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Summary: Great Landscaping Ideas; Plant Ideas Need Refinement
Review: This book contains many inspiring examples, as well as do-it-yourself instructions, for designing landscapes in Florida. The landscape designs that are presented, photographed and discussed in this book provide nearly everything a Floridian needs to design and plant a landscape of their liking. However, the treatment of native plants is very limited, and discussion of non-native nuisance plants is almost non-existent. We live in a state with so many beautiful, low-maintenance natives, as well as such an abundance of non-native nuisance plants, that I could not help but be disappointed by this aspect of the book. The one list of native landscape plants is extremely short and includes a few plants that are not native. Also, some of the recommended non-native plants in this book, most notably punk (melaleuca), are plants that are forbidden in several counties due to their tendency to escape cultivation and invade natural areas, crowding out the native plants that our wildlife need to survive. Use this book to design your landscape and to get a general idea of which plants will do well in Florida. However, when selecting your plants, I recommend purchasing a good book on landscaping with native plants, such as Rufino Osorio's or Bob Haehle's, which are also available on amazon.com. This will insure that your landscape will not only look beautiful but will also require little water, pesticides or fertilizers and will be compatible with our wonderful natural environment.
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