Designing Gardens with Flora of the American East, Revised and Expanded

Carolyn Summers, Kate Brittenham

• Publisher: Rutgers University Press
• Year: 2024
• Print ISBN:
  9781978833630
  9781978833647
• eBook ISBN:
  9781978833654
• Topic: Biological Sciences
• Subtopic: Urban Planning & Landscaping
• Index: Biological Sciences

As recent years have seen alarming declines of insect and bird populations in many states, more gardeners have discovered the importance of including native plants in order to nurture these pollinators and sustain local ecosystems. But when so many popular landscaping designs involve exotic cultivars and invasive plant species, how can you create a garden that is both aesthetically pleasing and ecologically responsible? 
 
In this fully revised second edition of the classic guide Designing Gardens with Flora of the American East, gardening expert Carolyn Summers draws on the most recent research on sustainable landscaping. She is joined in this edition by her daughter, landscape designer Kate Brittenham, offering an intergenerational dialogue about the importance of using indigenous plants that preserve insect and bird habitats. The practical information they provide is equally useful for home gardeners and professionals, including detailed descriptions of keystone trees, shrubs, perennials, vines, and grasses that are native to the eastern United States. Accompanied by entirely new illustrations and updated plant lists, they offer chic yet eco-friendly landscape designs fully customized for different settings, from suburban yards to corporate office parks.

The states covered in this book are CT, DE, IA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, TN, VA, VT, WI, and WV, as well as southern Quebec and Ontario. 

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Preface
• Abbreviations
• Chapter 1. Why Should We Garden with Indigenous Plants?
• Chapter 2. Wildlife in Field, Forest, and Garden
• Chapter 3. “Safe Sex” in the Garden
• Chapter 4. Replacing Common Invasive Plants with Keystone Plants
• Chapter 5. American Horticulture and Indigenous Plants: A Brief History
• Chapter 6. Ecological Landscape Design with Keystone Plants
• Chapter 7. Design Ideas Drawn from Indigenous Plant Communities
• Afterword
• Appendix A: Keystone Plants
• Appendix B: Circumboreal Plants
• Appendix C: Perennials for Season-long Bloom
• Appendix D: Berries for Birds
• Appendix E: Dioecious Plants
• Appendix F: Indigenous Annuals and Biennials
• Appendix G: Indigenous Heirlooms
• Appendix H: Street Trees
• Appendix I: Indigenous Plants Suited for Formal Gardens
• Appendix J: Indigenous Plants Suited for Asian Designs
• Appendix K: Fragrant and Aromatic Plants
• Acknowledgments
• Bibliography
• Index
• About the Author