Sustainable Landscaping For Dummies

Sustainable Landscaping For Dummies provides hands-on, how-to instruction for realizing the benefits of a sustainable landscape, from selecting sutainable hardscape materials to installing a rain-water catchment system to choosing native plants.

Introduction 1 Part I: Sustainable Landscaping: The Basics 7 Chapter 1: Landscaping the Sustainable Way 9 Chapter 2: Making Good Decisions about What to Include in Your Landscape 23 Chapter 3: Deciding Whether to Do It Yourself or Call in the Pros 39 Part II: Good Design: The Key to Sustainable Landscaping 51 Chapter 4: Getting Better Acquainted with Your Property 53 Chapter 5: Brushing Up on Design Basics 69 Chapter 6: Plotting Your Sustainable Landscape 83 Part III: Water, Water, Everywhere: Water-Conserving Irrigation and Drainage 103 Chapter 7: Surveying Your Watering Options 105 Chapter 8: The Nuts and Bolts of Water Harvesting, Irrigation, and Drainage 121 Chapter 9: Managing Water: The Other Half of the Irrigation Equation 145 Chapter 10: Maintaining Water-Harvesting and Irrigation Systems 155 Part IV: Hardscaping Made Easy: Creating Awesome Features without Wrecking the Environment 163 Chapter 11: Preparing Your Site 165 Chapter 12: Exploring Basic Hardscape Elements and Outdoor Rooms 173 Chapter 13: Spicing Up Your Hardscape with Other Fun and Functional Elements 193 Chapter 14: Sustainable Hardscape Construction 205 Chapter 15: Hardscape Maintenance 223 Part V: Great Greenery for a Green Garden 231 Chapter 16: Planting the Seed: Sustainable Plant Basics 233 Chapter 17: Introducing Beneficial Trees and Shrubs to Your Landscape 257 Chapter 18: Enhancing Your Landscape’s Sustainability with Smaller Plants 269 Chapter 19: Exploring Lower Impact Lawns and Sustainable Lawn Alternatives 289 Chapter 20: Examining the Essentials of Sustainable Garden Care 299 Chapter 21: Pest and Disease Control the Sustainable Way 313 Chapter 22: Opting for Organic Lawn Care 321 Part VI: The Part of Tens 333 Chapter 23: Ten Projects That Pay You and the Environment Back Big Time 335 Chapter 24: Ten Totally Nonsustainable Landscaping Mistakes and How to Avoid Them 339 Appendix: Planning for Special Situations 345 Index 351