Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

every gardener should have this
I have been gardening with perennials for years
but I've learned so many new methods from this book
I couldn't put it down. great money saving ideas
I have read it cover to cover

Great for the beginner
This book offers lots of helpful tips for the beginning gardener.The author includes many practical ideas for everything from planning and preparing the soil to dealing with common problems.The book also includes a number of his "famous" recipes for a variety of uses in your garden. ... Read more

Product Description
Ensure the health and beauty of your perennial garden and more than 200 individual perennial plants with the expert advice in Ortho’s All About Successful Perennial Gardening, published by Meredith (R) Books. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Perennials
I learned exactly how to help my perennials with "All About Successful Perennial Gardening".From groundwork and plant selection to deadheading and dividing.The pictures are detailed & I've learned some professional techniques. ... Read more

Product Description
Let the editors from Rodale Organic Gardening-- the world's leading authority on organic techniques-- show you how to choose the right perennials for your site, use perennials to accent your gardens and landscapes, fight pests, and provide the best care to create beautiful flowerbeds without using chemicals.
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Customer Reviews (1)

Exactly What I Needed!
This gardening book is exactly what the beginning gardener needs to plan their garden.It is beautifully illustrated, with photos of each type of perennial, and detailed descriptions of each.The information provided isextremely helpful, since it includes ideal climate, growing guidelines,height and spread.

I found myself browsing through this book for hoursreading about the different plants that were appealing to my eye.Armedwith this book, I can now go to my local garden center and select exactlywhat I want instead of wandering around for hours not knowing what tochoose for my yard! I highly recommend this book to any gardener, beginneror not, who wants a good reference guide to perennials.Happy gardening! ... Read more

Product Description

Gardeners everywhere want to grow perennials. But with its hot, humid summers and often bitterly cold winters, the Midwest presents a formidably challenging climate. This book provides concise, experience-tested information about popular perennials-including herbs, ornamental grasses, and bulbs-that can be grown successfully throughout a wide range of the midwestern United States (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin). From the unusual yellow-edged, mahogany-red, disk-shaped flowers of Mexican hat (Ratibida columnifera) to the demure charm of blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium), beautifully illustrated descriptions also tantalize with perennials that deserve wider appreciation for their superb garden qualities.In all, more than 400 plants are recommended, grouped into 140 main descriptions arranged alphabetically by botanical name. Each entry gives the plant's common name and describes its flowers, leaves, habit, soil and sun or shade requirements, propagation, insect and disease problems, outstanding cultivars and similar species, recommendations on where to use it, and other plants that will complement it. An easy-to-use box at the beginning of each description summarizes key characteristics.Native midwesterner Anthony Kahtz holds a Ph.D. in horticulture from the University of Illinois. His plant selections are based on his many years of professional and personal experience and represent perennials noteworthy both for their ornamental features and for the ease with which they can be grown. This trustworthy guide will be an indispensable aid to gardeners in America's heartland who seek to make their time in the garden easier and more fun.

Customer Reviews (3)

Perennials for Midwest
This book is impressive.The pictures and descriptions are great and very informative.It has given me lots of ideas for next year.

Perennials for the Midwest Garden
The book is exactly what I was expecting and am delighted with the photos.A great reference guide for our growing area.

A profile of more than 400 plants recommended for the Midwestern American climate
Professional horticulturalist Anthony W. Kahtz presents Perennials for Midwestern Gardens: Proven Plants for the Heartland, a profile of more than 400 plants recommended for the Midwestern American climate, known for its unforgivingly hot and humid summers paired with brutally cold winters. Each entry gives the plant's common name and describes its flowers, leaves, habit, soil/sun/shade requirements, propagation, insect or disease problems, recommendations on where to use it and which plants complement it, and much more. Captivating color photography on virtually every page rounds out this superb reference for selecting garden plants that can thrive in the Midwest. ... Read more

Product Description
There are hundreds of perennials and grasses available to gardeners - how can they know whether or not they’re making the right choice? In Bloom’s Best Perennials and Grasses, Adrian Bloom distills his years of experience as a nurseryman and gardener into 250 reliable choices that are beautiful, easy to maintain, and provide year-round interest.

Detailed descriptions feature information on growth, care, and design tips for use in gardens of all sizes. Bloom shows the reader how to design and plant well structured borders that feature perennials and grasses with a mix of other plants playing supporting roles. He also shares his trademark “river of plants” design style that dramatically features the beauty of a plant throughout its life.
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Customer Reviews (5)

A Cornucopia of Flowering Ideas
One of the best aspects of a perennial garden is its ability to thrill us with a cornucopia of blooms with very little additional effort on our part.Adrian Bloom shows gardeners how to create outdoor "rooms" of flowering drama, highlighted by bursts of color, texture and height certain to thrill even the casual observer.

Using the "sacred twelve plants", such as black mondo grass, hosta Francee, geranium Rozanne, bugbane, silver grass and crocosmia Lucifer, for example, the author showcases a host of appealing gardening options.Whether one has a small plot of land or acres of private sanctuary, this book will help any gardener make the most of it.

flower power
I recently heard Adrian Bloom speak and was intrigued by his wonderful color combinations. This is a great book with absolutely wonderful pictures and explanations of 400 garden worthy perennials and grasses. He also has a section on his 12 favorite plants that one could use for their entire garden.The book explains where each plant originated,soil preferences and watering needs.The photos show some of the plants at various times of the year so one can see how they can add interest to the garden during different seasons.This author was the past owner of Blooms of Bressingham and his comments make this an enjoyable read along with a gorgeous and informative book. I intend to plant an area with a wave of summer color for next year.

