Hardcover: 216 pages
Publisher: DK ADULT April 1, 1997
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0789414783
ISBN-13: 978-0789414786
Product Dimensions:
11.6 x 9.3 x 0.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds
Product Review
If you find aquatic plants fascinating but aren't sure where to start, let this thorough how-to manual be your guide. Brimming with practical insights and photographic inspirations, the Complete Guide to Water Gardening supplies step-by-step instructions for all types of water features, from full-blown oriental ponds to a simple container of bog plants. Possibilities are only as limited as your size and budget. Proper planning is essential to good results, and this book takes it nice and slow. Explanations are straightforward and comprehensible for folks who have some previous home improvement experience, but for a first-ever project, this may be biting off a bit more than you can chew. Leveling, backfilling, laying concrete--these are a few of the details to prepare for in adding even a small pond to your garden. You'll see your efforts pay off quickly, though. Flourishing plants and a return of natural amphibians are a couple of rewards in sight.
Plant selection involves a good understanding of this developing ecosystem, and the sections concerning options and routine maintenance are specific in the requirements of your new garden. Close-up shots of healthy plants and systems, as well as diseases and pests, will provide an excellent education. If you're looking for a new adventure in gardening and don't mind getting your feet wet, this could provide just the experience you're looking for. --Jill Lightner
From Library Journal
Publishers have been generous with water gardening books in recent years, so to compete for shelf space, new titles should probably offer either comprehensive treatment or a fresh angle. Fortunately, each of the following titles does both. Horticultural consultant Robinson, who has written several books on water gardening, takes a practical, how-to approach to constructing water features and integrating them into the landscape. Color photos and drawings are used to splendid effect. Included are handy instructions for evaluating purchased plants and fish and for handling routine care and feeding, pests, and diseases. The book concludes with a catalog of plants organized by their function in the garden (submerged, floating, or marginal). Recommended for most gardening collections. Part of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's "21st-Century Gardening" series, The Natural Water Garden also reviews the basics of installing water gardens, but its value lies in examples of specific wetland gardens. An intriguing example is the "stormwater marsh" created in a Virginia garden by directing rainwater from a roof into the bed via plastic tubing. Concluding chapters catalog wetland plants indigenous to six regions of the United States and list specialty nurseries. This book should appeal to adventurous gardeners and anyone concerned about wildlife gardening and habitat reconstruction.?Beth Clewis Crim, Prince William P.L., Va.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
