Gardening in Summer-Dry Climates

May 18, 2020
Landscape architect Harlow and photographer Holt, coauthors of Plants and Landscapes for Summer-Dry Climates of the San Francisco Bay Region, team up again for a comprehensive guide to gardening on the west coast of North America. They address the unique gardening calendar set by the region’s dry summers (“plant mostly in fall, less often in spring as most of the world does”), as well as the challenges of weather (primarily the “seasonality of precipitation”), climate, and topography in gardening zones “from British Columbia to Baja.” Design suggestions address problems of drainage and runoff, outline ways to harvest rainwater, advocate for “firewise” landscaping, and promote soil health. The bulk of the book is a catalogue of plant recommendations, including perennials such as yarrow, annuals such as clarkia, trees such as California buckeye, succulents such as aloe, shrubs such as manzanita, and vines such as bougainvillea, with notes on origins, descriptions, watering, drainage, and light exposure. For green thumbs living along the Pacific Coast, this specialized and thorough manual will educate, enlighten, and inspire.

December 1, 2020
This solid compendium suffers from something of an identity issue: the title implies that the book covers "summer-dry climates" throughout the U.S. (and the world?), yet the book's focus is entirely on the West Coast. On the other hand, the book could be applied to summer-dry climates across southwestern states like Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, and points east and north. The book also follows a trail left by other good dry-zone garden guides, like Waterwise Plants for Sustainable Gardens (2011) and Hot Color, Dry Garden (2018), along with numerous regional guides. Still, it offers a nearly 200-page alphabetical listing of plants from which dry-zone gardeners can choose, each entry including scientific and common names; plant description; sun, drainage, and water requirements; helpfully, a subentry for each of the numerous varieties often provided; hardiness zone; and one or more color photos. Especially recommended for libraries in West Coast and southwestern states that do not already have such thorough coverage.

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