What to Read
Great Reads to Inspire!
There is an endless list of great books that can assist you and inspire you in this process including the following:
Desert Gardening & Plants
Agaves: Living Sculptures for Landscapes and Containers. Greg Starr, 2012
Agaves, Yuccas, and Related Plants. Mary and Gary Irish, 2000
Arizona Gardener’s Guide. Mary Irish, 2002
Arizona Low Desert Flower Garden: A Seasonal Guide to Bloom, Height, Color, and Texture. Kirti Mathura, 2007
Chasing Wildflowers: A Mad Search for Wild Gardens. Scott Calhoun, 2007
Cool Plants for Hot Gardens: 200 Water-Smart Choices for the Southwest. Greg Starr, 2009
The Desert Gardener’s Calendar. George Brookbank, 1999
Desert Landscaping: How to Start and Maintain a Healthy Landscape in the Southwest. George Brookbank, 1992
Desert Landscaping for Beginners. Cathy Cromell, ed., 2001
Designer Plant Combinations, 105 Stunning Gardens Using Six Plants or Fewer. Scott Calhoun, 2008
Earth-Friendly Desert Gardening. Cathy Cromell, Jo Miller, and Lucy K. Bradley, 2003
The Gardener’s Guide to Cactus: The 100 Best Paddles, Barrels, Columns, and Globes. Scott Calhoun, 2012
Gardening in the Desert: A Guide to Plant Selection and Care. Mary Irish, 2000
The Hot Garden: Landscape Design for the Desert Southwest. Scott Calhoun, 2009
Hot Pots: Container Gardening in the Arid Southwest. Scott Calhoun and Lynn Hassler, 2009
How to Grow the Wildflowers. Eric Johnson and Scott Millard, 1993
Landscape Plants for Dry Regions. Warren Jones and Charles Sacamano, 2000
Month-By-Month Gardening in the Deserts of Arizona. Mary Irish, 2008
Native Plants for Southwestern Landscapes. Judy Mielke, 1993
Perennials for the Southwest: Plants that Flourish in Arid Gardens. Mary Irish, 2006
Plants for Dry Climates: How to Select, Grow, and Enjoy. Mary Rose Duffield and Warren Jones, 2001
The New Sunset Western Garden Book. Kathleen Norris Brenzel, ed., 2012
Trees and Shrubs for the Southwest: Woody Plants for Arid Gardens. Mary Irish, 2008
Yard Full of Sun: The Story of a Gardener’s Obsession That Got a Little Out of Hand. Scott Calhoun, 2005
Irrigation & Maintenance
Care of Desert-Adapted Plants. Della C. Fletcher and Patricia H. Waterfall, 1998
Pruning, Planting & Care: Plants for the Arid West. Eric A. Johnson and Scott Millard, 1996
Sprinklers & Drip Systems. Editors of Sunset Books, 2006
Rainwater Harvesting and Graywater
City of Tucson Residential Graywater Guide. Justin Cupp and C. Alan Nichols, 2011
Design for Water: Rainwater Harvesting, Stormwater Catchment, and Alternative Water Reuse. Heather Kinkade-Levario, 2007
Graywater Guidelines. Val L. Little, 2003
Harvesting Rainwater: Guide to Water-Efficient Landscaping. Patricia H. Waterfall and Christina Bickelmann, 2013
Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond (Vols. 1 second edition and 2). Brad Lancaster, 2013 and 2008
Free Publications Available from Most City Water Conservation Offices (partial list)
Good Reasons to Take Out Your Grass. Also online.
Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert: Guide to Growing More Than 200 Low-Water-Use Plants. Also online.
Landscape Watering by the Numbers: A Guide for the Arizona Desert. Also online.