Creating the Prairie Xeriscape

A short review by Bernadette Vangool

Have you just bought your first home? Do you have a blank canvas to develop into a prairie oasis? Before you proceed, read Creating the Prairie Xeriscape by Sara Williams.

Sara takes you from design, soil considerations and irrigation to an extensive list of trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, vines and bulbs. The book has ample illustrations, with tips on designing your very own xeriscape. Beautiful photographs of Xeriscape plants with an explanation about their natural habitat and uses in the landscape. Sunny icons alert you to those cultivars which are especially hardy and drought tolerant.

So before you put that shovel into the dirt, do some thinking about what it is you want to create. Think about how much maintenance you are willing and able to devote to your little patch of real estate. And last but not least consult this very useful reference guide to help you along in the process.

Quote from the inside cover. "Xeriscaping is an environmentally friendly approach to your yard and garden that leaves your piece of the world in as good or better shape than when you assumed stewardship. Noted Saskatchewan Sara Williams presents the whys and the how-tos of creating a prairie xeriscape in thorough and entertaining detail".