Product Description

Customer Reviews (28)

For experienced gardeners who want great gardens
Lots of good ides and suggestions. Includes plants that aren't featured in catalogs. If you are interested in putting together a great garden, this is the book to have.

Great book!
Best book ever for those who prefer Perennials.

Before studying this book, my husband hummed "Taps" when I came through the door with yet more plants.

Perennial Combinations
Delivery was prompt and the book was in excellent condition.Would definitely order from this person again.:-)

Very pleased
I was very pleased with the book.It was just like new and full of information.
I would buy from this seller again.

Superior in every way
This book is amazing!!It has everything you need - and then some!In addition to a complete encyclopedia of plants, it has diagrams for different types of gardens.It's also very well cross-referenced. ... Read more

Product Description
With more than 130,000 copies sold since the original publication, The Well-Tended Perennial Garden has proven itself to be one of the most useful tools a gardener can have. In this expanded edition more than 200 color photographs have been added, showing perennials in various border situations and providing images for each of the entries in the A–Z encyclopedia. In addition, there is a new 32-page journal section with room to enter details, notes, and observations about the requirements and performance of perennials in your own garden. Thousands of readers have commented that The Well-Tended Perennial Garden is one of the most useful and frequently consulted books in their gardening libraries. This new, expanded edition promises to be an even more effective ally in your quest to create a beautiful, healthy, well-maintained perennial garden. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (56)

Full of Information-easy writing style
Full of information, with an easy writing style, The Well-Tended Perennial Garden looks to be a perfect reference book for the more than casual gardener. Much of the focus of the book is on pruning and pinching perennials so they can look their best for the whole season-not just a couple of weeks. I bought this book in mid to late summer, when spent perennials were looking kind of droopy so the next growing season will be the best measure of the author's advice. She has also addressed the problem of managing bloom periods-in particular for those of us who spend part of the growing season away from the garden.

Being an optimist, I gave this book five stars-However garden reference books obviously need more time to judge accurately. I can hardly wait to see the results of the author's techniques-next summer!

i order, you ship, it comes quick, in good condition, that's it
The book arrived quickly, was placed by my front door, in the rain, and not discovered until the following morning. The card board shipping box was soaked and the paper book cover slightly stained. Who do I blame? The shipper for not putting the book in a plastic bag before putting it in the card board box? or the mailman for not placing it in a safer place? Who knows who cares I hung it up, it dried.

This will be your Perrenial Garden bible...Buy It...and do NOT loan it out!!
This will be your Perennial Garden Bible, Buy it! and do NOT loan it out! They can buy their OWN!

Great book!
Was looking for a good book with lots of info on perennials.I had found a reference on the internet to this book and decided to order.It is very informative, lots of pictures, reasonably priced.

Excellent reference
This books gives excellent information on care for a long list of perennials, including the effects of cutting back, how often to divide, etc. (Note that her sub-title has to do with pruning.) This level of detailed information is often hard to find elsewhere, and if you can find it at all, you generally have to consult many sources.

My only complaint is what's up with the bearded irises? She hates them! Can't say it enough times. Geez! If you don't like them, ok, but you really only have to say it once. Personally, I find them very low-maintenance, in direct contrast with her opinion. ... Read more

Product Description
The best-laid perennial garden designs result in gorgeous beds that bring color and texture to home landscapes. But no matter how perfect the garden, how glorious the color, how eye-catching the combinations, no perennial garden stays beautiful by itself. The plants need tender care - watering, pruning, deadheading, and dividing.

With Nancy Ondra's detailed plant-by-plant guide to tending perennials, maintenance is a breeze. Ondra has grown hundreds of today's most popular perennials in her own gardens and has kept detailed notes on how each plant looks through the seasons and what the plants' needs, quirks, and preferences are. All this valuable information is gathered in 125 plant profiles, arranged alphabetically by genus. Each entry features gorgeous, instructive photography by award-winning garden photographer Rob Cardillo, as well as advice on preferred light and soil conditions and complete care and maintenance instructions. What to do and when to do it are as simple as looking up the plant and following an expert gardener's advice.

