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The Dry Gardening Handbook: Plants and Practices for a Changing Climate

The Dry Gardening Handbook: Plants and Practices for a Changing ClimateAuthor: Olivier Filippi
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Category: Book

List Price: $60.00
Buy Used: $29.55
as of 9/4/2010 14:40 PDT details
You Save: $30.45 (51%)



New (29) Used (13) from $29.55

Seller: bookmosaic001
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars 8 reviews
Sales Rank: 227327

Media: Hardcover
Pages: 208
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3.6
Dimensions (in): 12.3 x 9.7 x 0.9

ISBN: 0500514070
Dewey Decimal Number: 635.9525
EAN: 9780500514078
ASIN: 0500514070

Publication Date: September 29, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Features:
  • ISBN13: 9780500514078
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

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Editorial Reviews:

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

A garden that can withstand summer drought and requires little watering is the dream of every gardener who is conscious of the need to conserve water and who wants to create a garden in harmony with the environment. That dream can become a reality with the help of this indispensable new reference book which provides concrete solutions to the questions and hurdles faced by gardeners coping with dry conditions.

Abundantly illustrated with more than 400 original color photographs, this is a vital book for novice and experienced gardeners alike:
• Includes an A—Z list of more than 500 drought-resistant plants with details on the plant's scientific name, geographical origin, height and width, exposure and hardiness, foliage, ideal soil conditions, and related or complementary plants.
• Provides techniques for soil preparation, planting, and maintenance of gardens and landscapes.



Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 8



5 out of 5 stars Excellent guide to Mediterranean gardening   May 9, 2009
FunkyFridge.com (La Crescenta, CA)
12 out of 12 found this review helpful

It's too bad that the word Mediterranean doesn't appear in the subtitle of this book, because this the best book on Mediterranean-climate gardening that I've found. In the US, that means coastal California. Though this book will also be of some value to those in other dry-climate locations, such as much of the western US and Canada, in those areas I would recommend this book only as a supplement to other books specific to those regions. For instance, some Mediterranean plants don't like summer water, and while places like the Sonaran desert get less rain than coastal California, they get more summer rain.

This book focuses on plants from the world's Mediterranean-climate regions such as southern Europe and north Africa, and some of the western coastal regions of Australia, South Africa, Chile, and California. However, it does describe some plants from other dry-climate areas. It contains very extensive and knowledgeable profiles of a wide range of these plants, many including the author's own experiences in growing them (he runs a nursery in France).

What I like most about this book, however, is that it provides excellent information on matching particular plants to specific Mediterranean sub-climates. The book describes a method of plotting your location's average temperatures and average rainfall (easy to find on weather.com, for example) and then computing a drought index for your area. Plants described in the book are labeled with drought code on the same scale, indicating the limits at which they can survive on natural rainfall. This will allow anyone in a Mediterranean-climate location to select a pallet of plants that will thrive on their own without sprinklers (and in fact, many will not thrive if watered during the summer).

Plant options for San Francisco will differ from those for Los Angeles, but there are many options for both. Anywhere along the California coast, it's possible to have a lush garden that looks good year round without any supplemental irrigation. It takes some planning, and water to get plants established. But as this excellent reference makes clear, there is no shortage of plants to chose from.



5 out of 5 stars Very useful--will be of great help for those interested in dry gardening   November 9, 2008
Jeri Nevermind (Idaho)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

There are plants that can survive, and even thrive, on little water. Those who live in the western United States, especially in California, Arizona, Texas, and Nevada, are going to consider this book a treasure.

The author, Filippi, even includes a useful drought resistance code ranging from 1 to 6 which will help you "choose the right plant for the right place" (p 47). Other valuable information is on soil types and when to plant

Best of all is the large section on plants, which is lavish with color photographs. No matter how well informed you are on the subject, you will likely find new plants to use in your garden, and the brilliant, color drenched photographs are simply a treat to leaf through.

Recommended.



5 out of 5 stars Excellent guide with terrific photography   October 13, 2009
John August (Los Angeles, CA United States)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

I bought this after reading a glowing LA Times review. The author does a great job moving beyond the plant-by-plant guide to talk about the philosophy of dry-climate gardening, including the somewhat counter-intuitive logic (e.g. when it's really hot, don't water). The photos are compelling, and the gardens are fascinating. This isn't cactus and yucca plants.

Highly recommended for people living in appropriate areas, especially Southern California.



5 out of 5 stars The Real Deal   October 3, 2008
Bracey Tiede (San Jose, CA USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

The book is substantive with great readable text thanks to Caroline Harbouri's translation and terrific photos and many plants I've not heard of! Olivier covers each component of mediterranean dry summer gardening with great expertise. Highly recommended.


5 out of 5 stars useful and informative gardening book   February 10, 2009
Louisa Jones (France)
2 out of 3 found this review helpful

The Dry Gardening handbook is one of the best gardening books of recent years, beautiful and very practical with the kind of experienced advice that you know comes from an author who has tested everything himself. He gives you an overall picture and then a plant by plant presentation. It will be a major reference work for years, not only for Mediterranean plants but in general.















Showing reviews 1-5 of 8


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