Dryland Gardening: Plants That Survive and Thrive in Tough Conditions

Dryland Gardening: Plants That Survive and Thrive in Tough Conditions

by JenniferBennett (Author)

Synopsis

An essential reference to gardening in hot and cold dry climates.

Gardening where summers are hot and prone to periods of drought, or where winters are snowy one week and freezing rain the next, is best managed by xeriscaping -- dryland gardening techniques that favor not only water conservation but also the conservation of time, energy and other resources.

Xeriscaping enthusiasts exist throughout North America wherever the climate calls for dryland gardening, from the Great Plains prairies to the California desert.

Dryland Gardening explains time-tested strategies:

  • Coping with limited access to water
  • Dealing with invasive plants
  • Dealing with trees under stress
  • Nurturing groundcovers and grasses
  • Starting bulbs, perennials and vines
  • Growing vegetables, herbs and annuals.

This book includes both practical advice for dry-climate gardeners as well as an extensive planting list for grasses and groundcovers, bulbs, perennials and vines, vegetables and annuals, herbs, roses and shrubs.

Each plant entry provides:

  • Common and botanical names
  • Detailed descriptions
  • Planting instructions, care and maintenance.

Dryland Gardening celebrates a resilient garden with a beauty that requires fewer resources and less time.

$3.35

Save:$18.55 (85%)

Quantity

1 in stock

More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 192
Edition: illustrated edition
Publisher: Firefly Books Ltd
Published: 05 May 2005

ISBN 10: 1554070317
ISBN 13: 9781554070312

Media Reviews
This book is an excellent source of information on water conservation, low-maintenance and easy-care plants.--Irene Morton Fifty-Five Plus (06/01/2007)
Just in time comes this plant-centered book that focuses on creating beautiful, lush gardens in less-than-ideal conditions.--Valerie Easton Seattle Times (05/18/2005)
For gardeners in need of industrial-strength help, thanks either to their arid plots or irrational climate.--Mike Gillespie Ottawa Citizen (05/21/2005)
Whether you garden in a dry region or just have a periodically dry corner of the yard, [this book] has plenty to offer.--Viveka Neveln American Gardener (09/01/2005)
Create beautiful landscapes by following simple tips, techniques and choosing the proper plants.--Linda Turk Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal (07/03/2005)
How to make the moist of moisture, including mulching, planting strategic windbreaks and use hydrogels in the soil.--George Weigel Harrisburg Patriot-News (05/19/2005)
An excellent book for advice.--Stuart Robertson Montreal Gazette (06/11/2005)
Excellent advice on how to choose and plant drought-tolerant plants, from herbs and perennials to shrubs and grasses.--Liz Grogan Good Times (08/01/2005)
Bennett's attractive, reasonably priced text is a useful handbook to landscaping in unpromising terrain.--Mary Ellen Snodgrass American Reference Books Annual 2014 (09/01/2014)
In worthwhile book, author Jennifer Bennett points to many ... weatherproof plants that are a good choice for standing up to increasingly erratic weather.-- (07/22/2007)
Dryland Gardening celebrates a resilient garden with a beauty that requires fewer resources and less time.--I Can Garden.com (01/01/2006)
Inspiring images to encourage landscape architects and lay gardeners to adopt plant palettes that minimize the need for a resource we can no longer take for granted.--Landscape Architecture (07/01/2005)
It's easy to trust Jennifer Bennett's advice. She has experience gardening under difficult circumstances and gladly shares the secrets of her success.-- (01/01/2006)
Packages up a lot of comforting advice for dusty gardeners. Rather than fight the conditions, Bennett encourages the best practice, which is choosing the right plant for the right place.-- (03/24/2005)
A wealth of information gleaned by the author as she coped with challenging conditions... friendly, lucid and authoriative.-- (04/01/2005)
Find the answers to low-water gardening in Dryland Gardening yet have beautiful easy-care gardens... [Jennifer Bennett] has first hand experience with the many challenges of gardening with tough winds, droughts and temperature conditions.-- (05/01/2005)
Lovely pictures illustrate the text... Easy to read, informative and timely this book is recommended for public and horticultural libraries in zones 4-7.-- (07/01/2005)
Provides thoughtful instruction on various water-conservation topics... augmented by brilliant color photographs... a timely addition to the garden-resource bookshelf.-- (07/01/2005)
Hot, dry summers don't necessarily rule out having a lush, beautiful garden. With this helpful guide, gardeners can learn techniques for growing plants under harsh conditions.-- (05/28/2005)
Practical advice and colorful portraits of hundreds of plants... a wonderful guide to bring along when shopping.-- (05/20/2005)
Hundreds of tough plants that can remain attractive even when water supplies are low... The range of plants is quite broad, including species that are suited to North American climate zones ranging from very warm to quite cold.-- (05/01/2005)
Lovely guide... if the dry weather here keeps up, hers is a guide to read.-- (05/28/2005)
Water saving tips throughout the text and then groups suitable plants... a nice format with text arranged in easy-to-read columns.-- (10/15/2005)
A timely tome for these challenging times.--Canadian Gardening (01/01/2006)
A useful and propos guide for gardeners facing up to climate change.--Harrowsmith's Truly Canadian Almanac 2008 (12/01/2007)
[This book] is a must have. Although it's 10 years since it was published by Firefly, it is still relevant today in our increasingly droughty summers. It covers all the basics of water conservation and survival techniques and then launches into a wide variety of plans that can be encouraged in this environment.-- (04/30/2008)
Author Bio

Jennifer Bennett lives in Sydenham, Ontario and is the author of several books, including Lilacs for the Garden, and writes for gardening magazines.