The Wild Lawn Handbook: Alternatives to the Traditional Front Lawn [Hardcover]

Stevie Daniels (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 7, 1995

Now available for the first time in paperback, The Wild Lawn Handbook is the definitive guide to transforming the traditional grass lawn into a beautiful alternative lawn using native grasses, ferns, mosses, wildflowers, low-growing shrubs, and perennials. In the last few years, there has been a media outcry to raise the public s awareness of the toxicity and water-wasting nature of the American lawn, making wild lawns one of today s hottest gardening topics. This is the first comprehensive book to show you the way step-by-step. If you are unsure of the consequences...you ll be convinced when you see the beautiful alternatives in a portfolio of color photography in the center of the book and the fat lists of sources and support material in the back. The New York Times Stevie Daniels, the former editor of Organic Gardening magazine, has written articles on natural gardening and environmental

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In recent years, environmentalists, gardeners, and harried homeowners have begun to question the validity of the American lawn as the major feature of most landscapes. As traditionally tended, a lawn in most parts of the country demands a great deal of time, money, and effort to maintain. These two books offer greatly differing strategies for handling this problem. The Balls (Yardening, LJ 12/91) recognize that most people want to keep their grassy lawns but with a lot less effort. Readers of Smart Yard will quickly realize that the subtitle's 60-minutes-per-week claim will only take effect a year or more after they make the initial investment in time and effort to renew or replace their lawn by improving the soil, choosing appropriate grass varieties, aerating and dethatching, eliminating most herbicides and pesticides, and assuring frequent but "tall" mowing that leaves the grass around two inches high. The result will be a healthier lawn that will resist drought, diseases, and pests and ultimately demand less pampering. In contrast, Daniels explains how and why to replace turfgrass with other plants to create an entirely new kind of lawn. Examples include prairie and native grass lawns, meadows, moss lawns and woodlands, ground covers, and front-yard gardens. Since many antilawn mavericks have gotten into trouble because of local ordinances and homeowners' associations, Daniels (a former editor of Organic Gardening) includes a chapter on how to deal with such opposition. The Wild Lawn Handbook will find a much smaller audience than the more mainstream Smart Yard, but it gathers together a great deal of specific, practical information that may be hard to find elsewhere, as well as examples of successfully installed alternative lawns. Both books are highly recommended for most gardening collections.
Beth Clewis, Prince William P.L., Va.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Native grasses, wildflowers, ground covers, and moss are Daniels' answer to "monotonous single-species turfgrass lawns." Her book is a primer for gardeners who want to reduce or stop using chemical fertilizers and pesticides, conserve water, or turn their yards into a collection of plants that attracts birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. There are detailed instructions on choosing a wild lawn and on installing and maintaining the lawn, and even a chapter on landscaping ordinances. Daniels divides the wild lawns into chapters on prairies and native grasses, meadows, moss lawns, woodlands, ground covers, and front-yard gardens. The result is little need for polluting fertilizers and demanding watering regimens--and you won't have to mow ever again. This comprehensive book includes 16 color photographs. George Cohen

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Macmillan General Reference; 1ST edition (March 7, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0025294458
• ISBN-13: 978-0025294455
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #513,827 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An indispensable guide for progressive gardeners, June 19, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Wild Lawn Handbook: Alternatives to the Traditional Front Lawn (Hardcover)

There are quite a few books out now about why we shouldn't stick with the traditional grass lawn, but this is the best one I've seen to explain the practical alternatives, with inspiring photos and helpful appendices. Ms. Daniels is really concerned with the aesthetics as well as the politics of environmentally friendly yards. I recommend it to all my friends who are thinking about getting rid of some or all of the grass. A "9" just because I wish it had more pictures

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book However, July 17, 2007

By 

D. Lyon - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Wild Lawn Handbook: Alternatives to the Traditional Front Lawn (Hardcover)

This is a great book that has great pictures and wonderful information on how to choose and start an alternative lawn. I give it 5 stars because it truly provides what it touts, perhaps with a little extra unnecessary information.
However, EASY LAWNS by Brooklyn Botanic Gardens gives all you need to know at half the price. It, too, has nice pictures. It is smaller and a paperback where WILD LAWN HANDBOOK is a hardcover.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Starter Book, July 13, 2011

By 

Marilyn J. Leger - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Wild Lawn Handbook: Alternatives to the Traditional Front Lawn (Hardcover)

Terrific book for someone in the early stages of considering replacing some or all of their lawn with alternatives. I'm using it for information for my neighbors & other guests who are puzzled by all the "weeds" I have instead of the sterile, manicured lawn.