This is Part 2 in a series of resources in Ecosystem Gardening. See Part 1: Sustainability. Managing rainwater where it falls keeps it out of the stormwater system and prevents flooding and soil erosion. The following references will provide you with many ideas for managing rainwater in your garden.
Rain Gardens: Managing Water Sustainably in the Garden and Designed Landscape, by Nigel Dunnett and Andy Clayden. This book contains beautifully photographed examples of rain gardens in practice. Rain gardens encompass all possible elements that can be used to capture, channel, divert and make the most of the rain and snow that fall on a property. Using the innovative and attractive approaches described here, it is possible to enhance outdoor spaces and minimize the damaging effects of drought, stormwater runoff, and other environmental challenges. Nigel Dunnett & Andy Clayden have created a comprehensive guide to water management techniques for the garden and built environment. Filled with practical, manageable solutions for small and large-scale implementations and utilizing authoritative research with state-of-the-art case studies from all over the world, Rain Gardens is the first book on sustainable water management schemes suitable for students and professionals.
Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls, by Nigel Dunnett and Noel Kingsbury. This book is full of beautiful photographs of green roofs and living walls which the gardener can use as examples for their own projects. Green roofs and walls reduce pollution and runoff, help insulate and reduce the maintenance needs of buildings, contribute to biodiversity, and provide habitats for wildlife. In addition to all this, they are attractive to look at and enhance the quality of life of residents. The authors describe and illustrate the practical techniques required to design, implement, and maintain a green roof or wall to the highest standards. This informative, up-to-the-minute reference will encourage gardeners everywhere to consider the enormous benefits to be gained from planting on their roofs and walls.
Green Roofs: Ecological Design And Construction, by the Earth Pledge Foundation. — Cooling cities — Reducing energy demand — Containing water runoff — Preserving wildlife habitat — Enhancing urban well-being These are a few of the many reasons why green roofs are sprouting in cities around the world. Examine possibilities for city-wide green roof development through 335 color photographs, 40 case studies of exemplary green roof building projects, and 7 municipal case studies describing green roofs in Berlin, Tokyo, London, Portland, Chicago, Toronto, and New York. This book details the ecological benefits, technical requirements, architectural history, and design possibilities of vegetated rooftops. Green Roofs: Ecological Design and Construction will inform and inspire communities, designers, building owners, and local leaders by showcasing the environmental and aesthetic potential of green roofs around the world. William McDonough, an architect and leader of the sustainable development movement, provides an opening essay that considers green roofs as part of a larger project to harmonize the natural and built environments.
Design for Water: Rainwater Harvesting, Stormwater Catchment, and Alternate Water Reuse, by Heather Kinkade-Levario. In an era of dwindling resources, water is poised to become the new oil. The entire world now faces the reality of a decreasing supply of clean water. To avert a devastating shortage, we must not only look at alternate water sources for existing structures but must plan our new developments differently. Design for Water is an accessible and clearly written guide to alternate water collection, with a focus on rainwater harvesting in the urban environment. All aspects of rainwater harvesting are outlined, including passive and active system setup, storage, storm water reuse, distribution, purification, analysis, and filtration. There is even a section on rainwater harvesting for wildlife.
The New Create an Oasis with Greywater: Choosing, Building and Using Greywater Systems – Includes Branched Drains, by Art Ludwig. Excellent guide to the installation of greywater systems for water conservation. Create an Oasis describes how to quickly and easily choose, build, and use a simple greywater system. Some can be completed in an afternoon for under $30. It also provides complete instructions for more complex installations, how to deal with freezing, flooding, drought, failing septics, low perk soil, non-industrialized world conditions, coordinating a team of professionals to get optimum results on high-end projects, and “radical plumbing” that uses 90% less resources.
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