Native Plants for Southwestern Landscapes (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

For gardeners who want to conserve water, the color, fragrance, shade, and lush vegetation of a traditional garden may seem like a mirage in the desert. But such gardens can flourish when native plants grow in them. In this book, Judy Mielke, an expert on Southwestern gardening, offers the most comprehensive guide available to landscaping with native plants. Writing simply enough for beginning gardeners, while also providing ample information for landscape professionals, she presents over three hundred trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, groundcovers, wildflowers, cacti, and other native plants suited to arid landscapes. The heart of the book lies in the complete descriptions and beautiful color photographs of plants native to the Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan desert regions of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Mielke characterizes each plant and gives detailed information on its natural habitat, its water, soil, light, temperature, and pruning requirements, and its possible uses in landscape design. In addition, Mielke includes informative discussions of desert ecology, growing instructions for native plants and wildflowers, and "how-to" ideas for revegetation of disturbed desert areas using native plants. She concludes the book with an extensive list of plants by type, including those that have specific features such as shade or fragrance. She also supplies a list of public gardens that showcase native plants.

Product Details

• Paperback: 310 pages
• Publisher: University of Texas Press; 1 edition (1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0292751478
• ISBN-13: 978-0292751477
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #99,105 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #63 in	Books > Home & Garden > Gardening & Horticulture > Regional
  #80 in	Books > Arts & Photography > Architecture > Landscape

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth it for the photos alone, February 9, 1999

By A Customer

This book is outstanding for including a color photo of a full-grown specimin of each plant described. Entries include plant culture and details of its natural range. The listing of native plant sources at the back is pretty comprehensive, at least for Arizona. In addition to the plant listing, there are some short chapters on growing natives, and a chapter on wildflowers.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful!, March 8, 1999

By	D. Payne "Almostacowboy" (Llano, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Living in the higher elevations of the Western Mojave Desert presents unique opportunities (read: problems)in landscaping. The full color photos, the environmental requirements, and, especially, the cold tolerance of each plant helped us choose plants which would not only survive, but prosper in our area. Many thanks to the author.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, useful book on southwest native plants, April 30, 1999

By A Customer

Lots of useful detail about native habitats of hundreds of plants. Many, many photographs. Suggestions for landscape use.