From composting and mulching to planting trees and selecting your tools, Vincent Simeone covers all the eco-friendly essentials of maximizing your garden's potential in this straightforward handbook. Simeone makes the what, how, and why of sustainable gardening clear: why we should plant for the long-term, how to make the best plant selections possible, managing invasive species, the importance of IPM (integrated pest management), how to conserve water with proper irrigation, and installing rain barrels and cisterns. The book also includes an illustrated guide to the trees, shrubs, cultivars, and herbaceous plants that will best benefit the gardener.