Persistent drought conditions in many areas have focused attention on the need for less wasteful landscaping practices. Too often, however, people think of water-efficient landscapes as being boring and unattractive. In this book, co-authors Jim Walters and Balbir Backhaus present more than 300 arid-adapted plants that will bring dramatic color, beauty, and cooling shade to low-maintenance, water-thrifty landscapes --- putting an end to the myth that beautiful gardens require a lot of water and work.Published at $39.95 Our last copies available at $19.98
“Eye-popping proof that water-wise gardens are bold, beautiful and brilliantly hued.” —San Diego Home and Garden Dry weather defines the southwest, and it's getting dryer. As water becomes more precious, our gardens suffer. If we want to keep gardening, we must revolutionize our plant choices and garden practices. Hot Color, Dry Garden provides a joyful, color-filled way to exuberantly garden in low-water conditions. Garden expert Nan Sterman highlights inspiring examples of brilliant gardens filled with water-smart plants. You'll find information about designing for color using plants, architecture, and accessories, along with a plant directory that features drought-tolerant plants that dazzle.
A guide to growing beautiful gardens in drought-prone areas utilizing minimal water for maximum results. With climate change, water rationing, and drought on the rise, water conservation is more important than ever—but that doesn’t mean your gardening options are limited to cacti and rocks. The Water-Saving Garden provides gardeners and homeowners with a diverse array of techniques and plentiful inspiration for creating sustainable gardens that are so beautiful and inviting, it’s hard to believe they are water-thrifty. Including a directory of 100 plants appropriate for a variety of drought-prone regions of the country, this accessible and contemporary xeriscaping guide is full of must-know information on popular gardening topics like native and drought-tolerant plants (including succulents), rainwater harvesting, greywater systems, permeable paving, and more.
Updated and revised. This book is both a valuable reference and a practical how-to guide to hundreds of plant species suited for cultivation beneath a canopy of mature trees. Here is all the information needed to get started: design, plant selection, planting and maintenance. These principles can be applied anywhere in North America in any size garden, from large estate to a cramped city lot. This revised edition of The Woodland Garden features new, beautiful color images throughout, a larger format and more text. An authoritative guide for gardeners and landscape designers, this edition focuses on: Designing the woodland garden Building the woodland garden The canopy, plus a list of woodland trees The understory, plus a list of woodland shrubs Plants of the woodland floor Climbing plants Planting, pruning and maintenance The authors list their favorite plants with detailed descriptions of the best woodland garden performers including lilies and rhododendrons. Practical information is provided for soil characteristics, adapting a property, working with a new site and converting an old garden. There are sections on fragrance, water, rocks, pathways, scale and unity, how to analyze a site and much more. Helpful tips throughout offer useful advice gleaned from the authors' decades of collective experience: dealing with weeds and pests, preparing the land, watering, mulching and propagation.
A design-focused, easy-to-use guide to colorful, eye-catching foliage and flowers for your whole yard, from the ground plane to the canopy, for homeowners and landscapers faced with replacing thirsty gardens in California and other dry regions in the Western US. If readers must reluctantly remove water-guzzling favorites from the garden, they need equally beautiful substitutes! This book is a visual treat that supports the transition to dry gardening by proving that gardeners can have all the gorgeous color and flowers they had in the past using just a fraction of the water. Maureen Gilmer provides chapters on design categories of plants—flowering shrubs, the ground plain, eye-catching accents, ephemeral flowers, perennials for color, animated plants and fine textures, canopy, and edibles—with profiles for each plant plus background info and top picks lists. The Colorful Dry Garden is unique because it features only bold plants that are also heavy bloomers despite heat and limited water. It also features more than just Western native plants by including varieties from the world's driest climates.
Water-Wise Plants for the Southwest is a must have resource for any Southwest gardener facing water-shortages. It is filled with expert advice from proven low-water gardeners, and includes everything from using tried and true low water use plants in the landscape, efficient watering and cultivation tips from planting to maturity, to new water-wise cultivars and species. The book features inspirational photos of low-water residential landscapes and more than 100 plant recommendations with helpful icons for ease of use. Also included is an extensive reference guide with listings of botanical and water conservation demonstration gardens, educational opportunities, irrigation suppliers, technical support, websites, and professional organizations. This book is one you would recommend to any gardener facing limited water resources.
