What a gift, then, to read Kim Smith's Oh Garden of Fresh Possibilities! Notes From A Gloucester Garden. Using her own small garden as a backdrop, Smith deftly guides her reader along every stage of cultivation -- from quiet observation, through planning and planting, and finally among the blooms -- sharing successes, failures, and surprises along the way. Bursting with information, yet much more than a how-to guide, Oh Garden reads like a meditation. Smith envelops the senses with lyrical prose and exquisite watercolor illustrations, infusing poetry and wisdom from across the ages to tap into the soul of the gardener -- which insists that the garden's beauty stems not from finished product, but from the cultivation itself.

Oh Garden will arm novice gardeners with all the information and inspiration needed to get started. Smith's gentle guidance makes those early days in the garden -- with their seemingly endless array of choices -- less overwhelming. As I read her accounts of her own decisions of what and where to plant, I was reminded that there is no single "right way" to create a garden space -- that gardening is equal parts art and science. More experienced gardeners also will enjoy this book, feeling refreshed by new ideas and affirmed by Smith's shared and obvious love for the hobby they already enjoy.

As I finished reading this book, and I expect as a result, winter's last days seemed slightly less gray. Smith's appreciation of nature's details surely informed my noticing of an early-returning bird's morning song, the faint smell of earth beyond the melting snow, and brave bulbs just pressing from the soil. The book inspired me to begin planning some much-needed reformations to my own garden, and, following Smith's instructions, coaxed my first winter blooms, which proved a wonderful reminder that spring was just around the corner."

Now, want to be one of three winners to receive a copy of Oh Garden? Here's how: