It is possible to have a great garden anywhere in Australia, even under the toughest water restrictions. Good Gardens with Less Water will show you how.
A companion to Kevin Handreck’s best-selling Gardening Down-Under, this new book is a practical guide to gardening with limited water.
Watch an episode of "Down to Earth" where Kevin Handreck offers advice how to use water most effectively in your garden. "Down to Earth" was a series of thirteen segments shown on the ABC's "Gardening Australia" program. More videos from the series are available on YouTube
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It is possible to have a great garden anywhere in Australia, even under the toughest water restrictions. Good Gardens with Less Water will show you how.
A companion to Kevin Handreck’s best-selling Gardening Down-Under, this new book is a practical guide to gardening with limited water.
This beautifully illustrated, full-colour book contains a wealth of information on such key topics as: how to improve soil structure to maximise the retention of water for use by plants; selecting drought-tolerant native and exotic plants; working out how much water to apply to different types of plants; choosing the best lawn grass for your climate; rainwater harvesting and use; and how to avoid problems when greywater is used in the garden.
With specific chapters devoted to watering systems and equipment, mulches, planting techniques and potted plants, this book offers practical solutions for anyone who wishes to garden sustainably.
Concise and easy to understand
Suitable for any size garden in any location
Shows how to make the most out of available water and improve even the worst types of soil
Discusses water quality, with particularly detailed information about greywater
Foreword
Causes of water shortages
Plants and water
Know your soil
Organic matter and soils
Your soil is a reservoir
Water quality
Delivering water to your plants
Garden watering systems
Mulches – the facts
New gardens and new gardens from old
Dealing with too much water
Lawns
Water for plants in pots
Testing potting mixes
Appendix 1. Sources of extra information
Acknowledgements
Index
Home gardeners; horticulture students; irrigation contractors and their clients; landscapers and other horticulture professionals; and new home owners.
"For the garden beginner, a handy reference. For the new home builder, read this book before anyone touches a square centimetre of your block. For the experienced gardener, it would be surprising if they did not find many things they did not know."
DCS, SALife Magazine, July 2010
"…and this book contains a wealth of useful information. It is much more than just about how to have a good garden with less water. This book provides all gardeners, novice or experienced, with an insight into how to garden both successfully and sustainably into the future." New Zealand Garden Journal, 2008, vol. 11(2)
"A timely book that offers practical solutions to gardeners and garden designers interested in sustainable gardens. Highly recommended."
Landscape Outlook, December 2008
"Handreck's latest offering provides practical solutions for anyone who wishes to garden sustainably." Australian Turfgrass Management Magazine, 2008
"Good Gardens with Less Water is a must-read for any gardener serious about minimising watering in our harsh climate." Messenger Magazine, 2008
"Handreck's latest offering provides practical solutions for anyone who wishes to garden sustainably." Australian Turfgrass Management Magazine, 2008
Kevin Handreck is a retired CSIRO soil scientist who manages his own horticultural consulting company. He chaired Standards Australia committees that set the Standards for potting mixes, composts and garden soils. His other publications include the CSIRO Discovering Soils series, Gardening Down-Under and Growing Media for Ornamental Plants and Turf.
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