Environmental Horticulture|Book Review

Book review by Joanna Łaska A Book Review of Environmental Horticulture : Science and Management of Green Landscapes, by Ross W.F. Cameron and James D. Hitchmough Being eco-friendly has become a trend in recent years. Everybody from architects to managers to parents are now being widely educated by the media about the importance of being environmentally friendly. In turn, we are all thinking more about the impact our actions can have on the environment, both locally and globally. Still, even as we become more aware of our green footprint, recycling, and rational usage of materials, we are still missing something.

Our green spaces are shrinking. Our parks are getting smaller, due to the high demand for building areas. Our gardens have more concrete and plastic than grass. And our streets are often completely devoid of greenery. We aren’t thinking enough about horticulture when it comes to planning our outdoor spaces. Get it HERE!

Environmental Horticulture: Science and Management of Green Landscapes

When we talk about horticulture, we think of vegetable and medicinal plants. But in reality, there’s much more to the topic than just food and herbs. The book “Environmental Horticulture — Science and Management of Green Landscapes” changes our mindset on the topic completely, giving us a wide variety of examples of horticultural science being used in everyday life. The book provides us with plentiful ideas about how to use horticultural knowledge in landscape planning to make our lives much more comfortable, natural, and … green.

The book is a must-have not only for landscape architects, but also for students and anyone else who has ever had a flowerpot in their homes. It’s a perfect book for each and every one of us, as it gives us the overall knowledge of how to give our plants a different, never-to-be-thought-before meaning. This guide helps us better understand the natural world around us and helps us comprehend the life of plants in such a way that we can respect it better and make a better use of it for the future. This guide is a step-by-step guide to a better understanding of plants from all around the world. From basic definitions to more complex diagrams, we can become experts on horticulture and rational landscape design just by reading this book. From the very first page, we are faced with the importance of horticulture and vegetation within urban spaces. What are the benefits of vegetation in cities? They include:

• Reducing urban air temperatures
• Lowering the surface temperature of buildings
• Improving air quality
• Deactivating chemical compounds
• Reducing water runoff
• Regulating water flow and providing potential water storage
• Providing a natural wind barrier
• Providing habitat and food for fauna
• Enhancing human life on countless levels

What is the key feature of the book? The book focuses on providing a general idea of the importance of vegetation, not only in our urban spaces, but also in our homes. It thoroughly covers two main aspects of horticultural science: the positive benefits of horticulture and the conservation of biodiversity in our environment. What’s more, there’s a whole chapter dedicated solely to green walls, green roofs, and rain gardens, making this book the ultimate guide to eco-friendly living for everybody. Why should you read the book? This book covers the topic of horticulture in a way that allows everybody to find a topic that is relevant and interesting. Not only is it packed with useful definitions — enriching our professional vocabulary — but it is also full of colorful, eye-pleasing pictures depicting the plants used in cities. This is NOT yet another boring student’s book where we’re being presented with dry theory and no practical tips. It is a perfect book for everybody — for professionals and students equally, as each topic is elegantly elaborated upon, making us feel as if the authors are speaking directly to us. Each and every chapter is formatted in such a way so that the text doesn’t become overwhelming. The text-to-picture ratio is proportional, making reading the book a pure pleasure. Get it HERE! Graphic elements tie everything together The book provides the reader with plentiful diagrams and charts representing the data mentioned in the text, making understanding the book easy as a pie. What’s more, the book offers a wide range of tables depicting jts most important aspects, such as the plant names, benefits, and drawbacks of various processes. This makes it easier for the reader to remember everything. Such an excellent and smart feature helps us soak in the information as we read it. For anyone who’s ever thought of learning more about the flora world around us — or those who want to enrich their vocabulary or find some extraordinary solutions for their work design, school project, or even a balcony planting scheme — the book “Environmental Horticulture — Science and Management of Green Landscapes” is the perfect resource. Get it HERE! This book inspires us to learn even more about the topic of horticulture and its importance to the wellbeing of our environment and of us — the people. Personally, as a landscape architect, I can tell you that the book is definitely one of the best I’ve ever read. It helped me to understand the way plants function and how important it is to change our view of horticulture. Without this book, I would never have been able to fully understand the need to change my thinking about vegetation in my area. Without this book and the guidelines it sets for us and the future planning of urban spaces, we would never be able to start planning sustainable cities for all the flora, the fauna, and the people. So, when are you going to get your copy?

Pick up your copy of Environmental Horticulture: Science and Management of Green Landscapes today!

Book review by Joanna Łaska

Published in Blog