Grow More With Less

January 1, 2014

In his latest book, Simeone (director, Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park; Great Landscape Evergreens) focuses on creating gardens in harmony with their environment. He thoroughly explains pragmatic garden design and ecoresponsible maintenance practices, enhancing his work with color photographs, other illustrations, and tables. The essential strategies for being an earth-friendly gardener are covered: choosing appropriate plants for a specific site; attracting wildlife; employing integrated pest management (IPM) to reduce use of pesticides; understanding water conservation methods; and undertaking sustainable lawn care. The list of hardy and noninvasive cultivars will help readers select specimens that will thrive with minimum intervention and contribute to an ecologically healthy garden. Simeone also presents alternatives to using turf, which is high maintenance, on the lawn. He ends with material on composting, soil management, planting, recycling, and pruning. VERDICT Complementing Thomas Christopher's The New American Landscape: Leading Voices on the Future of Sustainable Gardening, this book provides a sensible and manageable approach for home gardeners seeking grounds that are in keeping with their environment and our shrinking planetary resources.--Deborah Broocker, Georgia Perimeter Coll. Lib., Dunwoody

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