Nancy J. Ondra, author of Container Theme Gardens, is a garden writer and editor as well as the former owner and operator of a small rare-plant nursery. She is the author or co-author of a dozen gardening books, including Foliage (winner of the 2008 Book Award from the American Horticultural Society), The Perennial Gardener’s Design Primer (winner of a 2006 Silver Award from the Garden Writers Association), Five-Plant Gardens, The Perennial Care Manual, Fallscaping, and Grasses. She currently gardens in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and blogs at www.hayefield.com.

Books by Nancy J. Ondra

  • Container Theme Gardens
    Simple and foolproof! Enjoy beautiful container plantings with no stress or fuss. Container Theme Gardens offers 42 plans for container arrangements, each using just five specific plants that you can find at your local garden center. There’s something here for every setting and every style, including a meadow in a box, a pond in a pot, a simple salad garden, and a combination that will attract hummingbirds. Each plan includes photographs of what the full planting will look like, as well as a handy shopping list so you know exactly what you need.
    Learn More

  • The Perennial Care Manual
    Keep your perennial beds looking their best, season after season. From planning and planting to pruning and propagating, this comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know to maintain a stunning perennial garden. Nancy J. Ondra provides an in-depth, plant-by-plant guide that profiles 125 popular perennials, with helpful information on each plant’s soil, light, and water needs. Ondra’s expertise and passion for gardening, along with Rob Cardillo’s breathtaking photography, will inspire you to create a garden of your dreams that will last a lifetime.  
    Learn More

  • Fallscaping
    Embrace the jewel-toned fruits, flaming foliage, and woody plants of the fall garden. Landscape designers Nancy J. Ondra and Stephanie Cohen offer practical design ideas, plant advice, and 10 complete garden plans in this autumnal gardening guide. Ondra and Cohen’s expertise is complemented by stunning color photographs that illustrate the beauty and variety of this often overlooked gardening season. You’ll be inspired to use vines, tree shrubs, and flowers to contribute color, texture, and beauty to your garden well past summer’s peak. 

    This publication conforms to the EPUB Accessibility specification at WCAG 2.0 Level AA.
     
    Learn More

  • The Perennial Gardener’s Design Primer
    Turn your outdoor landscape into a rich, living canvas of color and texture. Encouraging experimentation, Stephanie Cohen and Nancy J. Ondra show you how to plan a garden that incorporates unique combinations of plants to achieve stunning effects. With an overview of garden design fundamentals and 20 sample garden plans, Cohen and Ondra will inspire you to play with creative juxtapositions of vibrant hues and subtle textures. Let your imagination run wild as you create your own unique and original garden designs.
    Learn More

  • Grasses
    From the dazzling orange leaves of Flame Grass to the feathery purple haze of Switch Grass, ornamental grasses can add a vibrant and colorful dimension to any garden. Nancy J. Ondra shows you how to use grasses on their own or in tandem with perennials, annuals, and shrubs to add visual interest and texture to your outdoor space. Insightful profiles of dozens of varieties of ornamental grasses enlivened by Saxon Holt’s stunning photography will inspire you to create your own dynamic, grass-filled gardens. 
    Learn More

Related Articles

  • Container Garden Plan: Back to Black

    Container Garden Plan: Back to Black

    A black-based container planting is more than a “because you can” novelty: it’s an exceptionally elegant way to display some truly distinctive and eye-catching plants. When it comes to foliage and flowers, what we call “black” is usually a shade of deep purple to burgundy … Read More

    Gardening

    by Nancy J. Ondra

  • Overwintering Tender Bulbs

    Overwintering Tender Bulbs

    This past summer marked my first as a dahlia grower. I planted six varieties in our front garden and,  apart from some struggles with goldfinches plucking the petals from unopened buds, and numerous earwigs, once the dahlias started blooming, they provided me with dramatic bouquets … Read More

    Gardening

    by Nancy J. Ondra

  • A Gentle Plea for Pathways

    A Gentle Plea for Pathways

    Whether you’re obsessed with gardening or have just a few flower beds in your yard, your goal is probably the same: to make your home a prettier place to live. So when you plan a new bed or border, you’re thinking about colors and … Read More

    Gardening

    by Nancy J. Ondra