Interest in growing native plants has burgeoned in recent years, especially with many more varieties of native plants being available in specialist and general nurseries. Gardeners are not only drawn to native plants for their beauty, but also because they attract birds and butterflies to their gardens and are the ideal plants for our warmer summers and drier conditions. The variety of Australian native plants is enormous, some 20,000 species. They are found in just about any situation, from deserts to rainforests to alpine regions. Many are tolerant of saline conditions, some of arid conditions, some make excellent windbreaks, some withstand pollution, others tolerate flooding and more. So it doesn't matter where you live, there is a wide selection to suit your conditions. You don't even need a garden, they can be successfully grown in pots on a balcony or patio. If you are thinking about starting a native garden, or perhaps you want to improve and change what you already have, then this book will help you to make the right choices. Part 1 gives you all the basic information, including choosing the correct plants, landscaping with natives, caring for them, taking cuttings, tackling problems, and much more. Part 2 is an extensive plant encyclopedia that covers all the main genera of Australian plants, their habits and cultivation requirements. The authors, John Mason and his colleagues at the Australian Horticultural Correspondence School, have written this book based on their wealth of knowledge and their years of experience in growing Australian native plants.