Water-Wise Gardening

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Christopher ( In Search of Lost Roses ) roved around the United States for several years, looking for new ways American gardeners had found to adapt their plots to water shortages; he wrote this book as a consequence. It's intelligent and illuminating. ``I've learned that the need for water conservation has become the driving force of a gardening renaissance,'' Christopher notes, and remarks on the ``extraordinary imaginativeness'' he discovered among those setting out to cope with a limited vital resource. In Texas, as he reports, he spent time with xeriscapers (who organize gardens into areas of differing water requirements, keeping those with high-water demand minimal). In and around Tucson, Ariz., he investigated desert gardening and the innovations made in irrigation systems and native landscaping. In Denver, he looked on as gardeners cultivated alpine plants and flowering ``weeds.'' And in Brooklyn, N.Y., he visited the drought-resistant wildflower garden of Wall Street Journal gardening columnist Patti Hagan. As one might expect, it is the sense of gazing over Christopher's shoulder at all of these spots--and of overhearing the conversations--that intrigues a reader, along with the more practical hope of picking up useful guidance (also answered). Photos not seen by PW. (Feb.)

Library Journal

These complementary books both address the need for American gardeners to acknowledge the growing scarcity of clean fresh water and adjust their gardening techniques accordingly. Northeast gardeners may consider this a problem for the arid West only, but both authors point out that this attitude is erroneous, as is the notion that limiting watering means limiting gardening. They explain that saving water requires a two-pronged approach: using plants best adapted to the area's natural rainfall and making sure that no drop of water is wasted. Springer, a Colorado gardener, uses principles developed by the National Xeriscape Council, including planning, wise use of lawn, grouping plants with similar water needs, efficient irrigation, and mulching. She then provides brief lists of suitable plants for five climate regions. This addition to the ``Burpee American Gardening'' series is a bargain for libraries beginning their collections on this topic; those that wish a similar approach with more extensive plant lists should also invest in Connie Ellefson's Xeriscape Gardening (see Beth Clewis's ``Cultivating a Garden Design Collection,'' LJ 12/92, p. 93-96). Christopher's book shows how gardeners around the country have put water-conservation principles to use in their own backyards. Some apply the guidelines already mentioned even more stringently, while others have been pioneers in encouraging the use of native plants. While most of the examples come from the South, Christopher also describes a Wisconsin prairie and a Brooklyn backyard. All libraries serving gardeners should purchase Springer's book; those in areas where water shortages are common should consider Christopher's as well.-- Molly Newling, Piscataway P.L., N.J.