Good New Perennial Book
Adrian Bloom is the son of Alan Bloom, the plantsman who started Blooms of Bressingham, the noted plant breeders and nursery. Plants are in his blood.

The book is many things: it's a basic manual on perennial care; it tells you how to choose plants that will do well in your area (hint: choose one's that originated in a similar climate & soil); it gives you design ideas; it lists his 12 best plants; it's a grass/perennial encyclopedia, and it lists plants for special conditions-wet, dry, shady, etc. If you're just beginning with perennial gardening, this might be a good book to start with, right up there with Cox's "Perennial Garden". If you've been gardening with perennials for a number of years, you might not find any surprises- I only found one new plant that I must have. But that's not surprising: he lists only plants that have been around long enough to prove their worth. The latest salvia might be beautiful, but it might be floppsy, spew seedlings everywhere, or be a weak grower. The plants that Bloom lists are proven winners, provided you give them the soil and exposure he recommends. And that's another thing- all the plants he lists are low maintenance.
While I like most of his plant selections (I already have most of the ones that will grow in zone 4), I'm not overly fond of his designs. They are good designs, but he uses grasses with a heavier hand than I care for, and he uses much more yellow and orange than I would. On the other hand, his gardens are designed to give multi-season interest, rather than be gorgeous for one week in June and then be spent.

Recommended.

Photos of the perennials and grasses for this millenium
We have here photos of Foggy Bottom and The Bressingham Gardens in Norfolk UK.
Plenty of wonderful photos of perennials and grasses fill this new book. Whilst I personally did not discover anything new in the perennials and grasses depicted there, it was interested to see plants so well grown. The photo of aster frikartii 'Monch' was a delight to set eyes upon. Lots of the perennials mentioned were bred or release from Bloom's nursery, over the years. It would have been nice to see salvia 'Caradonna' and the new weird border phloxes in the photos as well as the new coloured echinaceas. A good book to look at and great to see the plants in the photos identified botanically not common names.Enjoy.

Reliable Mentor, Reliable Plants.
At last, a book for gardeners who are overwhelmed by the huge size of iconic estates, when they study them for design inspiration. Adrian Bloom understands the predicament; he is a reliable mentor for the do-it-yourself gardener. In this book, he acknowledges that it is impossible to scale down an estate garden to fit a suburban plot or to copy a prairie, meadow, or wildflower garden in a small garden space. Instead, Mr. Bloom advises readers to use the famous gardens only as a source of learning for plant use and combinations. His publication contains a wealth of illustrations that demonstrate how one can create lush gardens of any size while using a select, predetermined group of perennials and grasses.

The author' premise is that gardeners should work only with reliable plants. One is grateful to Mr. Bloom for sifting through over 8,000 species and cultivars of perennials and ornamental grasses to create a collection of 400 plants, which he then distills down into 12 essential ones. All recommended plants have proven to be timeless, best performing, and reliable in both the UK and the USA.

The reader is also encouraged to include woody plants and shrubs into landscapes, to enhance the garden with year round visual interest. According to the author, these plants are critical to the success of a garden, because they supply continuity, formality, focal points, and backgrounds; they balance out the seasonal transformations that perennials and grasses display.

To say that this book is lavishly illustrated is to beat an old metaphor to death; but that is exactly what the author has done. Image after image of successful, easy to copy, plant compositions fill each page. By including images of plant combinations in realistic settings, and by giving us not one but two and sometimes three garden designs to a page, the author has created a publication that one might call a page turner, because each image is more inspiring than the one that precedes it.

The book divides conveniently into six segments: five chapters plus an in-depth directory of plants that surpasses the combined previous five chapters in size. The first chapter illustrates the author's main theme that plants need shrubs to enhance them. Chapter 2 is a pictorial essay on how a combination of both perennials and grasses enhance gardens. Because the choice of plants can be overwhelming, in Chapter 3 the author narrows down the vast number of plants to twelve. Chapter 4 deals with the history, origin, and growing conditions of plants because the author believes that understanding what a plant needs is essential to achieving success. Chapter 5 discusses the systematic process to follow in creating and maintaining a garden. Finally, the book ends with a plant directory that is a cornucopia of information about four hundred reliable plants, a feature that happens to be this reviewer's favorite section. The photos are beautiful and inspiring, the information is clear and interesting, and the advice is timeless.

Adrian Bloom has accumulated over a half century of experience as a nurseryman and hands-on gardener. He is past owner of the world-renowned Blooms of Bressingham nursery in the UK, and appeared on the television program BBC Gardening World. He is also the recipient of the Victorian Medal of Honor from The Royal Horticultural Society. In America, Mr. Bloom appeared on the PBS television program The Victory Garden and received a Medal of Honor from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.

