Today on my Internet radio program – “Stories & Sustainability” – which has now gone from a weekly program to a monthly program, I spoke to the authors of one of the best books on sustainability that I’ve seen.
The book is called Sustainable Gardens. And the authors are Rob Cross and Roger Spencer who are both long time staff members with the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne.
If I was still teaching sustainability subjects I would certainly has set this as required reading. But don’t let that frighten you off if you’re not at all academically inclined. Because the book is written in very easy to read and understand language, and one of the very best features that I did continue to rave about on-air are the diagrammatic, pictorial, illustrations.
It’s also filled with great photos, but it’s the diagrammatic illustrations that REALLY grabbed me. The illustrations that I’m referring to clearly show, in picture form, how the main systems affecting the earth work.
The 5 main categories covered are: (1) energy from the sun and emissions, (2) water, (3) materials such as waste products, (5) food, and (5) biodiversity/ecology. And for each of these categories you’ll find a pictorial diagram complete with arrows and explanations so that if you did no more than just look at those pictures you’d have a very good idea of how all of the main systems on the planet works.
And with that background understanding it goes into the 3 main elements of a good sustainable garden – (1) Design, (2) Construction, (3) Maintenance.
This is a book that is perfect for such a broad range of people including a back yard gardener, professional or council gardener, anyone who wants to learn more about sustainability and how the planet works from an environmental perspective, right through to students at any level – prep school to university.
The book is published in Australia by CSIRO publishing (2009) and is available at a special discounted price during 2009 on the web at Australia: CSIRO Publishing http://www.publish.csiro.au/pid/5956.htm
