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Rating: 
Summary: too much consumerism, not enough information
Review: I was disappointed in the book. I couldn't get over how many times she talked about buying, buying, buying....(does she ever collect cuttings from her neighbors? does she ever dig up a dearly departed friend's most treasured shrub and transplant it creating a bit of a memorial?). And then so often there were no "technical" details...more like, "I garden only by intuition, if my soul tells me to plant it in one corner of my garden, I don't bother to look up whether it should be in sun or shade or whether lime would be right or rocky soil is okay -- because it's all about how I'm feeling at that time!" But, but, wait! Shouldn't it be about how the PLANT is feeling at the time??? Scattered about were nice pictures (although it was frustrating that they usually didn't correspond with the text on that particular page) and here and there I got a good idea or two, but overall I felt as though it was written by someone who has WAAAAAAAY more money to spend (and maybe waste) at nurseries than I do. {Not much value added" to my gardening skills, but she does indeed look like she has a beautiful back yard.
Rating: 
Summary: Fine reference, superb inspiration
Review: If you have an opportunity to see this author in action, snap it up. Otherwise, just buy the book. Buy the book, in fact, whether you can meet the author or not. Here's why. When we learned more than two years ago that we would be moving to Colorado, I snapped up every book in sight on Colorado gardening. For me, they were long on detail but short on vision. I simply could not divine how to get started, other than having to unlearn every thing I had known about growing things in the temperate climates. Buh-bye, broadleaf evergreens! So long, lotsa roses! Hello... to what? Right now Colorado is in serious drought; watering, if allowed at all, is extremely restricted. Some areas forbid new plantings. Marilyn Raff responds to this challenge with gusto. Parts of her garden have had limited watering for years "because I do not like to haul the hose that far." She has a long list of plants that like dry conditions and another list of plants who, with extravagant water, become weedy. Ration their water, decrease the trouble they cause, and increase your pleasure in the garden. None of this should be construed as saying that this book is short on details. It is not. But in addition to the details, you'll find the author's own interesting ideas about combinations and various areas of a garden, as well as plentiful affirmation for getting to know your own plot, however large or small. Ms. Raff advocates gardening by wandering around: getting to know your unique space and its possibilities. Her attitudes encourage experimentation and acceptance of the occasional inevitable failures. It's all part of informing your intuition, of finding creative freedom. The author's breezy but informative style and the plentiful color photographs make this book a treat. I find myself returning to it again and again both as a reference and as inspiration.
Rating:
Summary: The Intuitive Gardener: Finding Creative Freedom in the Gard
Review: Marilyn is my kind of gardener. No longer will I feel guilty about my style of casual gardening. I now know that I'm an intuitive gardener. Moreover, her book gives me courage to try new plants and new arrangements. As she points out, you can always change things. The style of writing and the excellent photographs, all from Raff's own garden, make this book reader friendly. I can't wait for her next book on roses.
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