The Water-Smart Garden: Techniques and Strategies for Conserving, Capturing, and Efficiently Using Water in Today's Climate... and Tomorrow's
Have you ever faced water-use restrictions and worried about how you can still grow a beautiful, productive landscape? Let The Water-Smart Garden show you how!
As freshwater shortages increasingly strike regions around the globe, it's more important than ever to employ water-conserving practices in the garden. Whether your landscape is filled with shrubs and perennials or fruits and vegetables, in The Water-Smart Garden, you'll learn dozens of techniques to limit water use while growing a gorgeous and thriving garden. Not only will you learn how to make smart plant choices and improve the water-holding capacity of your soil, you'll learn xeriscaping techniques, drought-tolerant growing tips, and plant care advice to make the most of low-water situations. Also includes information on:- Harvesting and redistributing rainwater in cisterns and rain barrels
- Employing methods like ollas and drip irrigation to target water directly to plant roots
- Being more water-efficient in the vegetable garden by using mulches and targeted irrigation
- Planting containers that require less-frequent watering
- Replacing a lawn with more drought-resilient plants
- Building swales and berms to redirect water to where it's needed
Author and dry-gardening horticulturist Noelle Johnson of @az.plant.lady makes it easy to help save this precious resource and still have a resilient, attractive, and low-maintenance landscape.
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We all want the peaceful beauty of flowers and foliage plants; respite from summer's heat under the canopy of mature shade trees; the joy of growing fresh vegetables, herbs, and fruits in our food gardens; and even the tickle of turf grass on our bare feet. At the same time, for the sake of future generations, we must be cognizant of the amount of water we're using. The Water Smart Garden is a book you will refer to again and again to balance what you want out of your yard while still being a responsible steward of this planet.
Having spent part of my childhood in Southern Nevada, and returning many times, I've seen firsthand the shocking water level drop on Lake Mead over the decades. Being a military/civil service family my entire life, and living and travelling over a good bit of the country and the world, I've seen what a precious commodity water is and how different communities deal with it.
After six decades of moving every few years, we've finally found our permanent home. I've taught small-space veggie and herb gardening in the US, Germany, and Kenya, but have not had much experience working with ornamental perennials and trees until now.
Of course, I turned to chapters 10 and 11 first to make sure the information on food gardening was clear and accurate, and found it was even more comprehensive than I had expected. To help me on my new journey, I wanted a book from a trusted source to provide well-researched information to guide me as I change things on this property--like removing parts of our lawn and implementing smart water strategies. That book is Noelle Johnson's The Water Smart Garden.
--- Kim Roman, Square Foot Gardening 4 U, and author How to Garden Indoors & Grow Your Own Food Year-R"As a Pacific Northwest gardener, I am familiar with Noelle's work in the temperate areas of Arizona, so I was curious about what she can offer a PNW gardener. This book is a great resource for understanding the culture of drought, conservation, capture, and water use in the garden. It is timely and essential to look at all options for your garden. Noelle touches on all methods of efficiently getting water to the garden with easy-to-understand drawings, photos and explanations to help you choose and create a beautiful water-wise garden."
--Sue Goetz, Designer, Horticulturist, Author and SpeakerWater is such a precious resource. But when it comes to conserving it, how do we know where to start? Author Noelle Johnson offers a wealth of strategies and solutions that are applicable no matter where you live and the type of gardening you engage in. Water-Smart Gardens is a must-read for all gardeners and homeowners!
--Susan Mulvihill, author of "The Vegetable Garden Problem Solver Handbook" and "The Vegetable GardenThe Water-Smart Garden: Techniques and Strategies for Conserving, Capturing, and Efficiently Using Water in Today's Climate... and Tomorrow's by Noelle Johnson is an indispensable guide for creating a sustainable, water-efficient garden. With Johnson's extensive experience in Southwest gardening and drought-tolerant plants, this book provides practical strategies for every aspect of water conservation--from selecting the right plants and building drought-resistant soil to capturing rainwater and maintaining low-water plants.The book's stunning, full-color photographs are both inspirational and instructional, offering clear visual guidance on implementing these techniques. Whether you're an experienced gardener or a beginner, Johnson's expert advice and beautiful visuals make this an essential resource for transforming your garden into a model of efficiency and beauty. The Water-Smart Garden is a must-read for anyone committed to thriving, eco-friendly gardening--Shawna Coronado, author of 101 Organic Garden Hacks: Eco-Friendly Solutions to Improve Any Garden
