Brad Finkle’s new book is entitled Holiday Hero: A Man’s Manual for Holiday Lighting, but if there’s a woman crazy enough to climb a ladder in the dead of winter with a string of Christmas lights in her grip and thus risk death in multiple ways (falling, electrocution, hypothermia), far be it from me to dissuade her. Decorating one’s home for Christmas can be an obsession, with most men possessing some degree of desire to turn their home into Disneyland; what we’ve lacked until now is a guidebook. A 20-year decorated veteran (his displays have won numerous awards), Finkle shows you, step by step, how to turn your yard into a photon-filled wonderland. The key, he says, is planning. Starting with a rundown of what’s available (the variety of holiday lighting is astounding), he shows decorating novices how to work up a plan, what to put where, and how to go about getting it up. He then gives us a dozen possible layouts, ranging from a simple, but elegant display to a complex set-up that would make a Vegas casino proud. Finkle concludes with some easy tips for removal and storage. As a jaded longtime holiday decorator, I thought I knew it all, but I have to admit that I learned a few things from Holiday Hero. You will too.

How often have you paged through a beautiful, glossy-paged garden book and gone away frustrated with your own meager efforts? Spreading vistas and great banks of bedded-out tropicals may be glorious, but they’re certainly not achievable in my garden. Or, most likely, in yours. Don’t you wish that someone would balance those beautiful photographs with applications for home gardeners? This is exactly what the Prince of Wales and Stephanie Donaldson have done in The Elements of Organic Gardening. Although the royal gardens are of a startling scale and grandeur, with flocks of gardeners flitting to and fro, this book explains the earth-friendly approach used in managing them and gives ideas for achieving sustainability in smaller ones.

Prince Charles has been widely recognized for his deep concern for the natural world, and The Elements of Organic Gardening demonstrates how this concern manifests itself in the landscapes around his homes. Ornamentals mingle with edibles in joyous profusion, while troops of Indian Runner ducks parade through in a comic ballet. And the valuable text breaks down the principles behind these gardens’ maintenance. Throughout, the book’s pages are brightened with handsome photographs by renowned garden photographers Andrew Lawson and David Rowley.

Few home gardeners will be able to achieve the grand effects illustrated here, but The Elements of Organic Gardening offers practical advice on sustainability for even the smallest garden. Caleb Melchior gardens on a country estate in Perry County, Missouri.

If you’re looking for tips on packing the perfect picnic basket or a refresher on how to play croquet, you’re in luck. Need to repair wicker furniture or perhaps build a lean-to? You’re all set: Suzanne Brown’s Summer: A User’s Guide lives up to its name. Brown has created a go-to book that surely will delight domestic divas, as well as hapless sorts who fantasize about creating the Perfect Summer Experience but aren’t sure how to go about it. The author’s voice is a friendly one; for the most part, she pulls off delivering suggestions and instructions without sounding patronizing, though the text does get a bit precious here and there (margaritas are sunshine in a glass and Reefs are the Rolls Royce of flip-flops. ). Overall, though, Brown seems earnest in her mission: She’s summered at lovely spots up and down the East Coast, and she wants readers to have as much fun and create as many delightful memories as she has.

Summer features page after page of color photos of enticing summer foods, wholesome activities and idyllic scenes. In addition, the how-to sections use helpful step-by-step line drawings to aid in identifying animal tracks or making a beach-towel pillow. No detail goes unshared: there are recipes for food and drink, music and movie playlists, and gardening tips. Essays offering a historical perspective on everything from baseball to toasting marshmallows are enlivened by the author’s personal musings and ensure that the book can be enjoyed as a cover-to-cover read as well as a reference guide.

Florence Broadhurst was a glamorous wallpaper designer born in Queensland, Australia, in 1899. She also was a dancer named Bobby in 1920s Shanghai and, later that decade, a London socialite named Madame Pellier. In the 1960s and ’70s, Broadhurst settled into the role of artist and designer. She presided over her Sydney studio until 1977, when she was murdered; no one was ever convicted of the crime. It’s fitting, then, that journalist Helen O’Neill’s biography, Florence Broadhurst: Her Secret &andamp; Extraordinary Lives, depicts a woman devoted to reinvention and fabulousness. Nearly 100 of Broadhurst’s vivid, large-scale silkscreened patterns appear in the book. They aren’t for the faint of heart: Covering walls with the lush Florentine Tapestry or the pop-alicious Turnabouts requires commitment and a sense of adventure. Even as Broadhurst’s work continues to sell (often in the form of fabrics for dresses and linens), her design skills and ethics draw questions. Nevertheless, with its clever silkscreened cover with embossed wrap-around, this book will look smashing on a coffee table.

As the title promises, 52 Weekend Makeovers: Easy Projects to Transform Your Home Inside and Out is a DIYer’s delight. Projects range from painting trim to de-cluttering the laundry room to building a barbecue-ready patio. The introductory section provides a list of must-have implements for indoor and outdoor work, plumbing-kit recommendations, and more. Step-by-step instructions are accompanied by large, close-up photos that should instill confidence, even in tile-grouting or shelf-installation novices. 52 Weekend Makeovers has sidebars galore, including the preemptive What Can Go Wrong and Safety First, and the acquisitiveness-inspiring Cool Tools. Readers who like comparing the shortest vs. the quickest route on MapQuest.com will appreciate the Do It Right vs. Do It Fast options. This book doesn’t focus solely on building how-tos, though; it addresses color, design and style as well. In the wainscot chapter, several photos illustrate what beadboard might look like in a cool-hued bathroom or a sunroom with a built-in bench. However, no matter how clear the photos are, or how simple the instructions seem, take this to heart: Preparation is key to the success of any job. . . . And don’t forget to call for help when you need it.

You may recognize JoAnne (JoJo) Liebeler’s name she’s hosted and/or produced several home-centric shows, such as HGTV’s Room for Change and TLC’s Home Savvy. Her television experience, plus her work as a comic performer and writer, gives Do It Herself: Everything You Need to Know to Fix, Maintain, and Improve Your Home an approachable feel. The book was produced by women, for women! and the author photo shows Liebeler using her toolbox as a pedicure table. Of course, femininity can coexist with construction tools and sawdust; thus, this book is packed with plain talk about everything from radon detectors to replacing a ceiling fixture. And that’s Liebe-ler’s point: Understanding how house systems work gives you knowledge. Knowledge gives you power. Power enables you to do things on your own and save money. Up-front information about home-improvement endeavors how long they’ll take, must-have tools and maintenance gives readers an idea of what they’re in for. Liebeler’s humorous anecdotes and conversational tone keep things fun and confidence-inspiring.

Sharon Hanby-Robie, QVC’s home decor expert and frequent on-air personality, shares her 30 years of interior design expertise in Decorating Without Fear: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating the Home You Love. She recommends a personal, thoughtful approach: Your home should tell the story of your life. . . . I want you to learn to trust your instincts and follow your heart. The book’s language may veer into clichŽ territory, but Hanby-Robie’s principles are sound: Before embarking on a design project, it’s wise to consider which styles are appealing and appropriate, how the rooms function, where the light falls and other essentials. She offers suggestions for making rooms more efficient, as well as techniques for rendering challenging areas (ceiling too tall? space too open?) more livable. And it’s refreshing that the loads of color photos including plenty of before-and-afters are of livable, not-too-fancy rooms, rather than the shots of palatial homes and fussy furniture found in many interior design books.

Reading Decorating Without Fear does require commitment: The text is plentiful, but so is the good advice. And isn’t it better to spend more time sussing out what works now, rather than scraping off an unfortunate wallpaper choice later?