The author belongs to a new generation of horticulturalists who have embraced a style of modernity in the garden that is neither cold nor minimalist. All of the images that Mr. Bloom has collected for this publication have a lush meadow spirit where ornamental grasses are abundant among the perennials. What sets these gardens apart, from traditional romantic ones, is the luminosity captured in the grass plumes, the rich, bold, and earthy colors of the flowers, and the sensuous textures of the foliage. Readers, who are looking for design elements that are both contemporary and warm, will be inspired by the forward-looking garden ideas in this book. The plants suggested may be traditional but the gardens are not.



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Product Description
Annuals are experiencing a resurgence, as today’s gardeners demand a wider variety of options in plant selection. No longer confined to monotone bedding plants, dozens of "unusual" annuals are now available at garden centers in colors and forms far removed from the classic annual bed of pink petunias or red geraniums.

In the tradition of his classic Herbaceous Perennial Plants, Allan M. Armitage has compiled descriptions and assessments of 245 genera of true annuals as well as plants that behave like annuals in USDA zones 1-7. Focusing on identifying the plants, successful culture, and their primary garden attributes, Armitage discusses 279 species in detail and summarizes the distinguishing features of hundreds of cultivars, many of which he has tested himself. Classics like begonias and pelargoniums are juxtaposed with newcomers from Australia, and all are subject to Armitage’s critical eye. Color photos and line drawings illustrate the text, and he suggests additional reading in books, articles, and Web sites for many of the covered genera.

Armitage bases his descriptions on extensive personal experience. His frank and conversational style keeps potentially dry details fresh, and each entry is liberally sprinkled with strong and sometimes amusing opinions ("Triphylla Hybrids… should be actively sought out if you have grown dead fuchsias in the past."). Useful lists in the appendix are further evidence of his expertise, as he compiles biennials, half-hardy perennials, winter annuals, shade-tolerant plants, fragrant plants, climbing plants, and everlastings. These lists extend the volume’s application beyond a necessary tool for horticulturists and nurserymen to a practical guide for the dedicated home gardener. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Which is it? Annual, Perennial or Biennial
Excellent book in so many ways, but not every entry indicated what the plant type was--annual, biennial, or half-hardy perennial.Consequently, it was not as useful to me in doing a presentation on annuals!

Great book - lots of good information
My son used this book for his class Herbaceous Landscapes at University of Delaware.He is so turned on by the information in this book.There are great reference pictures and even though the class has ended, he refers to the book quite often.Found it to be very useful!

It doesn't get any better than a reference book by Allan Armitage
Armitage is #1 when it comes to bedding and garden plants, and this book shows it. His manual is a top-notch resource and includes his own personal insights into each plant. Unlike other references that are boring and dry, Armitage makes the material spring to life!

The line drawings in this book are spectacular as well, and the middle of the book includes several pages of full-color photographs. Very professional and highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
• The most comprehensive guide covering all aspects of growing perennials, from planning a garden space to planting, watering, and fertilizing.

• An unmatched source for all care techniques associated with perennials such as staking, deadheading and overwintering.

• A special pictorial troubleshooting section to help gardeners diagnose the most common ailments their plants might suffer.

• Shows gardeners how to care for perennials in even the most diverse regions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Another Great Purchase
This series by Miracle Gro is packed with information and makes great source of reference for people who just love to plant and watch things grow. Highly recommend

Great book!
This book is a great addition to my garden book collection. It has a lot of pictures with easy to understand information. I like it so much I bought the complete guide to houseplants by miracle gro.

Best Guide!!
I first borrowed this book from the library.Had it for 6 weeks and knew it was a must have.I could not be more pleased with the information and help this guide provides.

This One's A Winner
Miracle Gro Complete Guide to Perennials
Edited by Marilyn Rogers
Written by Scott Aker and Laura Deeter
Published by Meredith Books
2008
ISBN-10 0696236648
ISBN-13 978-0696236648
Amongst some gardeners, the Miracle-Gro company is reputed to have created some of the most eye catching TV commercials and print ads that have ever targeted plant lovers.They are very good at visualizing the successful results of proper feeding and care. However, the detail lavished in the preparation of this basic primer on growing perennials surpasses anything that they've done in their marketing department.

This is a popular priced book targeting a mass audience and yet the information between its covers and the quality of its color photographs are worthy of a book twice its cost. Not onlyis it comprehensive andillustrated in clear detail,but almost everything oneneeds to know about growingperennialsmay beabsorbedby studying it's pictures. In an age of instant messenger, a book that can instruct with such immediacy is a significant achievement.

With an economy of words, the editor and writers amply cover basic topics such as garden design, plant selection and planting instructions. Great attention is paid to every detail as the reader is guided, unambiguously and step by step, to becoming a perennial expert.

The chapter on perennial care is a wonderful bonus because this is an area of expertise that determines the difference between a beautiful garden and a perfunctory collection of plants. Here too, the editor makes it so easy to follow. Another surprise is the inclusion of a ninety two page encyclopedia of perennial plants, enhanced with in depth information andcolor photos. This alone is worth the price of the book.

