Southwest Gardener's Handbook - by Diana Maranhao (Paperback)

About the Book

The Southwest Gardener's Handbook is loaded with photographs on the how to, and the when to, on all things gardening in the Great American Southwest.

Book Synopsis

Intermediate to advanced home gardeners who are interested in learning how to be even more successful in their Southwest garden need this book on their bookshelves!

This handbook offers information about how to select plants best-suited for arid Southwest environments (states which include Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah). It's a comprehensive, highly visual resource for gardeners that's rich with planting advice, including specific plant recommendations and critical when-to and how-to pointers necessary for successful home landscaping and gardening.

Southwest Gardener's Handbook addresses everything from plant selections to accurate planting timelines and gardening maintenance information. Planting and growing information for edibles is also included with plant selections for the most common plant categories (annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, and succulents). Another special differentiating component of this book includes the firsthand advice of a local gardener in the region (Utah).

Featuring 200+ full-color photos of the best plant selections for the dry Southwest region to aid in plant selection, plus an introduction for each plant group and a monthly tips section, this book is a comprehensive resource--a must-have for avid gardeners. You'll find recommended plants, garden how-tos, what-tos, and when-to information for planting, pruning, proper watering, lawn care, and much more. Don't start planting in the Southwest without it!

About the Author

Diana (Dee) Maranhao has been an active member of the horticulture and landscape industry for more than 35 years. She holds a degree in Ornamental Horticulture, and is a credentialed teacher in California, specializing in Ornamental Horticulture. Diana has spent much of her career in higher education, serving as a Horticulture Program Manager, Nursery Production Specialist, and educator specializing in Xeriscape-Low Water Use Landscaping, Nursery Production, and Plant Propagation.

Diana has also been a horticulture editor and project editor for numerous educational texts, magazines, garden guides, and horticulture books. She has been a regularly featured garden columnist for more than ten years, authoring hundreds of gardening and horticulture articles for the public and the horticulture industry. Diana is also the author of Rocky Mountain Fruit and Vegetable Gardening (Cool Springs Press, 2014). She received the "2014 Professional of the Year" Award from Southwest Trees & Turf Magazine at Desert Green XVIII Conference in Las Vegas.