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-color book contains a wealth of information on such key topics as: how to improve soil structure to maximize 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.
Author(s): Kevin Handreck
Series: Csiro Publishing Gardening Guides
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Year: 2008
Language: English
Pages: 177
CONTENTS......Page 6
PREFACE......Page 8
Acknowledgements......Page 10
1 Causes of water shortages......Page 12
2 Plants and water......Page 16
3 Know your soil......Page 40
4 Organic matter and soils......Page 50
5 Your soil is a reservoir......Page 56
6 Water quality......Page 66
7 Delivering water to your plants......Page 78
8 Garden watering systems......Page 96
9 Mulches: the facts......Page 106
10 New gardens and new gardens from old......Page 116
11 Dealing with too much water......Page 124
12 Lawns......Page 128
13 Water for plants in pots......Page 142
14 Testing potting mixes......Page 158
Appendix 1 Sources of extra information......Page 161
Index......Page 164
