September 24, 2012

Lawn Gone! Low-Maintenance, Sustainable, Attractive Alternatives for Your Yard, an Amazon bestseller for 9 years, is available everywhere books are sold.

Lawn Gone! is an essential guide to low-water, easy-care lawn alternatives for beginning gardeners and anyone concerned about the environmental costs of maintaining a lawn. Filled with how-to information, design ideas, and inspirational photographs, it covers all the available options: ecological lawns, ornamental grasses, ground-covering plants, small shrubs and perennials, artificial turf, "people places" like patios and paths, and more. In addition, it includes step-by-step lawn-removal methods, strategies for dealing with HOAs and lawn-loving neighbors, and practical ways to reduce your lawn if you're not ready to go all the way. Regional plant recommendations from 11 garden experts across the U.S. make up a valuable resource for gardeners everywhere. Lawn Gone! will show you how easy it is to ditch the lawn and create an enjoyable, earth-friendly landscape for your home.

Like Lawn Gone! on Facebook to get links to inspiring articles about lawn alternatives. Want Lawn Gone! set to music? Click on the Play arrow below to watch a fun, 60-second book trailer!

Reviews

"Whether you have a green or a black thumb, you will find this book loaded with inspiration."
--Phoenix Home & Garden, September 2013

A "Books We Love" selection
--Birds & Blooms magazine, April/May 2013

Lawn Gone!'s "soup-to-nuts approach, inspiring photos and emphasis on DIY solutions make it a must-have for anyone considering reducing or eliminating lawn."
--Susan Morrison, Lawn Reform Coalition, April 15, 2013

"If this is the year you reduce your lawn footprint or get rid of it altogether, an excellent guide is Pam Penick's Lawn Gone!."
--The Dallas Morning News, March 14, 2013

"[Penick's] optimistic tone is perfect for this well-written, informative book that sounds a clarion call for the non-lawn trend."
--The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, OH, February 21, 2013

"Whatever your experience level, climate, lifestyle or needs, Penick has solutions. She provides a gorgeous variety of options and inspirations."
-- BookPage, Feb 2013

"Mow into [this] book."
-- The American Gardener, Jan/Feb 2013

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Advance Praise

"This thoughtful, inviting, and thoroughly useful book should be required for every new homeowner at closing. It has the power to transform residential landscapes from coast to coast and change the world we all share."

-- Lauren Springer Ogden, garden designer, author of The Undaunted Garden, coauthor of Plant-Driven Design and Waterwise Plants for Sustainable Gardens

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“With beautiful photographs and down-to-earth advice, Pam Penick has created the ultimate guide to replacing a lawn with a more natural and inviting landscape. Lawn Gone! will inspire you to turn your front yard from lawn into luscious.”

-- Amy Stewart, author of Wicked Plants and Flower Confidential

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“If you’ve been hesitating to remove and replace your lawn, you'll find this book reassuring, helpful and chock full of great ideas. The concept of lawns as part of the American Dream originated in England. Isn’t it time we declared our independence from water waste, toxic runoff, mowing and dethatching? Pam Penick shows beyond-the-lawn ideas for lovely, low-maintenance outdoor living areas. Thanks to this book, lawn mowers may become early-21st-century artifacts our grandkids puzzle over.”

-- Debra Lee Baldwin, author of Designing with Succulents

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“With Lawn Gone! Pam Penick adds her thoughtful voice to a growing chorus compelling us to limit the size and environmental cost of that sacrosanct icon of suburban life, the American lawn. She not only dares to suggest forgoing a lawn altogether; with beautiful images and practical advice, she shows us just how to do it, even when the neighbors raise an eyebrow. The power of Pam’s argument comes through inspiration: she presents so many beautiful alternatives to lawns that readers will likely be picking up shovels and tearing through turf before finishing her last page.”

-- Scott Ogden, coauthor of Waterwise Plants for Sustainable Gardens and Plant-Driven Design

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“The great American lawn is ubiquitous, but it’s not right for everyone. Lawn Gone! is a must-read for those considering downsizing or eliminating their lawns in favor of a tastier mix of low-maintenance flowers, shrubs, ground covers, native plants, and paved or mulched areas. Pam’s detailed information and common-sense advice gives you the confidence that you can do it.”

-- Steve Bender, Southern Living magazine

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“In Lawn Gone! Pam Penick presents lawn alternatives for parts of the country beyond her home turf (or lack of turf!) in Austin, Texas, in a cleanly presented, informative style. A great resource for anyone considering giving up the lawn in favor of something more interesting and dynamic.”

-- Scott Calhoun, author of Yard Full of Sun, The Hot Garden, and The Gardener’s Guide to Cactus