The greatest challenge facing any gardener of perennials is how to keep a garden in bloom from spring until autumn. Most perennials have a blooming period of no more than three weeks, and each plant has its particular time to bloom. For that reason, creating continuous blooms throughout the growing season requires strategic planning. Many of us have spent countless hours juggling planting blueprints to ensure that there are no gaps in blooming time. I wish that I could have read this book back then because it contains a brilliant bloom time guide that takes the guesswork out of creating a continuously colorful garden.

The secondary title of this book is called "Techniques that guarantee a fabulous garden" Believe it!

Allan Becker, reviewer for Bookpleasures.

Tons Of Info
Finally we've finished the major changes and updates to the interior and exterior of the house and it's time to make the outside look nice too.I'm a beginner so this book was a must.It's has tons of useful information.

I look through the pics to see what I like, figure out if I'm in the right zone and if I think it's something I can manage...then I head off to the garden center.The book covers everything from how to plant, how to care, garden and plant pests and how to eliminate them...It has everything.It should be the only book you'll need.

I'm starting small this year...just one small flower garden and one small vegetable garden...but I'm always looking around the yard and coming up with plans and locations for next year! ... Read more

Product Description
141 Beautiful color photos of perennials + detailed drawings. Perennials listed by season of bloom, common & horticultural name so the new or experienced gardener can:

* Design the garden of your dreams that blooms for almost 9 months while still conserving water

* Identify and grow plants you didn't know would grow in this climate

* Using my tips you'll have a low maintenance, beautiful garden ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

The best gardening book ever
This book is fabulous.I refer to it constantly.I live in an area where it is very difficult to grow certain plants that will survive.This book is written just for such areas.It helps me to choose plants for this area and care for them.This is not a general gardening book, but a specific gardening book for this area.Anyone that lives in a high desert or intermountain region would benefit from owning this book.
The book is organized well and enjoyable to read.I would recommend this book to anyone that lives in this region.

A Wonderful Guide for Beginning Gardeners
I am a beginning gardener and this book has been a great help to me.The information that this book contains is invaluable to beginning gardeners.The way this book is set up, it makes it very easy to use, from soil, fertilizing, watering and general care, to picking out the plants.I enjoy watching hummingbirds and this book even has tips on which plants will help attract them!

Like Perennials?You'll love this book!
Tova's book is a MUST have for the anyone who wants to grow perennials. It shows you how to take advantage of microclimates in your garden so you can grow plants that are listed out of your USDA or Sunset zone.Then the gardener, from the beginner to the most ambitious, can experiment with a wider variety of plants.

I also like the straight-forward way the book is written.Find the season you want, the plants are listed in alphabetical order by season of bloom with a list of the plant's essential needs.This way you don't need to read 10 paragraphs about the plant to find how much sunlight it requires.The pictures are also not only accurate but artistic.

Perennials Intermountain and High Desert Gardening
In depth information for the avid high desert gardner or the weekender.Easy to follow instructions on care and maintenance. Creative feature of breaking up the seasons, showing what will bloom when, combined with beautiful pictures of the flowers and how to best use them in the landscape.A must have for high desert gardening!

Excellent book
I have all of Tova's written materials. She is a terrific resource for information on all types of gardening. She also has a great radio program with all kinds of useful advice for callers. I have also seen her do live demonstrations and lectures. I highly recommend her work. ... Read more

Product Description
Newly revised, this fourth edition of Heritage Perennials' 'Perennial Gardening Guide' provides concise descriptions of over 1,500 varieties of perennials, hardy ferns, ornamental grasses and herbs. This edition greatly expands the third by adding hundreds of new photographs and recently introduced perennials and grasses.

Published by one of North America's leading growers and producers of perennials, the book is an authoritative, yet easy to read and enjoy, guide to perennials and other herbaceous garden plants. The book provides a basic introduction to perennials, ferns, grasses and herbs, and then goes on to list and describe many of the varieties available to gardeners in North America today. Plants are described as to their best locations, height and spread and bloom time, along with special use attributes. Basic information regarding pests and diseases, as well as winter protection and pruning, etc. is provided where needed.

Over 600 full color photographs are included, which simplifies plant selection and identification. An index helps to match Latin to common names, as well as cross referencing older and newer Latin names. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A 'carry to the nursery' book
I take this book to the nursery for its succinct descriptions of all you need to know before you purchase a new plant. You can select plants knowing their habits (good and bad) and know if they will do well in your region. Illustrations are well selected and the pages on Hostas are a delight. This is the most useful book on perennials I have purchased so far.

A great deal of information very fast.
My aunt gave me a copy of this book, which has everything you need to know about perennial gardening in a colorful book that is just 144 pages. It is power packed with information on having the best garden no matter where you live. Whenever I have a question about life's mysteries, I go to my aunt. She's never failed me! ... Read more

Product Description
Both the Taylor's Guides to individual plant groups and the Taylor's Weekend Guides on basic techniques and popular gardening styles are highly acclaimed and well established. We now enthusiastically add a quick-reference series for readers who don't have the time or the experience to do their own research. Taylor's 50 Best books highlight the most attractive foolproof plants and include detailed information that every gardener needs in order to grow them. Color photos, full-color drawings, and growing tips make each plant entry useful and complete. Six books introduce the series and cover the most popular plants for backyard gardeners: perennials for sun, perennials for shade, herbs and edible flowers, roses, shrubs, and trees. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Great Book for Flower Lovers
I have become an avid gardener and love to have flowers all season long. This book has helped me plan a lovely garden for my home. It is colorful and easy to read and understand. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys plants and flowers.

