Stormscaping (Florida Gardening Series, Vol. 3)

Being new to central Florida, I bought a whole stack of books for learning how to garden in Zone 10 (totally new to me!). This one doesn't have as many beautiful pictures as some others, but it's packed with practical information, and every time I'm about to make a new addition to my garden, I refer back to this super reference book to make sure I'm not throwing my money away on something that'll be ripped out of the ground (and into my house or my neighbor's house) by hurricane winds. Easy to read, nicely organized. I like her other books on Florida gardening, too, but this is the one I must have on my own bookshelf!

I moved to Florida several years & had no clue as to what the dangers were from the trees on my property. In fact, had I known, I would not have purchased the house! I have had to replace my roof & lost much of my landscaping due to dangerous trees falling.In addition to identifying the scary ones, she lists other trees to plant that will be safe & beautiful.The information is detailed, thorough & clearly expressed.

Excellent guide to landscaping for minimal storm damage. Read it before the next hurricane and look up Florida Association of Native Nurseries online to find your nearest native plant source.

Got this book out of the Library and loved it so much I wanted a copy so bought this at a very reasonable price. Book was in very good condition and I am still enjoying it. Love all the pictures and information it has to offer.

very informative - wish I had it 10 years ago.

Stormscaping...Landscaping to Minimize Wind Damage in Florida By Pamela CrawfordHaving read and used Ms. Crawford's other books for successful gardening in Florida, I find that her new book, Stormscaping is chock full of valuable, detailed information for property owners who want to protect their buildings and landscaping from hurricane winds, as best they can. Photos bring reality to those who did not see the damage firsthand.Buy this book to study and use as a reference whether your landscaping is just being put in or is full of mature plantings. This book is not a quick read nor is it information that is available elsewhere. It should not be ignored. I'm sure it will save all us readers some heartache, as well as money, in the long run.Much of Crawford's information in her first two books comes from the experience of doing plant trials, dirty hands and all. She has a passion for collecting data, both scientific and episodic, from her own observations as well as others'. Her third book also was put together using Crawford's extensive knowledge and landscaping philosophy, which is to pick the right plants in the first place; those that are hardy and able to thrive despite all the climatic qualifications that hinder our ability to grow things where we live. Pruning, removing and staking all are options, and Crawford gives us other ideas to think about to keep our property and us safe.For Stormscaping, she exhaustively collected information from Extension agents, other government officials and master gardeners throughout Florida after four storms hit last year. She was able to produce this book for Florida landowners and those in other states where hurricanes occur, to use to prepare for future hurricane seasons. Kudos to Crawford and all who helped her get this information together for us in time for the 2005 season!I know which trees I need to have shaped, which ones that should come down, and what I'm planting next!

I've just received the copy of Pam Crawford's new book, StormScaping. It shows the overall effects of the 2004 Florida Hurricane season, and is chock full of photos of what got damaged and what made it through 4 hurricanes in 3 weeks. It also has strom maps, photso from previous storms, and an "encyclopedia" of plants, pro and con.It is a very useful and comprehensive document, and will prove very instructive to homeowners across Florida as they evaluate their Florida Yards and replant come spring.In other warm climates (Texas, Louisiana), homeowners may also find it useful as they assess their vulnerability to tropical storm impacts to landscapes.I am proud to have played as small part in its development - some of my photos are included - and very glad that Pam was able to get it out in such a timely manner.

This Hurricane Season, especially after experiencing Hurricane Charley's full furry on Pine Island, has only demonstrated some of the downfalls that we have had in our previous landscape plan. I am sure that we all realize that there are going to have to be changes made, but are at a loss to know where to start. Realizing this problem, Pamela Crawford has put all her energy is trying to solve this dilemma for us in her book Stormscaping. In this book she has enlisted the help of over 50 horticultural experts throughout the State to find out what worked and what didn't and why. She has taken the information that she collected and put it all into an easy to read and understand book. The book covers a multiple of questions that we all have encountered after these storms such as, understand the basics of the hurricane and designing our landscaping to minimize the wind damage to our homes. She answers the questions of why and what trees fall easily and what plants are more wind tolerant than others. She also has a chapter on how to care for the trees and plants that have been damaged from the storm.Living in Florida and especially on the West Coast of Florida, this is a "must have book" for my library. The information is there so that we can make intelligent decisions on our landscaping in order to protect us from the next storm. Hopeful this will never happen again, but "it is better to be safe that sorry" and be prepared just incase.Marjorie VanderKruikPast PresidentPine Island Garden Club