Gardening With Less Water – Low-Tech, Low-Cost Techniques – Use Up To 90% Less Water In Your Garden
By David A. Bainbridge
ISBN: 978-1-61212-582-4
Published by Storey Publishing

The author of Gardening With Less Water, David A. Bainbridge, has taken inspiration from a number of different irrigation techniques and methods that were used in ancient times; these historic techniques have formed the basis for David’s own research into the irrigation methods which feature in his book.  David has adapted irrigation techniques used by the Nabateans, an ancient Semitic people of the Middle East, whose clever rainwater harvesting techniques and floodwater farming initiatives enabled them to support flourishing cities and a create a strong economy in the dry Negev Desert.  David read about buried clay pot irrigation, another method he recommends, in a book that was written by Fan Shengzhi 2,000 years ago.  Fan had been hired by the emperor of China to help increase the harvests of farmers who had too little land and water.

Through reading Gardening With Less Water, you can learn about a variety of different super-efficient irrigation systems, and how best to use them as part of a water-wise balcony, garden, landscape or farm.  There’s no emphasis on spending money to achieve success, indeed, the author, David A. Bainbridge does all he can to offer cost effective solutions that can be used to help every community, even those with limited resources, all over the world.

I really enjoy, and appreciate, David A. Bainbridge’s desire to encourage his readers to share their newly discovered knowledge gained from reading this book and put systems in place to improve water collection, irrigation and use into every community.  I share the same enthusiasm, for sharing horticultural knowledge and information.

The author, David A. Bainbridge, briefly mentions using grey water, and he also makes references to using saline water in his book Gardening With Less Water, but these are purely references.  I felt that a devoted chapter, or section of the book, with tips and advice for using the many different types and purities of water – grey water, rainwater, tap water, saline water etc, would I feel, help this book be more useful to a greater number of readers.

In Gardening With Less Water, David A. Bainbridge conveys many methods, systems and ideas to help you deliver water directly to the roots of your plants, just when and where the water is needed, with little or no loss to evaporation.  These accurately targeted irrigation systems will allow water, soil amendments and fertiliser to be distributed directly where they will benefit the growing crops, rather than any weeds, and so will reduce the necessary workload and weeding that comes with above ground irrigation systems.  Gardeners and farmers will appreciate the time and energy they can save on watering, as well as the fact that some of the methods outlined, will provide water to their plants reliably, even when they’re unattended for several days at a time.

Gardening With Less Water features plans for irrigation systems for a patio garden, raised beds and a larger garden, these plans will help readers envisage their own irrigation system or systems.  Different considerations and implications are highlighted to help ensure the reader can make the best decisions or adaptations for their own set up.  David encourages the reader to factor in considerations such as the typical rainfall for the area, and how best to collect, store and use their water wisely.  The instructions on how to implement each irrigation method are clear and easy to understand, the author lists all of the materials required and gives full instructions as to how to implement them.

Readers may well opt to install a number of the irrigation systems recommended in this book with adaptions to meet their own needs.  The methods include solutions for irrigating trees and shrubs, as well as spreading crops, such a melons or pumpkins, row crops such as carrots, and container plants.

David A. Bainbridge describes irrigation methods that have resulted in an 83% improved corn harvest, where fruit trees have produced triple the amount of fruit, plantings where the water use was cut by 80%, and the fertiliser was reduced by 50% with no ill effects.  This together with crops that have matured earlier, were less susceptible to disease, and the creation of an opportunity for farmers to grow two harvests to fruition, within a season, instead of one, are all very persuasive reasons to read this book!  Reduced labour costs and energy, higher profits and better harvests are further reasons to read Gardening With Less Water.   Author David A. Bainbridge claims that you can double, quadruple, or even further increase your water-use efficiency, I am sure David will inspire all of his readers to do this, and to try the methods he outlines in his book.

I agree wholeheartedly with David A. Bainbridge – we all need to reduce our water use, make our food more sustainable, and restore degraded landscapes.   Water is such a precious resource.  Gardening With Less Water will help you to collect, conserve and use water wisely, to improve your garden, your harvest, and your quality of life.

Other links and articles that may interest you………………

To find out more about David A. Bainbridge’s book, Gardening With Less Water, please click here.

To read my book review of The Chinese Kitchen Garden by Wendy Kiang-Spray, please click here.

To read my review of Charles Dowding and Stephanie Hafferty’s book No Dig Organic Home & Garden, where you’ll also find how to purchase tickets for Charles Dowding’s talk in Surrey, in March 2018, please click here.

To read my review of Access Garden Products classic growhouses, please click here.

To read my review of Kathy Willis and Katie Scott’s book Botanicum, please click here.

To read my book review of Hedera The Complete Guide by Hugh McAllister and Rosalyn Marshall, please click here.

For ideas of long flowering container plants that will attract bees and butterflies to your garden, please click here.

For information and ideas on how you can help hedgehogs, please click here.

For information on beautiful places to see carpets of bluebells, please click here.

For information on important, historic and beautiful gardens to visit in Surrey, Hampshire and West Sussex, please click here.

For ideas of how to make gardening easier, please click here.

For ideas of natural ways to protect your plants from slugs and snails, please click here.

To read about growing gourmet vegetables, please click here.

