and solutions with anyone who wants to design and build their own outdoor oasis.

Whether you are a seasoned or brand-new gardener, a semiskilled DIYer, or someone who just wants to turn things over to the pros, we'll help unpack the process for you. Now, let's take this outside and get started!

This book is 272 pages of planning outdoor spaces worthy of an episode of Backyard Envy - and the authors are quick to point out that,

There's no "one size fits all" approach to landscape design. You don't have to become a gardening expert (you don't even have to love flowers!). You just need to understand a few basic landscaping principles and how to apply them to the space you're working with. We've streamlined the process into manageable steps that can work in any area.

Feel free to follow each step or cherry-pick them as you please-whatever works for you.

Remember: the goal is to experience your home in a different way-from the outside in.

You can get a copy of Take It Outside by Mel Brasier, Garrett Magee, and James DeSantis and support the show using the Amazon link in today's show notes for around $16.