Owen E. Dell - Sustainable Landscaping For Dummies

Sustainable Landscaping For Dummies

by Owen E. Dell

Sustainable Landscaping For Dummies

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Copyright 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2008943498

ISBN: 9780470480601

Manufactured in the United States of America

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About the Author

Owen E. Dell

Owen Dell got his first serious exposure to landscaping in San Franciscos Golden Gate Park, where he spent his childhood afternoons gamboling about instead of doing his homework. After a brief career in electronics, which taught him where his affections really lay, he turned to horticulture. Two charismatic college botany professors opened his eyes to the wonders of nature. Class field trips made it clear that the gap between the way nature handled landscaping and the way people did was huge and that it was the people who needed help.

In 1971, Owen went on to start his own landscaping business, which was devoted to developing native-plant gardens for California homeowners. After a brief period of hauling rubbish and landscaping mobile homes, he found a niche for himself. As his career developed, his vision expanded, aided by a series of natural disasters that illuminated the need to make landscaping smarter, safer, and more environmentally friendly. Wildfires led Owen to become an expert in firescaping (a term he coined). Droughts taught him the value of water conservation. The impacts of fossil-fuel use led him to found the Fossil-Free Landscaping Group. Each catastrophe led to a wider vision of what landscaping could and should be.

Today, Owen is an internationally recognized and widely admired expert in sustainable landscaping. He has written numerous articles for Sunset Magazine, National Gardening Magazine, Southern California Gardener, Pacific Horticulture, and many others. Hes an international speaker who has presented hundreds of truly rousing lectures, classes, and workshops to homeowners and professionals. Owen is also the co-writer and co-host of the popular Santa Barbara, California, television series Garden Wise Guys (www.citytv18.com), a sustainable-landscaping sitcom. His other book, How to Start a Home-Based Landscaping Business (Globe Pequot), has helped thousands of budding professionals get a healthy start on their careers.

Owens work has been featured on HGTV, Peak Moment Television, and NBC and in The Wall Street Journal, Fortune magazine, Landscape Architecture Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, and many other publications. He has won numerous awards for his work.

In his spare time, Owen putters in his own garden, hangs out with his cats, spends quality time in wild places, cooks a mean meal from homegrown produce, and dabbles in political and social activism.

Visit Owens Web site at www.owendell.com.

Dedication

I dedicate this book to those who strive to make the world a better place by starting in their own backyards. What you do matters very much.

Authors Acknowledgments

Let me tell you about my neighbor. I dont want to assume hes eager to see his name in a book, so Ill call him Jack. Hes lived in his house for nearly 40 years. He has the same furniture as when he moved in. The same Harvest Gold appliances. The same dial phone. The same 1967 car. And yes, the same landscaping. Far as I can tell, Jack buys food and occasionally some clothing. Hes not poor; he just likes to live simply. When I think about how much stuff Ive gone through in that time, Im truly humbled. True, his stuff is not environmentally cool. His car pollutes more than my Prius, and his appliances dont have Energy Star labels. But when you look at the overall impact of our lives, I bet his footprint is way smaller than mine. Jack is the most sustainable person I know, but he doesnt see himself that way. Hes my hero, but he doesnt know it. Hes just a guy living his life, but he has inspired me to do better, and that inspiration led, in part, to this book. Thanks, Jack, for keeping me honest. Youre the best neighbor a person could have.