Gardening With Less Water – Low-Tech, Low-Cost Techniques – Use Up To 90% Less Water In Your Garden
By David A. Bainbridge
ISBN: 978-1-61212-582-4
Published by Storey Publishing

The author of Gardening With Less Water, David A. Bainbridge, has taken inspiration from a number of different irrigation techniques and methods that were used in ancient times; these historic techniques have formed the basis for David’s own research into the irrigation methods which feature in his book.  David has adapted irrigation techniques used by the Nabateans, an ancient Semitic people of the Middle East, whose clever rainwater harvesting techniques and floodwater farming initiatives enabled them to support flourishing cities and a create a strong economy in the dry Negev Desert.  David read about buried clay pot irrigation, another method he recommends, in a book that was written by Fan Shengzhi 2,000 years ago.  Fan had been hired by the emperor of China to help increase the harvests of farmers who had too little land and water.

Through reading Gardening With Less Water, you can learn about a variety of different super-efficient irrigation systems, and how best to use them as part of a water-wise balcony, garden, landscape or farm.  There’s no emphasis on spending money to achieve success, indeed, the author, David A. Bainbridge does all he can to offer cost effective solutions that can be used to help every community, even those with limited resources, all over the world.

I really enjoy, and appreciate, David A. Bainbridge’s desire to encourage his readers to share their newly discovered knowledge gained from reading this book and put systems in place to improve water collection, irrigation and use into every community.  I share the same enthusiasm, for sharing horticultural knowledge and information.

The author, David A. Bainbridge, briefly mentions using grey water, and he also makes references to using saline water in his book Gardening With Less Water, but these are purely references.  I felt that a devoted chapter, or section of the book, with tips and advice for using the many different types and purities of water – grey water, rainwater, tap water, saline water etc, would I feel, help this book be more useful to a greater number of readers.

In Gardening With Less Water, David A. Bainbridge conveys many methods, systems and ideas to help you deliver water directly to the roots of your plants, just when and where the water is needed, with little or no loss to evaporation.  These accurately targeted irrigation systems will allow water, soil amendments and fertiliser to be distributed directly where they will benefit the growing crops, rather than any weeds, and so will reduce the necessary workload and weeding that comes with above ground irrigation systems.  Gardeners and farmers will appreciate the time and energy they can save on watering, as well as the fact that some of the methods outlined, will provide water to their plants reliably, even when they’re unattended for several days at a time.

Gardening With Less Water features plans for irrigation systems for a patio garden, raised beds and a larger garden, these plans will help readers envisage their own irrigation system or systems.  Different considerations and implications are highlighted to help ensure the reader can make the best decisions or adaptations for their own set up.  David encourages the reader to factor in considerations such as the typical rainfall for the area, and how best to collect, store and use their water wisely.  The instructions on how to implement each irrigation method are clear and easy to understand, the author lists all of the materials required and gives full instructions as to how to implement them.

Readers may well opt to install a number of the irrigation systems recommended in this book with adaptions to meet their own needs.  The methods include solutions for irrigating trees and shrubs, as well as spreading crops, such a melons or pumpkins, row crops such as carrots, and container plants.

David A. Bainbridge describes irrigation methods that have resulted in an 83% improved corn harvest, where fruit trees have produced triple the amount of fruit, plantings where the water use was cut by 80%, and the fertiliser was reduced by 50% with no ill effects.  This together with crops that have matured earlier, were less susceptible to disease, and the creation of an opportunity for farmers to grow two harvests to fruition, within a season, instead of one, are all very persuasive reasons to read this book!  Reduced labour costs and energy, higher profits and better harvests are further reasons to read Gardening With Less Water.   Author David A. Bainbridge claims that you can double, quadruple, or even further increase your water-use efficiency, I am sure David will inspire all of his readers to do this, and to try the methods he outlines in his book.

I agree wholeheartedly with David A. Bainbridge – we all need to reduce our water use, make our food more sustainable, and restore degraded landscapes.   Water is such a precious resource.  Gardening With Less Water will help you to collect, conserve and use water wisely, to improve your garden, your harvest, and your quality of life.

Other links and articles that may interest you………………

To find out more about David A. Bainbridge’s book, Gardening With Less Water, please click here.

To read my book review of The Chinese Kitchen Garden by Wendy Kiang-Spray, please click here.

To read my review of Charles Dowding and Stephanie Hafferty’s book No Dig Organic Home & Garden, where you’ll also find how to purchase tickets for Charles Dowding’s talk in Surrey, in March 2018, please click here.

To read my review of Access Garden Products classic growhouses, please click here.

To read my review of Kathy Willis and Katie Scott’s book Botanicum, please click here.

To read my book review of Hedera The Complete Guide by Hugh McAllister and Rosalyn Marshall, please click here.

For ideas of long flowering container plants that will attract bees and butterflies to your garden, please click here.

For information and ideas on how you can help hedgehogs, please click here.

For information on beautiful places to see carpets of bluebells, please click here.

For information on important, historic and beautiful gardens to visit in Surrey, Hampshire and West Sussex, please click here.

For ideas of how to make gardening easier, please click here.

For ideas of natural ways to protect your plants from slugs and snails, please click here.

To read about growing gourmet vegetables, please click here.