A lot has happened in the world of gardening since "Theme Gardens" was first published in 1982. The parallels to cooking are striking-we now have a new and much expanded repertoire of flowers, herbs, and vegetables; we look for more variety in the way we garden and landscape; and it's become a more important part of many more people's lives. And a lot has happened to Barbara Damrosch. Through "Theme Gardens" and her classic, "The Garden Primer," through her "Gardener's Calendar" and other ventures, she's established herself as one of the country's authorities.

Now, at long last, "Theme Gardens" is revised and updated to serve a new generation of gardening enthusiasts. It's like a new book in presentation, much more weighted to photography and with a reworked design that freshens and modernizes the landscape plans to make them easier to read and to follow. The lists of recommended plants is revamped, with special attention to eliminating potentially invasive varieties and adding new plants more suited to the grower's environment. All-new photographs are larger, selected illustrations are updated. What hasn't changed is the core of inspiring, practical, creative ideas-from a butterly garden to a garden of old roses, from a Shakespeare garden to a moon garden to a Zen garden to a medieval paradise garden, "Theme Gardens" presents plans for creating 16 distinctively themed gardens along with instructions for growing and maintaining over 300 plants. Recipes, in other words, that every gardener will love.