Gardening with Native Plants of the South [Paperback]

Sally Wasowski (Author), Andy Wasowski (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 16, 2009

In today's South, where find gardening is a tradition, many homeowners and professional gardeners are discovering a vast "new" palette of plant materials-native plants. They are realizing that these native wildflowers, trees, shrubs, groundcovers, vines, and grasses are far better suited, and therefore easier to grow and maintain, than most of the imported plants that populate traditional landscapes. InGardening with Native Plants of the South, landscape designer Sally Wasowski offers an exciting vision of the many possibilities and advantages of "going native." Lavishly illustrated with more than 250 gorgeous color photographs, her book is both an introduction to more than 200 of the most familiar and easiest to find native plants of the South and a basic primer on how to use them effectively.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Southern homeowners and landscapers will find this book easy to read and fascinatingly informative. (Jim Wilson, co-host, "The Victory Garden" )

...this promisingly titled book is well written, logically formatted, and packed with lovely color photographs. (The Lakeland Ledger )

... gives great detail ... well written and arranged ... (Nashville Advocate )

... a hands-on how-to for landscaping ... (The Clarion-Ledger )

... an asset for the Southern gardener. (The Atlanta Journal Constitution )

... a wealth of information and ideas ... (Vicksburg Evening Post )

... valuable ... an outstanding reference guide ... the best news: The entry for each plant is accompanied by a photograph. You know just what you'll be getting. (The Dallas Morning News )

... well-organized and comprehensive ... (Baton Rouge Advocate )

... a big book, a beautiful book, and best of all, an important book ... (The Island Packet )

... a real eye-opener for Southern growers looking for something a little bit "different" to add to their gardens ... (Carolina Gardener )

The best book on native plants ... (The Virginian-Pilot )

... should be on the bookshelves of all Southern gardeners and adventurous cool-zone gardeners. (Fine Gardening )

... deliciously photographed ... (Mobile Register )

... a slick book ... (The Paris Post-Intelligencer )

Wonderful photos; concise descriptions ... and a practical, easy-to-read, conversational style make the book a must-own for southern gardeners. (Wild Garden )

The Wasowski's book is a valuable addition to the library of any gardener from the mid-Atlantic to Florida. (The Woodland Garden )

This book helps you find beautiful plants that are easy to grow--and actually thrive in our intense summer heat and humidity. If you like gardening books, you’ll definitely want to pick this one up. (Sasee Magazine )

About the Author

Sally Wasowski is a professional landscape designer and one of the country's leading authorities on landscaping with native plants. She is a founding member and past president of the Native Plant Society of Texas. Andy Wasowski is a free-lance writer, photographer, and broadcast producer. The Wasowskis are authors of the award-winning Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region and the critically acclaimed Requiem for a Lawnmower.

Sally Wasowski is a professional landscape designer and one of the country's leading authorities on landscaping with native plants. She is a founding member and past president of the Native Plant Society of Texas.

Andy Wasowski is a free-lance writer, photographer, and broadcast producer. The Wasowskis are authors of the award-winning Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region and the critically acclaimed Requiem for a Lawnmower.

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Taylor Trade Publishing; Reprint edition (December 16, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1589794230
• ISBN-13: 978-1589794238
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #54,899 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #88 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Plants

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

55 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Lone Dissenter, October 18, 2007

By 

Swiss Miss (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gardening With Native Plants of the South (Hardcover)

I got this book because all the reviews were so stellar. But I was a little disappointed... I have better books than this on native/ southeastern plants (titles and so forth will follow). The author is well known and I have another book by her (The Landscaping Revolution) which is really good and thought provoking.

Having said that, there are important parts of this book, most notably the chapter on Native Groundcovers. No other volume covers groundcovers at all, and it shows the author's dedication and hard work. No book is perfect and can please everyone.

The reason I give it 3 stars is mainly due to organization. What if I need a plant that is drought resistant and fall flowering? Much frustration ensues trying to find such a plant. Or if I need a tree that is good to plant next to the street? No info.

Furthermore, the book is rather thin. The author states in the intro that she had problems trying to pare down the list of plants to include and could not produce a 300 page catalog, but I honestly and respectfully question that decision. According to the author, such a volume would never sell. Perhaps, at the initial printing, in 1993, that may have been true. But no longer. I don't know about you, but I love an all encompassing volume on native plants. Luckily, it's already available.

And, as a third point of critique, only the USDA Hardiness Zones (how cold a plant can take) are included as planting guidelines. Just as important as the AHS Heat Zones (how hot a plant can take). Heat, just as cold, is important in successful planting.

Now, I personally think that the following titles are fabulous for beginning and intermediate gardeners alike: The American Horticultural Society's Southeast: SmartGarden Regional Guide and Felder Rushing's Tough Plants for Southern Gardens. Both are great books.

The first is a real catalog. It has a listing of 3,000 plants with about as many color photographs. There's also general advice on all the basics: how to plant, diseases, soil conditions, etc. This book is superbly organized. It should be the backbone of your library.

The second is a smaller volume on the really tough, nearly un-killable plants. It should be a secondary volume for those really difficult spots or as an advice volume when deciding between a couple different plants for a spot.

The bottom line is we all want the same thing: nice gardens that we don't have to worry about. That means native plants. So, go out and look at some books. This book, like the other two I mentioned, is good, but not that good. The AHS book is the ultimate guide. Good luck and happy gardening!

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Useful for establishing wildlife habitat, January 22, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Gardening With Native Plants of the South (Hardcover)

I am trying to establish a native plant and wildlife habitat on my quarter acre. This book not only gives me the plant data I need, it also describes plant uses by native wildlife from toads to birds to insects, including those used as larval food for butterflies. I no longer have to cross reference from bird book or butterfly book to plant book, etc. The basics are all in one place!

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars plant an attractive garden with native plants, October 22, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Gardening With Native Plants of the South (Hardcover)

I wasn't going to plant a native plant garden until I read this book. It's extremely well-organized and the authors infuse you with their excitement about the plants. The "personal comments" section is the best. Even though the plant might not be high on your list, the comments section may give some information that may make you desire it. They also have landscape designs that you can implement yourself. If you're interested in creating a butterfly or bird garden, this book lists what types of animals are attracted to the plant. They have the book parsed out into deciduous trees, deciduous shrubs, grasses, bog plants, etc. Each plant has several sections telling the shade, moisture, height, wildlife, fall colors, flower, fruit, and anything else you could possibly want to know about the plant. It's better than any of the other garden books that I have read, including ones from national gardens, etc.