The Naturescaping Workbook: A Step-by-Step Guide for Bringing Nature to Your Backyard

by Beth O. Young, Beth O'Donnell Young

“This step-by-step guide will teach you how to work in concert with nature, creating a lush landscape.” — Cabin Life

If you’re an eco-conscious homeowner, the best garden designer is Mother Nature, and following her lead can result in a beautiful low-maintenance landscape that requires fewer resources, attracts natural wildlife, and saves time and money. In  The Naturescaping Workbook , Beth O'Donnell Young offers an easy-to-follow, do-it-yourself plan for gardeners of all skill levels. Her step-by-step approach teaches you how to understand your garden’s natural habitat and to nurture the native eco-systems that exist in your yard. And the payoff is huge. By simply becoming aware of the natural wonders in the backyard, you can have a more beautiful garden and take a big step toward bringing nature home.

Genres: Gardening, Nature, Nonfiction

225 pages, Paperback

First published October 31, 2011

Reviews

[Paul Klammer]

I think this is an excellent book for folks who are committed to creating a native planting plan for their home. I was slightly intimidated at first by the idea of it being a workbook with lots of check lists/worksheets. However, the author provides simple, knowledgeable and supportive discussions about decisions that will be based on the information gathered in the worksheets. As I went through the worksheets I realized there was a lot that I was overlooking that will help my plantings thrive and deliver the benefits I'm seeking. I also discovered some great opportunities I had not even thought of, such as creating a front entry garden and a seating/observation area, using / reusing existing materials I have like brick and stones. I am thinking long term so it's worthwhile to take the time to prepare a broader plan instead of just buying native plants and trying to match them to the conditions around my yard. Even if you are only working some natives into your existing plantings, I think this will help you improve your approach. One gap for some readers may be that this is not a plant selection reference. Pictures and some examples seem to have a bias toward northwestern type environments and plants (I live in the Midwest). Possibly due to the author's location. This can easily be filled by referring to dedicated publications or other resources (one of my favorites is the Missouri Botanical Garden plant finder). I highly recommended this book for those who want to develop a plan to be followed or for folks who are looking for some help getting oriented to native planting.

[Henry Louis]

Admittedly, I am a total novice but I learned a lot from this. For one thing it taught me about rain gardens and I decided to try to incorporate one as we overhaul our lawn-dominated yard.

I also found a lot of the design tips extremely helpful.

[Ashley]

While a very interesting book with some valuable ideas and insights, it is very much geared toward a reader with a larger yard than mine or else a much larger potential landscaping budget. But it provides good food for thought on what to do with a yard other than have a plain grass lawn.

[Sara]

Again, not what I had built up to be in my head. Really? Glamour shots of potential invasives belong in a book about naturescaping? When will I be experienced enough to write these gardening books for myself?!