Shrink Your Lawn


Book Description

Design away some of your lawn with this inspiring illustrated collection of ideas from the Editor of the LessLawn website.




Lawn Gone!


Book Description

A colorful guide covering the basics of replacing a traditional lawn with a wide variety of easy-care, no-mow, drought-tolerant, money-saving options that will appeal to today's busy, eco-conscious homeowner. Americans pour 300 million gallons of gas and 1 billion hours every year into mowing their lawns, not to mention 70 million pounds of pesticides and $40 billion for lawn upkeep. No Wonder the anti-lawn movement is thriving, as today's eco-conscious consumers realize that their traditional lawns are water-hogging, chemical-ridden, maintenance-intensive burdens. Lawn Gone!, from award-winning gardening blogger Pam Penick, is the first basic introduction to low-water, easy-care lawn alternatives for beginning gardeners, written in a friendly style with an approachable package. It covers all the available time-saving options: alternative grasses, ground cover plants, artificial turf, hardscaping, mulch, and more. In addition, it includes step-by-step lawn-removal methods, strategies for dealing with neighbors and homeowner associations, and how to minimize your lawn if you're not ready to go all the way.




Beautiful No-Mow Yards


Book Description

With Beautiful No-Mow Yards, you can transform your lawn into a livable garden and bring nature's beauty into your life! What has your perfect green lawn done for you lately? Is it really worth the time, effort, and resources you lavish on it? Armed with encouragement, inspiration, and cutting-edge advice from award-winning author Evelyn Hadden, you can liberate yourself at last! In this ultimate guide to rethinking your yard, Hadden showcases dozens of inspiring, eco-friendly alternatives to that demanding (and dare we say boring?) green turf. Trade your lawn for a lively prairie or replace it with a runoff-reducing rain garden. Swap it for an interactive adventure garden or convert it to a low-maintenance living carpet.




The Humane Gardener


Book Description

In this eloquent plea for compassion and respect for all species, journalist and gardener Nancy Lawson describes why and how to welcome wildlife to our backyards. Through engaging anecdotes and inspired advice, profiles of home gardeners throughout the country, and interviews with scientists and horticulturalists, Lawson applies the broader lessons of ecology to our own outdoor spaces. Detailed chapters address planting for wildlife by choosing native species; providing habitats that shelter baby animals, as well as birds, bees, and butterflies; creating safe zones in the garden; cohabiting with creatures often regarded as pests; letting nature be your garden designer; and encouraging natural processes and evolution in the garden. The Humane Gardener fills a unique niche in describing simple principles for both attracting wildlife and peacefully resolving conflicts with all the creatures that share our world.




Nature's Best Hope


Book Description

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Douglas W. Tallamy’s first book, Bringing Nature Home, awakened thousands of readers to an urgent situation: wildlife populations are in decline because the native plants they depend on are fast disappearing. His solution? Plant more natives. In this new book, Tallamy takes the next step and outlines his vision for a grassroots approach to conservation. Nature’s Best Hope shows how homeowners everywhere can turn their yards into conservation corridors that provide wildlife habitats. Because this approach relies on the initiatives of private individuals, it is immune from the whims of government policy. Even more important, it’s practical, effective, and easy—you will walk away with specific suggestions you can incorporate into your own yard. If you’re concerned about doing something good for the environment, Nature’s Best Hope is the blueprint you need. By acting now, you can help preserve our precious wildlife—and the planet—for future generations.




A Way to Garden


Book Description

“A Way to Garden prods us toward that ineffable place where we feel we belong; it’s a guide to living both in and out of the garden.” —The New York Times Book Review For Margaret Roach, gardening is more than a hobby, it’s a calling. Her unique approach, which she calls “horticultural how-to and woo-woo,” is a blend of vital information you need to memorize and intuitive steps you must simply feel and surrender to. In A Way to Garden, Roach imparts decades of garden wisdom on seasonal gardening, ornamental plants, vegetable gardening, design, gardening for wildlife, organic practices, and much more. She also challenges gardeners to think beyond their garden borders and to consider the ways gardening can enrich the world. Brimming with beautiful photographs of Roach’s own garden, A Way to Garden is practical, inspiring, and a must-have for every passionate gardener.




Building a Healthy Lawn


Book Description

Included are chapters on mowing, watering, fertilizing, soil building, equipment selection, seeding, weed control, diseases and insects, ground covers, and mulches.




California Friendly


Book Description

California Friendly® is California's future. Water reliability is dependent on using water wisely. We need to create sustainable gardens that rely on less water. This maintenance guide will help you support California's future:*Uncover the secrets of efficient irrigation.*Explore the techniques for irrigating with recycled water.*Get the maintenance tips for hundreds of California Friendly® plants.*Discover the methods and means of managing weed and pest infestations.*Learn how to maintain rainwater capture opportunities.This book has been written for every landscaper, gardener and land manager in Southern California. It has been produced by the very first collaboration between three Southern California organizations, LADWP, MWD and SoCalGas. Grab a copy--they are free--use the information in your garden and help us create a beautiful, thriving and sustainable future.




Jerry Baker's Green Grass Magic


Book Description

How to grow grass.




Managing Bermudagrass Turf


Book Description

If you're determined to create and maintain a beautiful bermuda-grass turf, then let this comprehensive reference be your guide. Here, you'll receive expert information on the fundamentals of green construction and growing-in processes, along with step-by-step cultural practices, and critical techniques for controlling weeds, insects, diseases, and nematodes. You get a comprehensive listing of the various bermudagrass species, complete with scientific and common names, propagation, and worldwide distribution. You'll also find out why and where certain weeds are likely to grow and what cultural or chemical remedies best keep them in check. Nearly 600 photographs illustrate the various stages of plant development and emphasize the key identification characteristics of each plant.