Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #389437 in Books
• Published on: 1996-03-08
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Customer Reviews

Xeriscape is not Zeroscape!
One myth about xeric design is that it requires the use of only cactus and rock. Not true! In fact, there are seven xeric concepts and these concepts can be applied in any landscape. They are;

1. Pland and design for water conservation from the start. 2. Create practical turf areas. 3. Use plants that are appropriate for your area. 4. Consider adding soil improvements such as compost, manure, etc. 5. Use mulches where possible, such as wood chips, rock, etc. 6. Irrigate efficiently. 7. Plan for an appropriate maintenance system for your landscape.

The Xeriscape Plant guide provides a lot of good information on low-water use plants for dry areas, which are not only found in the Sonoran Desert but in many other places in the west as well. The book provide details on companion plants, advantages and disadvantages of specific plants and even offers photos of specific plants in different seasons. It is part of a 3-book series,and all three are worth having if you are interested in specific information on low water plants, designing a xeric garden and providing the right kind of care.

Clear, concise, easy guide to plants for dry gardens.
As a landscape contractor/designer having recently moved to CO from the west coast, I needed to find resources for my new gardens. This book quickly and easily answers the basic questions one generally has when determining plant eligibility. There are photos of the plants in four seasons-great for viewing special features of the plants even in the more difficult seasons of fall and winter. I have already passed this book on to one of my clients, and got a new one in hard cover for my permanent collection. Good resource!

Beautiful, oh, and useful too
This is one of my favorite resources for adding plants to my garden in Albuquerque. While I have other plant guides that are better simply because they are more specific to my region, none match this one for beauty. This book is clearly a labor of love from a group of people who are hoping to advance xeric gardening in the Denver area. The information extends pretty well to planting zones 4-7, especially for dry, high altitude climates.

The number of plants listed is a little low compared to other guides that I use, but the coverage of each plant is excellent - one or two full pages of text and pictures. The two-page entries generally include several pictures, including pictures from different seasons. There is also a color drawing of each plant, which makes it easier to see significant details and is helpful with identification. The text is also useful and well organized, but it is the pictures that I spend the most time browsing through.