Garden Detective

I love making lists. Let me correct that: I NEED to make lists. Without them, I feel so disorganized and my life begins to spiral downward. I'm so compulsive about it that when I accomplish something that isn't on my list, I write it down just so I can cross it out.

Naturally, I have a list of things to do before I die. I created it about five years ago, and judging by the length of it (and it keeps getting longer) I'd better live a very long life. Here's a look at my progress:

See the Harlem Globetrotters
Visit Hawaii
Line dance and eat barbecue Austin, Texas
See the Grand Ole Opry
Become a Master Gardener
See David Byrne in concert
Move to a bigger house

It's not much, I know, but I'm working on it. I still have to write that novel, visit France, England and Italy (again), see the Mayan ruins, and rent a Winnebago and take Route 66 across the country, among other things.

Now here's a shameful confession: Until I read this book, I didn't consider visiting any historical gardens. Read it and your list might grow longer, too.

"1001 Gardens You Must See Before You Die" (Barron's, $34.99)
General Editor: Rae Spencer-Jones

Eye candy for anyone awed by natural beauty, this stocky volume is arranged geographically from west to east and north to south. Most of the 1,001 gardens featured include a colorful photo, a few paragraphs of description and a fact box with at-a- glance details about the designer, owner, garden style, size, location and climate.

Every imaginable style is covered, from traditional (Monet's Giverny in France, on my list, by the way) to tropical (Jim Thompson Garden in Bangkok) and from the tranquil (Japan's Daichi-ji) to the surreal (Las Pozas in the Mexican jungle.)

In addition to Old Westbury Gardens, the John P. Humes Japanese Stroll Garden in Mill Neck ("forces a change of pace - certainly no bad thing in the fast-paced world of today") and Longhouse Reserve in East Hampton ("Visitors ... quickly discover an array of planting textures and colors offset by an inspiring collection of artwork") are local treasures given succinct coverage that includes historical background and beautiful photography.

Simply flipping through these pages will have you planning ways to incorporate various styles into your own garden, and maybe even making a few vacation plans.