Landscape W/Wildflowers CL

With his usual breezy, informal style, Wilson ( Landscaping with Container Plants ) tries to tame wildflowers just enough to convince doubters that they can convert part of their yards to meadow, prairie or woodland. Previous books have explored in equal or greater detail the same ideas, but Wilson's recognition as the host of PBS's Victory Garden South may lend his approach greater authority. The examples used to illustrate the various garden designs are invigorating, but may prove too large in scope for readers to feel comfortable adapting them to modest plots (how many people have a one-acre front yard to transform into a prairie? And how many towns would allow it?) Wisely, Wilson advises readers to check local ordinances before tackling such plans. That criticism aside, the book contains much that is useful: how to plant and maintain the garden, strategies for gardeners in the desert Southwest, the mountainous West and the Pacific Northwest, and strategies for gardeners with problem soil (damp, boggy). He devotes a chapter to luring butterflies and birds. Regional plant lists, garnered from experts across the country, will prove helpful, as will Wilson's analysis of those ubiquitous seed mixtures sold in cans. Photos. (Apr. )