Paradise by Design: Native Plants and the New American ... (ISBN 0865475199)

Amazon.com Review:
Like Phillips's previous book, Tracking the Vanishing Frogs, this series of essays on the moral issues relating to garden design explores the effects human interest has on the objects of its attention. Wild or native plant gardening is an increasingly popular trend, but its ramifications are not always the kind that logic might suggest. In using native plants, we hope to create ecologically sensible and appropriate gardens that are easy to care for. When the nursery industry responds with a furious backlash of recrimination, why are we surprised? Advocates for using as many regional natives as possible in public landscapes are accused of being plant nazis--and as it turns out, that appellation is occasionally correct. Nobody intended the native plant movement to trigger wholesale destruction of habitat in order to provide gardens with eco-cool plants, yet how many gardeners insist upon learning where their native plants really come from? Phillips's touch is light yet deft, and her reach is broad without losing focus. There is no strident anger here, but her interviews with botanists, horticulturists, designers, and gardeners address dozens of intriguing and complex issues. Few books this provocative are this fun to read. --Ann Lovejoy

The title of this book doesnýt match the contents.:
Or is it just a book that goes halfway? I liked Kathryn Phillips first book, Tracking the Vanishing Frogs: An Ecological Mystery. It had some great investigative storytelling and raised both interesting questions and thoughts. Unfortunately this new title is not as compelling a read. This book meanders and winds through three different landscape projects. The untitled chapters, sidetrack and discuss many issues, though few of the issues deal directly with native plants as the title and book flaps promise. It might have been better titled: `A day in the life of a Landscape Architect.' It is more about how we ended up making everything around us look the way it does, and the way the landscape industry forces its commerce on the land. While these issues have a relationship to the use of native plants in the landscape the author makes little attempt to connect the reasons. A large amount of the book spent on drawing plans, hardscapes, meeting logistics, and what car everyone drives. The loose structure made it difficult for me to understand why certain issues were being raised. It does address some interesting horticultural issues but really doesn't relate them to native plants. Lots of the issues it does raise for natives are the same for all plants. Most growers don't like slow growing plants, whether they are native or not. The few pages that do address native plants are interesting but don't add much depth. I feel this book doesn't really educate the value of native plants. Lack of scientific plant names adds to the feel of shallow content. The one time a plant is named by Genius species, it's incorrect (Page 210 - Stipa purpa should be Stipa pulchra.) Many other books have truly covered the issues of native plants in a more direct fashion. I would strongly recommend Sarah Stein's work (Noah's garden, Planting Noah's garden) if you're interested in native plants in your landscape. Also, Gardening With a Wild Heart : Restoring California's Native Landscapes at Home by Judith Larner Lowry. They both communicate more clearly the real value of a native landscape.

Perfect for people who always wonder why:
This book is for the intellectually curious gardener. Thought provoking. Should be on the reading list of native plant gardeners.

Day-in-the-Life book scores high marks:
I loved this book because it really offered insight into the life of a landscape architect. It showed well the struggles the architect must overcome but it also illustrates what we (who are entering this field) can expect to face. For me, it was a wonderful narrative in the "day-in-the-life" category and one of the best books I have ever read. I'm only sorry there aren't more like it.