Designing California Native Gardens: The Plant Community Approach to Artful, Ecological Gardens

by Glenn Keator, Alrie Middlebrook, Phyllis M. Faber (Primary Contributor)

Inspirational, practical, and easy to use, this book was created with the aim of conveying the awesome diversity and beauty of California's native plants and demonstrating how they can be brought into ecologically sound, attractive, workable, and artful gardens. Structured around major California plant communities―bluffs, redwoods, the Channel Islands, coastal scrub, grasslands, deserts, oak woodlands, mixed evergreen woodlands, riparian, chaparral, mountain meadows, and wetlands―the book's twelve chapters each include sample plans for a native garden design accompanied by original drawings, color photographs, a plant list, tips on successful gardening with individual species, and more. Both residential and professional gardeners will learn the benefits of going native with gardens that require less water and fewer fertilizers, attract wildlife, engage the senses, create a sense of place, and, at the same time, preserve our rich natural heritage.

Designing Native California Gardens

* More than 600 selected native species recommended for the garden

* More than 300 photographs of native plants, natural plant communities, and residential native gardens

* Recommended places to visit for viewing each plant community

Genres: Gardening, Plants, Nonfiction, Reference

352 pages, Paperback

First published May 5, 2007

Reviews

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm still reading through the different garden types but that's going to a slow process.

[Richard Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made want to have a property in each of California's main climate regions so that I could landscape it with an appropriate regional garden. Most of all I want a giant estate in a hilly area, perhaps in Sonoma County or Paso Robles that I could design with an oak woodland in the style of Capability Brown. But fantasy aside, the book was also useful in focusing my thoughts on how I might redo my own modest yard in Pacific Palisades with California native plants. I think that I could be quite happy with coastal sage plants or perhaps even better, a Channel Islands look. There seem to be a lot more options for native plant nurseries and landscapers in Northern California than Southern California, but with growing interest in low water landscaping that will probably change by the time I actually get around to putting any plan into action.

[Katy Dickinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book presents a structured way of analyzing and designing a variety of gardens for California. The plants recommended are not exclusively California native plants. Many pictures - of plants, houses, landscapes, and design diagrams. "Places to Visit" chapter sections provide locations where the plants in that chapter can be seen. If you want landscape designs and plant lists suitable for California's signature plant communities, this is the book for you.

[Cadillacrazy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great reference book, broken out by "plant communities," or regions of plants that grow together, such as grasslands, chaparral, coastal sage, etc... Includes some history, sample garden plan, plant lists, great descriptions of plants used, substitutions, and places to visit in that region.

[Susan Mazur Stommen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspirational

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not as helpful because each chapter focused on a particular community, such as "Desert Gardens," "Montane Meadows," etc. And there was no chapter for where we are! So no dice.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful book for thinking about switching my landscape to natives (mostly) - which is what I'm going to do!! A reference book.

[Joe Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking forward to using this book to hopefully get some ideas for ditching the whole front lawn.