Great garden book
Since much of my yard is shaded, and we still love flowers, this book is just what the Dr. ordered.Have planted several plants described in this book and they are healthy and doing well.

Info Too Sparse
I was disappointed in the too-brief description of the plants.Not enough info.Perhaps typically Taylor's but I expected more.

Great book for shade gardeners
I bought this book to help a friend who built her dream house on a wooded lot find plants and flowers that would bloom and grow.We were thrilled to find that all the plants listed would grow in our climate area (Pennsylvania).The book provides a good selection of plants without overwhelming a novice with too many choices and hard-to-find or tricky plants.We were very pleased to be able to find plants that would fit some of her problem areas (under trees, wet spots, etc.) and fit her requirements of providing her with real bloom without having to plant annuals every year.

Taylor's 50 Best Perennials for Shade:Essy Plants for More Beautiful Gardens (Taylor's 50 Best
Excellent book for the price! ... Read more

Product Description
Macunovich teaches her month-by-month schedule for perennial gardening. Includes care charts for more than 130 perennials.Amazon.com Review
I am a lousy gardener. What I know about gardening could besummarized in a few words: "Plant something and hope for thebest." Yet, I love to garden, and keep trying year after year inmy tiny flowerbeds around the street trees in a sea of concrete herein San Francisco. I don't even bother to attempt planting annuals orgrowing things from seed, but for years I've been experimenting withperennials to see if I can find something that will survive for morethan one year out there in the urban jungle. If I'd had this bookyears ago, I might have been successful a long time ago. For me, it'sa walking tour of everything I have done wrong. For you, it can be aguidebook to doing things right from the get-go! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Takes the 'Fear' Out of Pruning
I'm new to gardening and have been very timid about what to do with all of my new plant materials.This book is one of my favorites for its thorough and practical advice coupled with excellent illustrations.

Bought this after borrowing it from the library
All the other reviewers have explained the features of this terrific book, so I won't repeat. I especially liked the illustrations and explanations of pruning techniques: the clearest I have seen. I borrowed this book from my local library, read it, and then I bought it to refer back to. That's the highest praise I can think of. I usually buy a book and wish I had borrowed it from the library first!

Wow!!!
This is a book with useful info on almost any type of plant and not just perennials. It is not only about what and when but also why and how.It's definitely a "stimulous package" that works for me. I will be Googleing gardening subjects much more fruitfully because of idea stimuli the author has given here-in.I've been gardening for 40 years and have been tempted several times to give it up becausae of the frustration and/or work load in my garden.From the book, I can see that my gardening maintenance schedule has caused many inefficieces. The "when" presented appear very sound and well thought out. This book should be useful for almost any amature gardener.Of couse the beginner may be overwhelmed by the enormity of the subjects gardeners must learn.However by organizing the work/learning chronologically it may offer the least steep learning curve for most people.Good stuff - packed full of valuable information!

You have planted your garden; now what?
Janet Macunovich has provided a very detailed account of what to do after you have planted your perennial garden.It is very informative as we follow her tending an actual perennial garden; a great concept.Mistakes and all, we see the problems, challenges, and joys of perennial gardening the way most of us do it.From early spring cleanup, to plant division, to weeding, plant choice and more, this is an excellent book for those who have a perennial garden, or those who are considering one. No punches pulled; highly recommended. Why four stars?I live in Arizona; if the book was written for desert gardens, five stars.(I know, I know...)
Bob Burke

Good resource
This book is a good resource book. The author makes it interesting, and takes you through her garden in a great way. Although I think it is a great resource book, it would have been much better for me, if it had been written more under the plant's common name, as opposed to the scientific names. That is kind of rough for beginners looking for info on how to care for certain plants, but still inexperienced at scientific species... ... Read more

Product Description
It has never been easier to create a perennial paradise in any climate! Enjoyable, elegantly designed, and easy-to-follow, Gardening With Perennials features:-Step-by-step instructions for planning and planting perennial beds, borders, and landscapes-More 100 color photos of perennial combinations featuring the most versatile, easy-to-grow, and popular perennials for home gardens-Bright, clearly illustrated plans for a butterfly garden, woodland garden, shade garden, and more-Foolproof advice from professional landscape designers for solving common problems and reducing maintenance-A seasonal care calendar that makes it easy to keep gardens looking great all year long ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent book useful for the do it yourself gardener.
If you have a sunny, shady, wet, sloped or dry location this book has plans for them all.It is useful in designing your own garden or simply use one of the many plans provided.The color photographs are extensiveand include complete gardens so you can see how different plants looktogether. This book takes the guess work out by providing the size,color(s), bloom time and growing zones for each plant reviewed. There isalso some information on annuals, bulbs and shrubs that work well in aprennial garden. There are even tips on attracting butterflies to yourgarden. Overall, this book is full of great ideas for any type of gardenyou may be planning. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Bring it Back
Perennial Gardening (American Garden Guides) isone of my favorite garden books. It is concise, accurate, extremely well illustrated,and does not confuse the reader with excessive information. I am a horticulturalist andthe Head Grower for a 60 acre wholesale container nursery. I have beenresponsible for growing perennials for over 20years. Often I am ask tospeak to retail customers or the general public. This is my most highlyrecommended book for people first starting to develop a perennial Garden.

