Book review and giveaway - Sustainable Landscaping

{{{ The Random Number Generator chose "10" which means the winner is Catherine at A Gardener In Progress. Thanks to everyone who entered!}}}

"Sustainable" is a popular term in gardening circles these days. What exactly does it mean? More or less, it refers to the creation and maintenance of a landscape that is in balance with the local climate and doesn't use resources like fertilizers and pesticides and most importantly, conserves water.

As much as I hate the title, the "For Dummies" series of books (on every topic imaginable) provides excellent information in a user-friendly format. Owen Dell is an award-winning, internationally admired landscape architect, author and educator. He is the principal of Owen Dell & Associates in Santa Barbara, which specializes in sustainable landscape architectural services. In this book, he provides a wealth of information on the topic including:

* How to plan a sustainable landscape and what factors to consider
* Water conservation - the various types of systems available to the home gardener and the nuts and bolts of water harvesting, irrigation and drainage
* Hardscaping - planning, utilizing and maintenance
* Plant choices - beneficial trees, shrubs and smaller plants to consider for your landscape
* Lawns - minimizing the impact of the lawn and reducing its size
* Garden care - pruning, fertilizing and controlling pests the sustainable way
* 10 Projects that pay you and the environment back
* 10 non sustainable landscaping mistakes and how to avoid them

The book is full of helpful tips, illustrations, garden plans and maps to help you master the art of a sustainable landscape!

Win A Copy

To enter, reply to this post (include your e-mail address). I will use a random number generator to select one winner Friday, March 11 at 8pm CST.

{{{This book was sent to me for review by the author. I did not pay for the book or receive compensation for my review}}}

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy