skip to main content

South African Native Plants

Can You Suggest Books on Landscaping with SA Plants?

20 years ago

Hi All,

I'm looking for suggestions for books on gardening/landscaping with SA plants and/or Mediterranean gardens. I have "The Mediterranean Gardener" by Hugo Latymer -- and it's ok, but doesn't have enough pictures for my taste.

Any books that you particularly enjoy that you would recommend?

Thanx!

joyceb

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (5)

georgeinbandonoregon
20 years ago
"landscape plants for western regions" by bob perry is expensive but extremely well-illustrated with great info on plants for med-type climates of california. "landscape plants for dry regions" by warren jones and charles sacamano has generally good pictures (some are surprisingly blurry) and lots of info including some on s.a. plants with an emphasis on plants that do well in great heat and drought (desert-type climates but also works well for med. type regions). there is a "mediterranean plant society with a presence on the web including resources for the med. garden (including s.a. stuff, i believe) and its own discussion board. silverhill seeds also has a book service which could be checked into. ortho books published "all about bulbs" a number of years ago and it had a surprisingly large selection of s.a. bulbs that it came good info on. the current edition of "the sunset western garden book" has lots of good info and it tries to focus on what is available in the trade so if you find it there there is at least a chance that you will really be able to find the plant somewhere you are reading about. "the looking-glass garden" (see the discussion on sunset garden zones for s.a. plants for the author's name) has discussions about suggested plant associations incorporating s.a. plants in a med. context.
Floral_Artistry
20 years ago
A beautifully illustrated book if 'The Color Encyclopedia of Cape Bulbs' by Peter Goldblatt et al. It list a lot of bulbs (like duh!) but it does give a lot of important info.
As far as other books, there are quite a few if you go to the Timber Press web site and take a look: http://www.timberpress.com/books/quicksearch.cfm
There is one on Ericas and Wildflowers.
Also a great reference is the Kirstenbosch web site. They list a lot of cultural info and more.

John Ingram

Here is a link that might be useful: The Color Encyclopedia of Cape Bulbs
Related Discussions
Suggestions for landscaping/planting ideas
Q
Comments (4)
You might want to try the perennials and shrubs forums for specific plant suggestions. Most posters here tend toward suggesting yard lay outs and conceptual plant placement. I have an area on the SW side of some trees so it gets full sun about 3-6. I rarely water it. I grow a variety of plants, starting with my sunniest side: perennial lobelia, chocolate eupatorium, garden phlox, day lily, bearded iris, veronica, deutzia, bird nest spruce, false cypress, peony, Korean spice bush, clematis bushy bluebell, dianthus, lady's mantle, toad lily, astilbe (like it wet though), fern leaf bleeding heart, bleeding heart, digitalis, hostas, ferns, delphinium, heuchera, tiarella, salvia, monkshood, snapdragons, nigella. Some ground covers that might do well there: pachysandra, sweet woodruff, lirope.
...See More
Do you know of a good landscape design book?
Q
Comments (3)
I can suggest two. In the design classes I teach, I use "Residential Landscape Architecture" by Booth and Hiss. It is a good, basic text covering design principles as applied to landscapes, and does a fine job of introducing the topic as a multi-step process. I also like Tracy DiSabato-Aust's new book, "The Well-Designed Mixed Garden". While it is devoted more to planting design than to lines in the ground plane, Tracy's usual exhaustive attention to detail makes this book a reference that you'll return to again and again.
...See More
Landscaping - Plant Suggestions (silver sheen, succulents?)
Q
Comments (6)
It's a good plant in OC, best the closer you are to the Ocean, in other words it's going to look better in Costa Mesa than in Fullerton. How much space do you have again? Realize that their DNA evolved over millions of years to make them be like this: They get 30' tall if you do not trim or shear, so keep that in mind. But you can do this to them: Yes both pictures show 'Silver Sheen'. You just have to realize you are going to be shearing or trimming them on a regular basis, eventually to fit in your space. Your photo shows a young plant, not a mature one. There are also selections of 'Silver Sheen' that are going to stay a lot shorter and don't need quite as much shearing as 'Silver Sheen'. 'Wrinkled Blue' and 'Tasman Ruffles' are two examples. You are going to have to watch out for scale infestations; scale is a sucking insect. You'll have to treat with systemic if that happens and make sure the flowers (which are tiny and not easily seen) are sheared off so you don't kill bees. You do not have space for Ficus nitida. There is a place for that plant as a screen, but your yard is not that place. My neighbor who has an acre, it is good for him. Ligustrum is an extremely reliable screen, boring, but reliable. But there are those flowers--which are not a problem IF you keep it as a hedge and shear it regularly--you'll be cutting the flowers off as they form and so bees will not be a problem. The Ligustrum flowers have an odor that is not pleasant to many noses.
...See More
What books would you suggest for a start up?
Q
Comments (10)
I second (3rd? 4th?) the Eliot Coleman suggestions-tyhe new organicf Grower literally spells out how to do a really workable garden layout and the tools you will need to do the job of market gardening as well as great tips on effenciancy. Growing for market has been indispensable for our farm the 8 years we have subscribed. Every issue is full of great advice/tips/ideas/news Find out when there will be small farming/organic/sustainable conferences in your area. This is a cheap way to learn a lot quickly and also to meet other growers in your state/area. A good conference will save you at least a years worth of mistakes. email listserv: Market-farming mailing list Market-farming@lists.ibiblio.org http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming Get the list FAQ at: http://www.marketfarming.net/mflistfaq.htm There are many very experienced growers on this list and it is active year 'round (many email groups get quiet during the growing/market season) Oh and get a good book on disease ID. The best i have found "Identifying Diseases of Vegetables" AA Mcnabb, Penn state; AF Sherf, Cornell U: JK Springer Rutgers U; Published by the Penn State college of ag sciences. this book has lots of good photos of diseased plants with descripotions of various diseases. they do not give suggestions for remedying diseases. A good insect book. The Peterson series or Audubon books are both excellent A couple of books on disease and insect control. Rodale Press has some really good titles on this subject. The "Problem Solver" series is good and the "Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control" by Barbara Ellis and Fern Marshall Bradley is the best I have come across. you should also have books on soil building or at least a good understanding of the life in soil and how it works with your plants. oh yeah, Acres USA is a good periodical for the eco farmer, they cover it all from livestock operations to big grain farms to small market gardens. Lucy
...See More
jxa44
Original Author
20 years ago
Thanx for the suggestions. John your books sounds abousolutely devine! Can't wait to get it.

joyceb
cjhin
20 years ago
Hi

Some SA books are "Water-wise gardening with indigenous plants" by Ernst Van Jaarsveld. This wonderful book covers indigenous gardening by region in South Africa, with species lists. The Fynbos region will be useful. Also "Creative Gardening with Indigenous Plants" by Pitta Joffe, although this deals more with the cultivation of indigenous plants and not landscaping. You can get these books at www.nbi.ac.za, go to the publications section.
jxa44
Original Author
20 years ago
Thanx for your suggestions cjhin. My grden is growing little by little with help from my gardenweb friends . . .

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES 10 Tips to Start a Garden — Can-Do Ideas for Beginners

By Alison Hodgson

Green up your landscape even if you're short on time, money and knowledge, with these manageable steps for first-time gardeners

GARDENING GUIDES 4 Ways Gardens Can Go Beyond Aesthetic Beauty

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Our landscapes can play an even more meaningful role if we rethink their purpose

URBAN GARDENS Plant a Garden That Can Move With You

By Steve Taylor

Think mobile when planning your outdoor space and you can enjoy it wherever you move next

LIFE How Your Landscaping Can Keep Burglars Away

Prevent home break-ins with strategic landscaping and good practices instead of menacing — and maybe less effective — measures

LANDSCAPE DESIGN How Low Can Hedges Go? Discover Unusual Garden Borders

Short enough to step over, high enough to be a stretch ... check out these radically different hedge styles and tell us your opinion

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 6 Suggestions for Harmonious Hardscaping

By Jay Sifford Garden Design

Help a sidewalk, driveway or path flow with your garden design, for a cohesive and pleasing look

GARDENING GUIDES 5 Prairie Wildflowers That Can Heal Your Soil

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Get free, organic soil fertilizer with nitrogen-pumping plants that draw pollinators too

HOUZZ TOURS We Can Dream: An Expansive Tennessee Farmhouse on 750 Acres

By Mitchell Parker

Wood painstakingly reclaimed from old barns helps an 1800s farmhouse retain its history

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Small Garden? You Can Still Do Bamboo

By Matt Kilburn

Forget luck. Having bamboo that thrives on a wee plot just takes planning, picking the right variety, and keeping runners in check

GREEN BUILDING Efficient Architecture Suggests a New Future for Design

By Spry Architecture

Homes that pay attention to efficient construction, square footage and finishes are paving the way for fresh aesthetic potential

Sponsored