Often when I speak with people about garden building issues, I find myself wishing that I had some way to leave them a review of sorts to remind, inform, and aid them in recalling what we have discussed. It could be about fencing, patios, terracing, drainage concerns, garden lighting; the list goes on... 
     This small collection of writing is begun with the intent to slowly accrete a collection of essays and articles to introduce people to some of the various elements that may contribute to developing and creating gardens, garden-homes, and landscapes.
     To my reckoning, folks are aided when they have some basic knowledge about techniques and materials, about qualities of workmanship and about particularities, possibilities and—about costs. So mostly these scribblings shall be about possibilities and practicalities, about gathering and studying elements that we may fold into our undertakings when working with and in nature to bring about our dreams.
     That said, from these recounts of practicalities it will be difficult to strain out all editorializing and leave off without some musings about our curious journey through the garden of culture and nature.

—Jim Pyle