The Water-Smart Garden
Techniques and Strategies for Conserving, Capturing, and Efficiently Using Water in Today's Climate... and Tomorrow's
by Noelle Johnson
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Pub Date 7 Jan 2025 | Archive Date 2 Jan 2025
Quarto Publishing Group – Cool Springs Press | Cool Springs Press
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Description
Have you ever faced water-use restrictions and worried about how you can still grow a beautiful, productive landscape? Let The Water-Smart Garden show you how!
As freshwater shortages increasingly strike regions around the globe, it’s more important than ever to employ water-conserving practices in the garden. Whether your landscape is filled with shrubs and perennials or fruits and vegetables, in The Water-Smart Garden, you’ll learn dozens of techniques to limit water use while growing a gorgeous and thriving garden. Not only will you learn how to make smart plant choices and improve the water-holding capacity of your soil, you’ll learn xeriscaping techniques, drought-tolerant growing tips, and plant care advice to make the most of low-water situations.
Also includes information on:
- Harvesting and redistributing rainwater in cisterns and rain barrels
- Employing methods like ollas and drip irrigation to target water directly to plant roots
- Being more water-efficient in the vegetable garden by using mulches and targeted irrigation
- Planting containers that require less-frequent watering
- Replacing a lawn with more drought-resilient plants
- Building swales and berms to redirect water to where it’s needed
Author and dry-gardening horticulturist Noelle Johnson of @az.plant.lady makes it easy to help save this precious resource and still have a resilient, attractive, and low-maintenance landscape.
Available Editions
EDITION | Other Format |
ISBN | 9780760388242 |
PRICE | US$28.99 (USD) |
PAGES | 192 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Five years ago we installed a large garden in the front of the house. The coneflowers and drift roses and geraniums have flourished with little need of water during drought weeks. But the hydrangea wilt every afternoon. Although on the north side of the house, they are not in the house’s shadow and get far too much sun. We had to set up drip hoses for a daily dose of water.
I hate having to water the garden with city water. I have rain barrels which I use to water the raised garden bed and vegetables in containers. I am looking for alternatives and advice and hoped to learn more in this book.
The first mistake was planting the hydrangea. They look lovely, but should not have been installed there. The Water-Smart Garden offers advice on choosing plantings.
But I am not going to tear up the seven hydrangea. The Water-Smart Garden gives advice on how to set up drip hoses with rain barrels with a pump. Perfect for my situation! I have a rain barrel hidden behind the bushes but the drip hoses without a pump didn’t solve my problem.
We have a lot of water next to the driveway. We planted a dwarf native iris there but could expand it to create a rain garden, another option covered in the book.
This thorough book is packed with information starting with how to identify your local climate and the best native plants for your area to efficient watering options and how to guide for projects. Gorgeous illustrations throughout the book make it a delight.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley
If you’ve ever stared down water-use restrictions and thought, “How can I possibly keep my garden alive?” then The Water-Smart Garden is the answer you’ve been looking for. Noelle Johnson (aka @az.plant.lady) brings tons of practical tips for creating a stunning garden that doesn’t guzzle water—perfect for today’s ever-drier world.
This book is packed with clever ideas to make every drop count. From harvesting rainwater with barrels to using drip irrigation and drought-tolerant plants, it’s all about working with your environment instead of against it. There’s even guidance on swapping out thirsty lawns for low-maintenance alternatives and making containers that don’t need constant watering (yes, please!).
What I loved most is how approachable it all feels. Whether you’re growing veggies, flowers, or just trying to green up a tough spot, the advice here makes saving water easy and effective.
With The Water-Smart Garden, you don’t have to choose between a beautiful landscape and being eco-conscious—you can have both! 🌱💧
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