Most landscape manuals describe a linear sequence of processes: design, plant selection, installation, and ongoing maintenance. Integrated Landscaping is different. It uses natural ecosystems as models, taking a nonlinear, holistic approach that addresses these processes simultaneously. Integrated Landscaping treats each site as a system of plant and animal communities, considering their interrelationships with each other and their environment.

Integrated Landscaping: Following Nature's Lead is a valuable resource for anyone concerned with helping to shape the landscape we all share. When we see ourselves as part of the whole, we can see that what we do in places where we live, work, and play has a ripple effect far beyond the space each of us calls home.

LAUREN CHASE-ROWELL is a landscape designer and permaculturist. MARY TEBO DAVIS is University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension's community forestry educator. KATHERINE HARTNETT is a geographer and advocate for low-impact living. MARILYN WYZGA is a professional artist and teaching naturalist.