Your guide to beautiful, fire-resistant landscaping techniques Tens of thousands of wildfires burn across the country every year, destroying millions of acres of land. If you live in fire country, take action. Use firescaping to defend your home against wildfires—while maintaining the beauty of your garden. This unique form of landscaping design keeps your property healthy, clean, and clear. Horticultural expert Douglas Kent shares secrets, tricks, and simple instructions in the new edition of this practical, hands-on guide, recommended by AAA Homeowners Insurance. Find out which landscapes have a high fire risk and why. Get tips on landscaping and maintenance—such as effective watering and brush-clearing techniques—that reduce a property’s fire risk. Learn which plants and building materials are best for reducing damage. Discover how to make your home accessible to firefighters in the event of a wildfire. Homeowners, landscaping professionals, and community fire prevention officials will find Firescaping invaluable. If you live in an area at risk, this book can help to prepare you and give you peace of mind.

This practical, hands-on guide gives simple, achievable strategies for those who want to reduce their garden's fire hazard, while promoting its long-term health and function. This book describes what types of properties and landscapes are higher-risk, how to make a home more accessible to fire-fighters, and what to do to minimize the chances that a home will be damaged or destroyed by a wildfire. It covers fire-safe fencing and roofing materials, has tips on using water efficiently, gives best methods of effective vegetation removal, and provides versatile and comprehensive plant lists and maintenance calendars useful for those living in California's diverse climate zones. Endorsed by AAA Homeowners Insurance.

"Covers what to do before, during, and after wildfire disasters. Advice for homeowners includes advance preparations for land, home and family; evacuation essentials and survival strategies when wildfire threatens; understanding insurance; and rebuilding and recovery"--

“Empowers readers with a toolkit of traditional and sustainable practices for an emerging artisanal crafts movement, and a brighter future.” —Alice Waters, chef and owner, Chez Panisse; founder, The Edible Schoolyard Project Modern life is a cornucopia of technological wonders. But is something precious being lost? A tangible bond with our natural world—the deep satisfaction of connecting to the earth that was enjoyed by previous generations? In The Heirloom Gardener, John Forti celebrates gardening as a craft and shares the lore and traditional practices that link us with our environment and with each other. Charmingly illustrated and brimming with wisdom, this guide will inspire you to slow down, recharge, and reconnect.

Lavishly illustrated with over 300 photographs, Designing with Succulents gives design and cultivation basics for paths, borders, slopes, and containers; hundreds of succulent plant recommendations; and descriptions of 90 easy-care, drought-tolerant companion plants. Beginners and experienced designers, landscapers, and collectors alike will find what they need to visualize, create, and nurture the three-dimensional work of art that is the succulent garden.

In Living with Wildfire (first published as The Wildfire Survival Guide), gardening expert Maureen Gilmer shares proven ways to save your home, property, and life with wildfire-resistant landscaping and fire-prevention techniques. Discover how to create bands of protection by choosing fire-resistant plants, manage native vegetation, prevent erosion and mudslides, and learn about: Wildfire dynamics and safeguarding your home against them Water storage and delivery in any emergency Creating a defensible space for you and firefighters Included is updated information on insuring your property, selecting your home site, packing an emergency kit, and getting public and private assistance. With easy-to-follow diagrams, instructional photographs, and landscaping plans, you’ll have all the resources necessary to get through fire season and keep your home standing.

Landscape Architectural Graphic Standards is an entirely new, definitive reference work for everyone involved with landscape architecture, design, and construction. Based on the 70-year success of Architectural Graphic Standards, this new book is destined to become the "bible" for the landscape field. Edited by an educator and former president of the American Society of Landscape Architects, it provides immediate access to rules-of-thumb and standards used throughout the planning, design, construction and management of landscapes. View sample pages from Landscape Architectural Graphic Standards.

Rain pounds the Pacific Northwest, gushing through dirty downspouts, across chemically treated lawns, over oily streets and through public storm drains into bays, rivers, lakes, streams, and wetlands where nature struggles to survive among the pollutants. It’s a problem caused by population density and it’s one that you can help solve. Rain Gardens for the Pacific Northwest shows you how to trap and filter dirty water safely in your yard—and how to do that with a beautiful addition to your home. Zsofia Pasztor, a Certified Professional Horticulturalist, shares what she’s learned over the years experimenting with rain gardens in the challenging clay and hardpan soils of the region. The book answers questions that Zsofia regularly encounters in her workshops, including: • Can I build a rain garden myself? • Can a rain garden be too big or too small? • Can I create a low-maintenance rain garden? • Will my rain garden attract mosquitos? • How do you know if your infiltration system is in a “safe” location? • If my rain garden isn’t working (e.g., not draining), how can I fix it without starting over? With photos and illustrations throughout, lists of best plants, and a comprehensive resources section, this easy-to-use guide shows Northwest gardeners, homeowners, and DIY-ers how to plan, design, install, and maintain their own healthy, natural, and beautiful rain garden.