The Gravel Garden
Visionary, Drought-Defying, Naturalistic Designs
-
- $18.99
-
- $18.99
Publisher Description
An introduction to gravel gardening, featuring 20 gardens across the US and Europe that are leading the way in this ecological, drought-defying, low-maintenance technique.
Gravel gardening is a drought-defying, low-maintenance gardening technique in which deep-rooted, drought tolerant perennials are planted in a deep layer of gravel that suppresses weeds and conserves water. In The Gravel Garden, longtime horticulturist Jeff Epping explores the art of gravel gardening as a naturalistic approach with huge promise for the future of ecological landscaping.
Alongside 20 gorgeously photographed gardens in both the US and Europe, including Epping's own home gravel garden in Wisconsin, the book offers insights from leading naturalistic designers such as Roy Diblik and Cassian Schmidt, as well as practical techniques for various scales and applications, from intimate home settings to expansive public and commercial spaces.
Gardeners at any scale will be inspired to create their own beautiful garden with the resilience necessary to stand up to our changing climate.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Gardeners Epping and Woodard (Garden to the Max) deliver an inspiring guide to gravel gardening, a technique in which drought-tolerant perennials are planted beneath a layer of rocks, which suppresses weeds and conserves water. Epping argues this method creates beautiful, low-maintenance landscapes that attract birds and butterflies. In 2017, he transformed his own front yard into a gravel garden, replacing Kentucky bluegrass with a four-to-five-inch layer of gravel and 225 small flowering perennials and grasses. Over time, he found his new lawn to be 80% less work than his previous yard, with no need to mulch, irrigate, or mow. It also had environmental benefits, saving water and eliminating the need for fertilizers. After sharing gravel gardening basics, such as the need to enclose the space with a solid border of large boulders or pavers to ensure the gravel maintains a consistent depth throughout, the authors highlight 20 gravel garden projects in the U.S. and Britain, including vacant lots in Chicago transformed into vibrant green spaces and a flourishing, rewilded garden in West Sussex where turtledoves, nightingales, and invertebrates thrive. Each profile includes captivating photos and practical gardening advice on an array of topics, like how to persuade a homeowners' association to allow gravel gardens. Homeowners, landscape designers, and environmentalists will relish this.
