Leavened with humor and rueful wisdom, Nold's pithy descriptions zero in on each plant's outstanding ornamental characteristics while giving the reader an accurate idea of what to expect from the plant's performance in the garden." "Although Nold addresses himself primarily to western gardeners, anyone with an interest in hardy, drought-tolerant plants will find in these pages an abundance of tempting possibilities with which to experiment."--BOOK JACKET.

Dry summer, wet winter climate? This is your must have plant guide. Selecting plants suited to your climate is the first step toward a thriving, largely self-sustaining garden that connects with and supports the natural world. With gentle and compelling text and stunning photographs of plants in garden settings, Gardening in Summer-Dry Climates by Nora Harlow and Saxon Holt is a guide to native and climate-adapted plants for summer-dry, winter-wet climates of North America's Pacific coast. Knowing what these climates share and how and why they differ, you can choose to make gardens that maintain and expand local and regional biodiversity, take little from the earth that is not returned, and welcome and accommodate the presence of wildlife. With global warming, it is now even more critical that we garden in tune with climate.

Details the techniques of xeriscaping, including water conservation strategies and groundcover nuturing, and lists the types of flowers, herbs, and vegetables that are used in dry-land gardening.

This book lays out a variety of practical ways to prepare for a changing climate by paying attention to soil, water harvesting, types of crops planted, and ways to protect pollinators.

John Andreas Widtsoe demonstrates an immense knowledge of soil and farming conditions; much of the advice in this classic manual remains useful and relevant to this day. An excellent collection of knowledge is united in this guidebook, which commences by setting out the concept and core principles of dry farming. Much of the Earth is covered by land which receives only modest rainfall each year; coupled with a lack of an underground water source and/or water rights, many landowners found themselves having to grow crops with dry farming methods. Widtsoe was one such farmer, and his knowledge of the land's properties would prove decisive in his success. The properties and composition of the soil are crucial in deciding what crops to grow, making maximum use of limited water resources in an unirrigated plot by encouraging the soil's water retention, and sowing seeds with methods to maximize germination are all important aspects of running a dry farm.

The book was created by a gardener who was challenged with a lack of water in the dry season. Aiming to grow a 5-acre garden and have his own vegetables and fruit, the farmer invented numerous ways to keep the soil humid in the dry season.