Nan Sterman, Mary Irish, Judith Phillips and Joe Lamp’l authored Water-wise Plants for the Southwest. It is a plant guide for gardeners living in Arizona, California, Texas, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. The garden book includes strategies for growing sustainable low-water gardens in the southwestern section of the United States.
Sustainable Gardens Using Less Water
Despite its premise of using less water to sustain gardens, Water-wise Plants for the Southwest goes far beyond the traditional succulent and cactus plant choices. Chapters on trees and shrubs, vines and bulbs and ornamental grasses, some suggested for lawns are part of the collection. The chapter on edibles offers a selection on fruit trees and herbs that can thrive outside in southwestern climates.
Nan Sterman, Mary Irish and Judith Phillips, at the start, describe their ideas of what xeriscape gardening is out west sharing personal experiences relevant in each state. Their perspective on low-water resident gardening and strategies for watering plants in a desert environment is found throughout this garden book.
Joe Lamp’l writes the section on irrigation. The garden writer delves into the technology of irrigation systems from sprinkler spray heads to drip lines. The resources section also includes book and Internet suggestions where to find information on water harvesting, watering calculators and soil management, among other water conservation topics.
Southwest USDA Cold Hardiness Zones
While reliable plant books include a USDA cold hardiness zones map, the maps depicting the entire United States can be difficult to distinguish between boundary colors. Water-wise Plants for the Southwest includes large individual images of each state with clear lines of distinction.
For example, Arizona’s zone map clearly indicates by color the range of zones from 1 to 6 with easy to see lines between similar color hues. California’s range of zones is dramatic, from 4 – 11. The blue zone 4b, although very tiny, is easily seen on the page.
Horticultural Expert Authors
Nan Sterman, Mary Irish, Judith Phillips and Joe Lamp’l co-authored Water-wise Plants for the Southwest. Diana Maranhao edited the garden book. All are horticultural experts and previously published in garden publications.
Nan Sterman is a landscape designer who contributes garden writings to Sunset Magazine and Organic Gardening. In 2007, Sterman wrote California Gardener’s Guide Volume II, a garden book especially for California gardeners focusing on low-water climate-appropriate plants.
Mary Irish has lived in Arizona for more than 20 years. Irish previously served as Director of Public Horticulture at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona. Her published works include Month-By-Month Gardening in the Desert Southwest.
Judith Phillips has designed gardens and written about growing native plants in New Mexico, including her book New Mexico Gardener’s Guide. In 2007, garden writer Robert Dailey interviewed Phillips offering her perspective of desert gardening.
Joe Lamp’l well known as joe gardener® hosts GardenSMART on PBS and DIY Network’s Fresh From the Garden. His most recent garden book is The Green Gardener’s Guide: Simple Significant Actions to Protect and Preserve the Planet.
Diana Maranhao has been horticultural editor for Cool Springs Press, Ball Publishing and as project editor for the Irrigation Association. Maranhao writes a monthly garden column for Southwest Trees and Turf magazine.
Plant Book for Southwestern Gardeners
Written by Nan Sterman, Mary Irish, Judith Phillips and Joe Lamp’l, Water-wise Plants for the Southwest was published by Cool Springs Press, February 2010. The plant guide has 253 pages with color photos and a resource section sorted by state of public gardens to visit. ISBN: 9781591864684 can be used to locate this garden book.
Other garden books by Cool Springs Press include Proven Plants Southern Gardens by Erica Glasener for gardening enthusiasts in the southeastern United States.
Permission received for all photos used in this article.
Chris Eirschele - Chris writes on plants grown and gardens explored; she is a member of the Garden Writers Association.
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