I received with great interest a review copy of Owen Dell’s Sustainable Landscaping for Dummies. Although I am not really a fan of the “Dummy” connotation, I’ve got to say that Owen has done an excellent job in covering this subject in a well thought out and accessible way.
If you’re a subscriber to the Wren Song newsletter, you got a sneak preview of my initial thoughts on this book several weeks ago. If you would like to be in the group of those that are “first to know,” take a minute right now and sign up for Wren Song in the upper right side of this page, coming direct to your inbox every Wednesday.
I’m going to pull some high points from the book to whet your appetite, but this is one of those books that I highly recommend that you add to your reading list.
Manage Your Inputs
Ever go to Home Depot or Lowes on a Saturday and watch the huge cartloads of bagged and bottled potions leaving the store? It truly is an amazing sight.
All of these bags, bottles, potions, and additives have been shipped from a supplier to the main distribution center of the big box store, and then shipped again to your local site.
That’s a lot of gas.
In a sustainable landscape, your goal is to reduce the amount of fossil fuel used to support your garden. This includes reducing your use of power tools, but also reducing the carbon footprint of everything you put into your garden.
Manage Your Outputs
When you choose a sustainable garden, your goal is to come as close as possible to zero sum inputs/outputs.
Yard “waste” can be composted on site.
Stormwater can be collected or directed to your garden, keeping it out of municipal stormwater systems, which prevents streambank erosion, protects our waterways, and reduces the amount of toxic chemicals that are picked up as the water makes its way into our watersheds.
Your Best Design Tool is a Lawn Chair
Take some time to really get to know your garden. Put a chair at various locations in your garden–and just sit.
Observe your garden through different times of the day, different seasons, and different weather conditions.
This time spent just watching your garden will teach you many things, like where the water collects after a rain, which spots make you feel most at home, and what areas may need attention the soonest.
Don’t rush to add anything to your garden until you’ve spent some time just observing and learning.
Owen Dell’s book, Sustainable Landscaping for Dummies should definitely go on your “must read” list.
You’ll gain a lot of knowledge and tips on how to make your garden more sustainable and make better choices to protect the environment.
Plus, you’ll create a beautiful, relaxing space to feed your soul.
What steps have you taken to create a more sustainable landscape?
© 2010, Carole Sevilla Brown. All rights reserved. This article is the property of EcosystemGardening.com If you are reading this at another site, please report that to us
About Carole Sevilla Brown
Hi Carole,
As promised, I am reading your posting now, and I’ve bookmarked it so I would be back again. Thanks for the warm welcome in 3T.
Aris/
“The best design tool is a lawn chair.”
I love it! Too bad I’ve never been good at sitting still. This sounds like an insightful book. I’ll have to check it out sometime.
.-= Alison Kerr´s last blog ..Gardening with Prairie Plants =-.
Carole I like your highlights of this new book. I almost never go to big box stores of any kind but I do use power tools on my land. It is impossible not to at this stage. I wish I could say my seating areas were my most used tools but not true . . . though I do study and enjoy my gardens and farm a great deal. I am torn by the need for brush cutters and my ‘cub cadet’ to maintain this landscape. Invasive non natives like bitter-sweet would totally have control if I did not. I am hoping since I drive my car so little that I may have a balance. Still I wish there were another way to keep down bitter sweet, sumac, black locust saplings, briars and more. The landscape is too large to manage by hand. I will have to check out this book to see if there are any ideas.
.-= Carolflowerhill´s last blog ..Walking South Into Upper and Middle May Gardens. =-.
Being in a apartment, I don’t really do any gardening at home, but I did enjoy helping out when I lived at home, and I still visit often. My mum has a pretty big green thumb! I’ll have to mention this book to her!
It’s funny that you mention the “for Dummies” connotation, because I felt the same way buying a different book in the series, but I’ve noticed that it’s laid out extremely well and they almost always get fantastic authors. So it’s usually worth it.
.-= Paige Jeffrey´s last blog ..Business Secret #1: Trust Yourself =-.
Hi carol….Its really a nice post…..Will look forward for some more blogs like this..thanks for sharing this…