The Water-Saving Garden How to Grow a Gorgeous Garden with a Lot Less Water

A guide to growing beautiful gardens in drought-prone areas utilizing minimal water for maximum results.

With climate change, water rationing, and drought on the rise, water conservation is more important than ever—but that doesn’t mean your gardening options are limited to cacti and rocks. The Water-Saving Garden provides gardeners and homeowners with a diverse array of techniques and plentiful inspiration for creating sustainable gardens that are so beautiful and inviting, it’s hard to believe they are water-thrifty. Including a directory of 100 plants appropriate for a variety of drought-prone regions of the country, this accessible and contemporary xeriscaping guide is full of must-know information on popular gardening topics like native and drought-tolerant plants (including succulents), rainwater harvesting, greywater systems, permeable paving, and more.

PAM PENICK is a garden designer, award-winning blogger, and the author of Lawn Gone! She is a contributor to such magazines as Fine Gardening, Organic Life, and Garden Design, and has received several writing awards from the Garden Writers Association. She lives and gardens in water-challenged Austin, Texas.

part one: DRINK UP the beauty & ingenuity of a water-saving garden  5
+ dry-garden journey to a courtyard oasis  9
+ zen inspiration for a concrete jungle  12
+ embracing the desert for outdoor living  14
+ holding on to every drop of rain  17
+ painting a dry slope with color  20
+ bold foliage takes center stage  22
+ evoking water in a dry garden  25
part two: make your garden a WATER SAVER, not a WATER GUZZLER  29
1 hold that liquid gold  31
2 think saltines: choose permeable paving  59
3 irrigation without irritation  69
4 the nitty-gritty on soil and mulch  85
5 throw some shade and shoot the breeze  101
part three: PLANTING the water-saving garden  113
6 lose the lawn  115
7 grow native—but enjoy well-adapted plants too  133
8 ripple-zone planting and rethinking lush  141
9 timing Is everything: when to plant  147
10 hot pots: saving water in container and balcony gardens  153
part four: oasis or mirage? creating the ILLUSION of water in the garden  163
11 the water feature as a symbol of abundance  165
12 water-evoking plants  171
13 squeezing water from stone  183
part five: 101 PLANTS for water-saving gardens  195
acknowledgments  223
recommended resources  224
photography and design credits  226
index  229