Well organized and easy identification of plants.
I am on my 6th week with this book from my local library. I can't get enough. I have read many books and magazines and this book is well organized and has great clearity and easy access for plant descriptions. Ihighly recommend getting a copy from your library and checking it out foryourself. I hope these reviews will help bring this book back around forthe gardeners who want a good book to add to their collection.

Very informative and easy to use.
I have this book and keep it handly for reference year round.It gets a lot of use in the spring & fall, when I need a quick brush up on what to move or divide and when.I have recommended this book to many of my gardening friends.I hope at least some of them got a copy.I know many more who want a copy.

Get this book back in print...
Actually, I have't read this book because book stores don't carry it.It is out of stock and nobody can get it.I know it's a good book, though, because it is part of The American Gardening Guide series.I have the Annual Gardening book in this series and it is very well organized and informative. I would dearly love a copy of Perennial Gardening. I hope a book distributor will read this, and due to the fact that it just so happens they still have a copy in stock, they contact me at my email address below. ... Read more

Product Description
When first published nearly 30 years ago, Gardening with Perennials Month by Month sparked a renaissance of perennial plants in American gardens, a trend that continues to this day. The revised and expanded second edition describes the monthly blooming schedules and growing requirements of virtually every type of garden perennial. Over 700 species are documented, with over 400 lavish color photos. Providing a wealth of practical information to both the amateur and the professional perennial gardener, this classic work continues to be one of our most popular books. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Useful when used in conjunction with other gardening guides
This is a guide for the serious perennial gardener.It is useful as a reference for planning a perennial garden that will always have some feature of interest, no matter what the season.Many of us (myself included) tend to plant gardens that reach their peak in May and June, and after that, only the occasional aster or sedum lights up the landscape. "Gardening with Perennials Month by Month" allows you to plan out your garden from March through September, without any dead spots in the blooming season.

A calendar of blooming times and available colors begins each monthly chapter, and the author's suggestions are geared to Zone 6 American gardeners (he is a resident of Massachusetts).Gardeners in different zones will have to adjust accordingly.

There are over 400 color photographs, focused primarily on a particular species, rather than how that species appears in a landscape.In fact, if I were allowed to make a suggestion for the next edition of"Gardening with Perennials Month by Month" it would be to include information on which plants look and do well when grouped in close proximity.

Suggestion for other gardeners: use "The Well-Tended Perennial Garden" byTracy Disabato-Aust in conjunction with "Gardening with Perennials Month by Month." Disabato-Aust is more informative about the impact of a particular perennial in the landscape as a whole.She also includes useful information on how to extend the blooming season (mainly by pruning).

Essential reference, comprehensive
The instant I saw this book I knew I had to have it. It is an essential guide for any gardener growing perennials. With its index & extensive lists it allows anyone to easily find plants to suit their landscape.

Flowers are listed for each month from March through September.Conveniently, at the start of each chapter, there is a list of flowers bycolor. Plants are then listed alphabetically by scientific name.

For eachplant there is information on its common name, flowering span, physicaldescription, zone & culture. Other data may include native habitat,cultivation, bothersome diseases or pests & small color photos.

Agreat reference section in the back lists plants by characteristics,including those that bloom all season long, 6 weeks or more & in thewinter. Fruit bearing, drought resistant, moisture loving & shadetolerant varieties are also listed. ... Read more

Product Description
Growing Perennials in Cold Climates is destined to be a landmark in gardening publishing.It is the first book ever of its kind for perennial gardeners.

Beginning with the 50 best perennial groups to grow in cold climates, the book details both the good and the bad news about these plants in the most reader-friendly, easy-to-follow fashion in the history of gardening publishing.It includes easily accessible information on how to grow cold climate perennials, where to plant them, the different soil types, companion plants, and caring, pruning, and propagation.Fully illustrated throughout, this is the guide that gardeners living in colder climates have been waiting for. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Excellent within its scope
This is an excellent book for gardeners in USDA Zones 3b through 5b east of the 100th meridian.While one can certainly quarrel with which genera are covered, within its scope this book offers very solid advice. No similar reference offers as much breadth regarding specific cultivars.I hope the publisher will offer an expanded (including Thalictrums and Polygonatums!) and updated second edition in the near future. If you are a beginning to intermediate gardener this book is definitely worth having.

Gardening in Cold Climates
For those living in zone 4 or 3 - this is a fantastic all inclusive gardening book for anyone.Would highly recommend it.

Delightful reading andgobs of information.
A passionately written book. The information is detailed yet to the point and not boring or too scientific. A great book for the cold climate novice gardener or a reference for the master.
The pictures are beautiful and plenty. The layout is clear, logical and well organized. The book's a real keeper. Great job.

Best book for perennials in the Midwest
I've bought and borrowed numerous books regarding perennials.None has been so complete and well illustrated.Each plant species has varieties listed as well as planting, mulching, pruning, dividing techniques and advice.As an avid perennial gardener, I can't recommend this book highly enough.Kudos to the authors!

