The Dry Gardening Handbook


Book Description

Making a garden that can withstand summer drought without irrigation is the dream of many who wish to garden in harmony with the environment. In this classic work on gardening in dry climates, first published in 2008, Olivier Filippi offers practical advice to achieve this goal based on his, and his wife Clara's, experience of working with Mediterranean-region plants for more than 30 years. The first part of the book examines the behavior of plants that face drought in their natural habitat. What is drought and how do plants manage to survive when little water is available? The second part is concerned with gardening techniques in a dry climate. How do you prepare the soil, when do you plant, and how do you maintain a dry garden? The third and longest part describes in detail no less than 500 rewarding plants that are well-adapted to dry gardens, each classified by a unique dry resistance code. The Dry Gardening Handbook is essential reading for gardeners who live in one of the world's Mediterranean climate zones and will also be of interest to gardeners in areas where drought is becoming a recurring problem.




High and Dry


Book Description

Leavened with humor and rueful wisdom, Nold's pithy descriptions zero in on each plant's outstanding ornamental characteristics while giving the reader an accurate idea of what to expect from the plant's performance in the garden." "Although Nold addresses himself primarily to western gardeners, anyone with an interest in hardy, drought-tolerant plants will find in these pages an abundance of tempting possibilities with which to experiment."--BOOK JACKET.




The Dry Garden


Book Description

In today's climate of increasingly hot summers and dry winters, gardeners need guidance on plants that will thrive in dry conditions. Beth Chatto's classic book has revolutionised the understanding of the problems involved and opened up many opportunities that wait to be exploited. In her famous DRY GARDEN she uses plants that need very little attention and are naturally adapted to flourish in dry conditions to provide a year-round display of beautiful foliage and flowers.




Planting Design for Dry Gardens


Book Description

First published in French as Alternatives au gazon in 2011.




Gardening in Summer-Dry Climates


Book Description

Dry summer, wet winter climate? This is your must have plant guide. Selecting plants suited to your climate is the first step toward a thriving, largely self-sustaining garden that connects with and supports the natural world. With gentle and compelling text and stunning photographs of plants in garden settings, Gardening in Summer-Dry Climates by Nora Harlow and Saxon Holt is a guide to native and climate-adapted plants for summer-dry, winter-wet climates of North America's Pacific coast. Knowing what these climates share and how and why they differ, you can choose to make gardens that maintain and expand local and regional biodiversity, take little from the earth that is not returned, and welcome and accommodate the presence of wildlife. With global warming, it is now even more critical that we garden in tune with climate.




The Kitchen Gardener's Handbook


Book Description

“A mouthwatering picture book.” —Toronto Tasting Notes No longer content with separating the plants they grow to eat and the plants they grow for beauty, gardeners are discovering the pleasures of incorporating both edibles and ornamentals into their home landscapes. The Kitchen Gardener's Handbook makes it easy. Whether she's sharing tips on planting radishes in spring, harvesting tomatoes in summer, or pruning perennials in winter, Bartley's friendly advice gives gardeners the tools they need to build and maintain a kitchen garden. Readers will learn how to plant, grow, and harvest the best vegetables, fruits, greens, and herbs for every season. They'll also find seasonal recipes that celebrate the best of the harvest, monthly garden chores, eight sample garden designs, and information on using cut flowers for decoration. The Kitchen Gardener's Handbook is a guide for gardeners who want it all—the freshness of fruits and vegetables and the beauty and simplicity of hand-picked bouquets.




The Colorful Dry Garden


Book Description

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.




Growing Vegetables in Drought, Desert, and Dry Times


Book Description

Master organic vegetable gardening in 4 different low-water conditions—including high and low desert, drought, and voluntary water conservation. Features over 100 photos, maps, and diagrams—perfect for vegetable gardeners in California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and more! Dedicated home gardeners will discover how to grow delicious produce in dry times with this authoritative full-color handbook. Using modern techniques, as well as tips from native traditions ranging from the southwestern United States to the Middle East, this guide offers the best of ancient wisdom and the newest innovations in conservation. Inside you’ll find over 100 color photos, maps, and diagrams, plus expert information on: • Gardening in high and low desert, drought conditions, and for voluntary water conservation • How to assess your site and climate modification • Water-wise gardening methods: in-ground, container, and raised bed gardening • Soil science, proper watering methods, and pest control • How to choose drought-tolerant and desert-hardy vegetable seeds • Recommended varieties by region, plus a seasonal crop guide • Resource list, checklist, and glossary While this guide is geared towards those who live in high desert, low desert, mountains (short season), Pacific coast, and inland valley areas of the Western United States, gardeners anywhere in the world looking to save water can find useful guidance. As more communities suffer the effects of climate change, experienced desert gardener Maureen Gilmer’s sage advice on dry gardening becomes more and more relevant.




The Dry Gardening Handbook


Book Description

A complete and beautifully illustrated guide to creating a garden in the face of water shortages and dry conditions.




Bringing the Mediterranean Into Your Garden


Book Description

Mediterranean garrigue landscapes are extraordinarily beautiful: alternating mounds of silver and green, textured leaves, flashes of colour and intoxicating scents combine to delight the senses and rival any cultivated garden with half the work. This book offers inspiration and expert advice on growing the plants and adopting a new more natural way of gardening. Mediterranean plants are diverse and adapted to a wide range of environments and weather conditions. They are of course ideally suited to regions which experience long periods of seasonal drought but many will also withstand periods of high rainfall and extreme cold making this book essential reading for temperate-zone gardeners seeking the Mediterranean look. Some understanding of plant ecology is essential for success and Filippi shares his expert knowledge acquired from decades of research. How a plant interacts with its environment, other plants, and other living things indicates what it needs to flourish in a garden setting.