The Landscaping Revolution: Garden with Mother Nature, Not Against Her

Advocates of native-plant gardening, the Wasowskis (Gardening with Native Plants in the South) call for a landscaping revolution that eliminates America's traditional broad expanses of labor-intensive lawns. The authors argue in economic terms, stating that turf and lawn maintenance ""is a $27 billion a year industry--ten times more than we spend on school textbooks."" Accepting that the greatest barrier to changing the traditional landscape arises from concern about neighbor disapproval and local zoning regulations, the authors provide guidance for making gradual landscaping changes. They offer suggestions of native plants for diverse micro-climates and specific regions of the U.S., demonstrating that gardening with nature can be less time-consuming than gardening against her, with results that are both aesthetic and interesting. Using groundcovers, native grasses and perennials adapted to a specific locale, the Wasowskis maintain, will also reduce the need for fertilizer and lower the risk of diseases and insect invasions. Photographs of landscapes, taken before and after renovation, and a comprehensive list of native plant societies add to the value of this book for gardeners who want to join the revolution but aren't certain how to begin. (Feb.)