Gardening in areas that reach 20 degrees below 0
This book lets you know which perennials you can buy and grow in cold climates. It is a must for anyone in the Northern Areas of 20 degree's below 0 even in Canada. It shows the pictures of the flowers and where they will grow best for cold weather. It also shows you the best variety to buy and where you can order them, plant them and how to do it. It is a must for cold weather climates. ... Read more

Product Description
A perennial garden is an ever-changing source of delight. Each season brings new colors and textures in flowers and foliage. As the years go by, perennial plantings mature and interweave into forms more beautiful and surprising than a season's growth of annuals can ever give. Best of all, a perennial garden can grow almost anywhere with plants suited to local soils, temperatures, and rainfall. This book is a complete guide to perennial gardening in Texas and similar regions of eastern New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and the Carolinas. In Part One, Julie Ryan offers a historical sketch of cottage gardens and perennial borders, witha sampler of some of their modern variations. In Part Two, she defines the major ecological regions of Texas and, with words and color photographs, takes you on a tour of lovely public and private gardens in each region. You'll find all the "how to" information for creating your own garden in Part Three. Ms. Ryan describes and pictures over 300 flowering perennials, bulbs, foliage plants, and old roses suitable for Texas gardens, with lists of companion annuals, vines, shrubs, and small trees. Accompanying charts provide quick reference to each plant's preferred regions and cultivation requirements. In addition, Ms. Ryan discusses how to design a garden and select plants, prepare the beds, and deal with garden pests. She concludes with substantial lists of resources, including mail-order suppliers of perennials, bulbs, and old roses. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Too much like a text book
When I buy a landscape\plant book, I prefer it to have lots of great photos.There is too much text in this book and it reads like a text book giving too much information on the history of the plants.The photos that are in the book are very dark and small and the plants are not identified.

One of the most helpful books on Tx plants
I was very impressed with this book.I read through the whole thing several times.She reviews plants that will grow well in all of the climates in the state, and gives you enough information to be able to judgeif you should give the plant you want to grow a try, even if your regionisn't the best for it.Very detailed, yet easy to read, and very wellwritten.

The best book I have had the pleasure to use.A must!!!!
This is the best gardening book on perennial flowers in Texas I have used. It covers every region of the state not just a section.The photos are excellent for planing your own garden or for identifing flowers from aregion not familar to you. Ms Ryan has done us amatuers a great service.Thank You Julie! ... Read more

Product Description
The most comprehensive illustrated A-Z guide to today's most popular garden plants produced in conjunction with the AHS, America's premier gardening authority. Full horticultural information for over 5,000 plants produced by a team of over 40 experts. Full-color photographs of suggested planting ideas show you how to combine perennials in your garden. Special "Gardeners' Notes" panels offer expert planting advice, useful tips and fascinating facts.Published in conjunction with the American Horticultural Society. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

AHS Encyclopedia of Perennials
This is a great reference book that is also fun to just page through.The photography is beautiful, easily referenced with many varieties and cultivars described and pictured.Small information boxes offer tips and news bits for gardeners. There are ideas on garden layouts and expert advice given throughout the book.Well worth the money if you are interested in Perennials.

Best Perennial Encyclopedia Ever
This is a marvelous compendium of plants. Almost 500 pages of plant descriptions and beautiful color photographs make it a book that the curious gardener will dip into again and again. Plants are listed by genus and species, and a good number of cultivars are listed. Each genus is given a general description, followed by how it is best grown, how it's propagated, and what pests it has. Then follows the various species within the genus, descriptions including origin, size, bloom time, color and size, scent and occasional tidbits about medicinal use or the like. One thing I love about this book as opposed to many other plant encyclopedias: it gives the American zone hardiness of the species.

But this is not just a straight encyclopedia; interspersed with the plants are sidebars and boxes with information on combining the plants to make beautiful vignettes that put plants with the same needs together, the structures of various types of flowers, plant history, diseases and pests of plants, and detailed propagation instructions for certain plants.

This book is great for looking up information, but it's also wonderful for just leafing through it, stopping at reading at random spots- did you know that the Barlow type aquilegias make seed that's true to type, while all other aquilegia's promiscuously cross breed? And here I thought those Barlow girls were just as bad as their cousins! Drooling over this book has given me a lot of new ideas for the garden, and left me with serious zone envy.

A must have for perennials
This book is fantastic. It has everything from the common to the most interesting. Great pics and info. I have read a ton of garden books and this one is the best. Worst every penny and it's really big.

Awesome reference book
I am just getting beyond petunias, hostas and impatiens in the world of gardening, so ordered this book when starting up our local garden club "ended up in my lap."(If I don't know what I'm doing on a project, I buy books...) At first, this volume was a little intimidating because it is organized by the scientic names of all the plants.Once I got thehang of looking up the common name in the back, then finding the cross-referenced scientific name, it's wonderful! My friend, a much more accomplished gardener than I, used the book to help with our plant sale and the questions customers had about the perenials we had for sale.The pictures are amazing. I have identified in my back yard many of the plants I'd been previously pulling as weeds...I'm also looking up how to separate and move these wonderful newfound treasures, so the book can pay for itself -- all in all, a great investment!

