Recommended Reading 

A FIELD GUIDE to the PLANTS of ARIZONA. 
Anne Orth Epple, Falcon Press Publishing Co., Inc., 1995. Over 900 full-color photographs and descriptive text, which includes growing elevation, habitat, bloom period, ethnobotanical uses, and history of the plants.

CARE of DESERT ADAPTED PLANTS     
Della C. Fletcher, Patricia H. Waterfall, AZ1048 Cooperative Extension College of Agriculture
Twenty page booklet covering Plant Selection at the Nursery; Planting Technique; Tree staking; Irrigation Practices; Pruning; Fertilizers; Mulches; Weed Control and Insect/Disease Control.

DESERT GARDENING for BEGINNERS   
Cathy Cromell, Linda A. Guy, Lucy K. Bradley, Arizona Master Gardener Press.
How to grow Vegetables, Flowers, and Herbs in an Arid Climate.

DESERT LANDSCAPING - Plants For A Water-Scarce Environment - CD-ROM. Water Resources Research Center of the College of Agriculture at the University of Arizona. This CD-ROM is filled with over 1,500 color photographs of plants and landscapes and contains a database of information on 600 low-water plants. It also contains landscaping and Xeriscape tips, a comprehensive bibliography of books on drought-tolerant plants, and a challenging plant trivia game.

DRIP IRRIGATION for every landscape and all climates. 
Robert Kourik, Metamorphic Press, 1992. Straight talk (no technical jargon!) on how to plan, install, and maintain a drip irrigation system. Wonderful line drawings and well written for the novice or expert.

FEAR FALLS AWAY and other essays from hard and rocky places. 
Janice Emily Bowers, The University of Arizona Press, 1997. Janice tells of her adventures of hiking in the desert mountain regions which includes five chapters on the Huachuca Mountains.

GARDENING SUCCESS with DIFFICULT SOILS.  
Scott Ogden, Taylor Publishing Company, 1992. Instead of cursing the soil of Cochise County, gardeners can reap it's blessings as they recognize it composition, needs, nutrients, and the many native and exotic adaptive plants that can grow in it. This book covers many topics to include lime-tolerant plants, plants for heavy, wet clay soils, plants for dry banks and chalk gardens, heat loving plants, wildlife plants, and fruits and vegetables for limey ground.

GROWING DESERT PLANTS from Windowsill to Garden.  
Theodore B. Hodoba, Red Crane Books, 1995. If you are interested in growing desert plants from seed or by propagation, then check this one out. Seven chapters and two appendixes that include places to visit for viewing southwestern plants, mail-order sources for seeds and plants, and beautiful line drawings by Mimi Kamp of Bisbee.

INSECTS of the SOUTHWEST. 
Floyd Werner, Ph.D. and Carl Olson, M.S., Fisher Books, 1994. Eight chapters of creepy insects. Great drawings and no nonsense text tell you everything you want to know (or not want to know) about southwest insects.

LIFE in a SMALL PLACE and other essays from a desert garden. 
Janice Emily Bowers, The University of Arizona Press, 1993. This summer when it's too hot to work in the garden, curl up next to the swamp box with this wonderful book. Janice, who lives in Tucson, wrote 16 essays about her garden that will make you laugh, cry, and perhaps change the way you look at your garden and the world.

NATIVE PLANTS for SOUTHWESTERN LANDSCAPES. 
Judy Mielke, University of Texas Press, 1993. Complete plant descriptions to include native distribution, culture, and landscape use. Excellent color photographs often with close-up insets of flowers or leaf structure. Other features include a color map of the three desert regions and their profiles, a plant selection guide, and a list of public gardens that showcase native plants. This is a must have book for the garden library, considered by many gardeners as the "Native Plant Bible."

PLANTS for DRY CLIMATES. 
Mary Rose Duffield & Warren D. Jones, HPBooks. Over 300 low-water plants listed. Detailed information on growth, uses, disadvantages, and specific maintenance, temperature, exposure, and soil needs.

PLANTS for NATURAL GARDENS.
NATURAL by DESIGN. 
Judith Phillips, Museum of New Mexico Press, 1995. Can be purchased separately or as a beautifully boxed companion set. Plants for Natural Gardens showcases over 180 plants native to the high desert. Highlight is the propagation technique for each plant. Natural by Design teaches the principles of design, planting, and maintenance.

PRUNING, PLANTING & CARE: How to Grow More Than 300 Native and Adapted Trees, Shrubs, Ground Covers, Vines and Flowers. 
Eric A. Johnson, Ironwood Press, 1997. A must have comprehensive book that covers all aspects on how to maintain a beautiful garden in the Southwest. Colored pictures and detailed illustrations that explain pruning, planting, fertilizing, watering, mulching, pests, diseases and more.

Sunset Western Garden Book  

Sunset Western Garden Problem Solver