The central court shows off a Little and Lewis signature pergola with 8-foot columns saturated in color. Canna 'Tropicana' grows large in planters while leaf sculptures anchor at lower right.

NO MATTER HOW many colorful columns, oversized concrete leaves or clever water features artists George Little and David Lewis have in public and private gardens around the country, I remain convinced their own garden on Bainbridge Island is their greatest achievement. Never mind the artful illusions and stunning colors the duo is known for; their garden remains the most magical, beautiful and influential of their creations.

The Sphere, or "dinosaur egg," shows off a frosty glass float eddying in lazy circles through captured water. Behind the sphere is Hydrangea 'Ayesha.'

In their new book, "A Garden Gallery: The Plants, Art and Hardscape of Little and Lewis" (Timber Press, $29.95), the artists alternate in telling the tale of their inspiration, art, plants and partnership, so their distinctive voices come through clearly. Lewis is the practical, compulsive, uber-humorist of the pair, fascinated with Greek ruins and saturated Mediterranean colors. Little, a thoughtful man with wildly expressive eyebrows, views the garden as metaphor and muse, a waking dream of beauty and sensuality. Together, the two have changed how gardeners in the Northwest view color, foliage and the relationship of gardens and art.

George Little (left) and David Lewis do everything together in their garden. "To weave common paths," they say, "we practice the virtues of understanding, patience and giving." Here, they gingerly repot a bad-tempered agave and make new homes for a few of its pups.

Bainbridge photographer Barbara Denk's pictures are works of art themselves. We should all thank the book's designer and publisher for using Denk's work lavishly enough to draw the reader into the garden's mysterious depths. As NPR's Ketzel Levine writes in the book's lively foreword, "My question to David and George is this: Who told you anything was possible? Who said you could have so much fun? And why is it that some of us just grow plants, while you create entire worlds with leaves?"

In the book, Little and Lewis share for the first time their tips, tricks, secrets and favorite plants in hopes that the great joy they find in their garden will inspire all of us toward creativity in our own. Some of my favorite passages:

Lewis on artistic partnership: "For two artists to work together on nearly everything is rare. We sign both our names to every piece that comes out of our studio, regardless of the amount of time that each of us puts into its creation. When we lecture to groups, we do so together, playing off each other's words and ideas to form a fluid presentation."

The cool, moist Raintree drips in its shady pool against a hot-blue wall where an artful mirror lures sunlight from across the garden.

Little on partnering with nature: "I feel that every garden has its own distinct atmosphere that carries the personality of the garden and its creator . . . being attentive, whether sitting or walking, often gives an inner stillness that helps one to perceive the voice of the garden. It certainly gives rise to a sense of connectedness that is itself delightful. And so we can actually have a dialog with our garden, working with it to make a oneness discovered like something new, though it is as old as the stones we uncover when digging. A large part of the delight found in a good garden is in that quality: feelings both ancient and new, dark and bright, sensed in the heart and gut — no need to think them out. Trust yourself. If you try to make gardening a kind of intellectual exercise, or are primarily concerned with what someone might think of your efforts, you may end up forcing your garden's personality. You can always tell when someone is trying too hard. It just doesn't work. And lot size, sculptures, money — none of these matters much in making a real garden. What matters is the relation of people to their spaces."

A lemon mirror in full sun mysteriously reflects a darker part of the garden. David Lewis says a garden should include a few elements of discovery and surprise to enhance a sense of adventure and encourage exploration.

Little on brave plantings: "David and I both love huge-leaved plants that look primeval. Sometimes we have to restrain our desire to make the garden look like a jungle where we'd have to hack our way back to the house for breakfast or dinner. The garden has a mythical feel . . . By midsummer our garden rooms are well-established, with banks of tall cannas, drifts of euphorbias, a palm sentinel in a stretch of lawn, hydrangea walls — all punctuated with paths, open areas, sculpture and fountains. I like to think it is the blue pergola columns and other pedestals that really tie the garden together, but I concede that all the lush plantings and oversized leaves give the garden its character."

Lewis on water gardening: "Make the pond as big as you can in the space you have. Water gardening becomes addictive. It is low-maintenance, and with the availability of plants that are both beautiful and exciting, the pond will quickly become the heart of your garden. The most frequent mistake people make is planning their pond too small. If you think it is big enough, I promise you, it's not."

Valerie Easton is a Seattle free-lance writer and contributing editor for Horticulture magazine. Her e-mail address is valeaston@comcast.net.