Good but missing
it's a full and complete guide listing of perennials but i wanted to read about the care of the plants as well. there is no info on the care of any of the plants in the book ... Read more

Product Description
A guide to keeping a perennial garden in bloom from April through October, this book provides all the information a gardener needs to grow beautiful flowers. Detailed information includes descriptions of flowers, bloom length, light and soil requirements, care, propagation, and potential problems. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

A must have for zone 5 gardeners
This book was recommended to me by a very good friend.It is great reference book for continuous perennials blooming from early spring to to late fall. Plant descriptions and photos are vivid and clear. This book is a must have for any zone 5 gardener. Whether you are adding to an existing garden or starting from scratch, this is book should be the one you buy.

Garden Encycopedia
This is a great book for gardeners in zone 5. It is written and organized in a very understandable fashion. Each page is devoted to a flower with a photo of the flower and a description of its needs. The book is organized month by month beginning in March and ending in Nov. I just love it.

Great purchase
I love the paperback version of this book because it is spiralbound. It has laminated pages, great for the garden, keeps it clean. The book is organized by flowering month that helps find plants you can't identify or to locate plants for a certain month that you need more color in your garden. I live in the Chicago area and it seems to cover a lot of plants for my planting zone. Each plant has the information I need to choose for certain areas of planting. It's a great book!

Easy Gardening
This book has taken the puzzle and work out of perennial gardening.THanks to Pam, I now understand the way to keep my garden in color all season!

Continuous Bloom
I have many books and enjoy them all.But this book had some ideas and information I had not read about in the past.A very fine purchase. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is made up of a series of 14 previously published articles on gardening.These articles cover a wide variety of topics including container gardening, garden pests, herbs, hostas, garden tools and growing zones.As the title says, they contain practical advice on many aspects of home gardening.

The author has been an avid gardener for many years and conducts workshops on growing herbs and hostas.Gardening is one of the favorite pass times of her murder mystery detective, Rachel Myers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good Garden Book!
I don't usually do reviews.In fact, this is the first one I have done since my wife got our Kindle a couple of years ago.

I'm a reader first, then a few other things but somewhere along the line I'm a gardener.Practical Gardening is (unlike many gardening books) a fascinating read.

Each article is self-contained which means it's like reading a book of short stories; just choose the one you want to read without having to start at the beginning.I especially liked the one on Voles and Slugs.Very entertaining!

Also, do check out the photographs offered under the Cover Image.Beautiful! ... Read more

Product Description
Shady corners in gardens, long considered difficult sites, provide superb growing conditions for hundreds of unique and diverse plants, including some with gorgeous flowers. Moving beyond the traditional hostas and ferns, the Timber Press Pocket Guide to Shade Perennials provides descriptions of more than 1000 readily available species and cultivars that will enliven and thrive in the shade garden. The accessible text, illustrated with 310 photographs, includes definitions of shade intensities, basic information on cultivation, maintenance, and pests and diseases as well as lists of plants for specific landscape uses. The convenient format makes this pocket guide an ideal reference for taking to the nursery or garden center. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Shade gardening
I am a shade gardener that has been looking for a good sources for shade gardening information and I have found in this pocket guide.It provides just the right amount of information to help you decide if this plant is good for your gardening situation.I particularly liked the use of colored pictures throughout of almost every plant referenced. I have been looking for color to at to my hostas and hydrangeas and the color pictures were great in provide the visuals I needed to see how the plants would fit in to my garden.I strongly recommend this guide to for beginner to serious gardener.

Shade gardens don't have to be boring!
As a professional gardener, I've found Schmid's Shade Perennials the perfect quick reference and idea book for tiny city yards.As most residents of large cities and boroughs can tell you, lighting can be a real difficulty.It's much better to think in terms of contrasts and textures and Shade Perennials provides many choices for those wondering just how to rennovate their gloomy yard.My two complaints: I felt that the pictures were only so-so and there aren't picture examples of all the plants listed.In fact, there are only 2-3 small photos per page, yet generally about 5-6 listings for species.In that regard, it could be more comprehensive.I've found it slightly better than Taylor's Guide to Shade Gardening, simply because it has more photos and when it comes to garden design, I'm reliant on visual stimulus.All-in-all, a useful guide and to help get you out of the hosta rut.

More than one thousand readily available shade perennials
In Timber Press Pocket Guide To Shade Perennials, botanist, horticulturalist, landscape architect, and gardener W. George Schmid draws upon his immense expertise and experience to provide a thoroughly "user friendly", profusely illustrated guide to more than one thousand readily available shade perennials along with their individual growing conditions including definitions of shade intensities, basic information on cultivation, maintenance of shade perennials, dealing with their pests and diseases, as well invaluable lists of plants for specific landscape uses. The handy size of Timber Press Pocket Guide To Shade Perennials makes it the ideal take-along reference guide for non-specialist general readers wanting to "do it yourself" with respect to landscaping and gardening their properties, while at the same time, Timber Press Pocket Guide To Shade Perennials is an ideal reference for personal, academic, community, and professional library horticultural and gardening reference collections. If you want to have a shade garden that will maximize plant diversity and esthetics, then you need George Schmid's Timber Press Pocket Guide To Shade Perennials!
... Read more