Discovering Dry Climate Gardening

Image credit: Grace Stufkosky/Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Dry Climate Gardening” is well-illustrated, with a plethora of dry and semi-arid climate plants and trees. Photos and drawings are self-explanatory and clear. Examples of both good and bad landscaping help the reader identify their own trouble spots and present opportunities to improve their gardens. Maps and landscaping diagrams further clarify the text and help the reader focus on those areas that apply to them…. The book’s chapters are well-organized, starting with a prefatory chapter on why we wind up (accidentally) killing our plants. Then the author goes into the types of climates that are covered, followed by plant selection and care, plant behavior (yes, plant behavior is predictable), good and bad tending habits, and ways to organize a variety of landscape styles based on lot size, sun exposure, and intended function of the area affected. ~ Joe Gruberman