Complementing the plant-by-plant section, Ondra offers in-depth coverage of basic techniques for the perennial gardener. From planning a stunning but easy-to-care-for garden to fertilizing, mulching, propagating, and much more, the home gardener will find every answer to that one big gardening question: How do I keep my perennial beds looking their best - fresh, beautiful, and healthy -  season after season?
... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Ideal Gardening Book about Around-the-Year Plants+
This gardening book is the best one for perennial plant care.I had a multitude of questions concerning correct procedure planting these flower plants.Maybe it was the unusually hot weather patterns that kept the garden from obtaining its full potential,over the past five summers.There is indeed a science to gardening and I like to tinker with the various flowering plants.It seemed last summer 2009,the weather was too wet and cool.I had switched to more dry-friendly ,heat-resistant flowering plants and ran into many overcast cool summer days.Whether it was real 'global warming' or the 'El Nino' effect,I hope the normal seasonal patterns are here to stay.At any rate,this is still a great book for perennial plant-care referencing.Which plants like what environmental conditions and nurturing,for premium growth,year after year.

A Must-Have Perennial Book!
I concur with the other reviewers that this is a book well worth buying and using. One of my "beefs" with buying perennials from nurseries is that there are never any instructions as to how to care for the plants. I know this will sound very basic, but until I read this book I did not realize that it was a good idea to cut back perennials at a specific time before their bloom season. It's not just plant 'em and let 'em go! The pictures are excellent, and the writing style is not only informative but friendly. The Appendix alone is worth the purchase price. My favorite feature is the grid at the back that shows graphically all the perennials by color, time of bloom, etc. It does half the work of planning for you!

Great lil heater
This is a great heater for a great price.I use it for my office and I have considered buying another one for my home. Well worth every penny!

Good Reference Material
I have found this book to be a good resource for the care and planting of a fairly wide array of perennials.I appreciate the seasonal care guide for each plant.In addition, the photography is clear enough that you are able to get a good idea of what the plant looks like.In fact, I was able to identify a plant in a neighbor's yard from the book which was very helpful since the neighbor could not remember the name of the plant.I think this book is a good addition to a gardener's library, particularly for the beginning gardener.

Great Book
I have been a casual gardener up until this last year with more free time to really get my hands dirty.This book is the best manual on when to plant and what to do at the end of the season.None of my other landscaping/gardening books tell you what to do with the plants and how to take care of them.I would highly recommend this book to anyone who gardens.I even bought a copy for my daughter! ... Read more

Product Description
Encyclopedic in its range of information, this single volume contains everything you need to know to create a breathtaking perennial garden. Hodgson thoughtfully covers site selection, starting a garden, garden pests, and diseases and gives the lowdown on more than 700 perennials. As he says, 'Some give you great value for your money, some are weeds, and some need special care.' Plants are organized by attribute, from bloom time or light needs to low-care and no-care categories. Each plant description includes vital statistics, a list of the problems and solutions specific to that plant, suggested 'neighbors,' recommended cultivars, plus a color photograph showing both bloom and foliage. Learn how to plan your dream garden and follow the 10 commandments of perennial design to avoid the most common pitfalls of perennial gardening. If you are overwhelmed or intimidated by the choices, simply select one of Hodgson's lovely no-fail designs, such as an entry garden, a shady foliage garden, or even a layer cake garden. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Great for a novice!
I recently moved and have the opportunity to plant a perennial garden for the first time..... but was overwhelmed with the amount of variety of plants available and didn't know where to start.This book not only has wonderful pictures of plants; it also gives advice on how to plan, prepare, plant and care for a garden.

Great for northern gardeners, too.
I agree with Jay Keefer's review and would like to add that I live in Washington state and the author gardens in Canada. He listed plants that have a wide zonal range - almost all of them can be grown in my cooler zone, Zone 5. He did not waste my time by listing plants that can only be grown in the deep South or California. I first checked this book out at the library, but quickly realized that I will need to have a copy of my own to refer back to when I divide, fertilize, transplant, etc. So, I'm here on Amazon to buy this essential book.

wonderful book!
This is a wonderful book. Perennials can be overwelming. This book helps simplify it. A must for the perennial gardener.

Perennials for Every Purpose
This is an excellent book.It is very thorough and an excellent reference source.I'd recommend it to any gardener!

A great stand-by reference for everyone
Even if you are just dabbling in perennial gardening, you will find this book simply delightful.I myself have been a perennial gardener for many years, and I also work in the greenhouse industry, yet this is the most positive, fun to use, and informational book I have found yet. Anything you could possibly think of, from soil prep, to sunlight, to multiplying your babies will be found here. I myself still like to curl up with this book on a cold winter day to dream about tweaking my gardens next spring. This would be a good single reference if you do not buy another gardening book-do try this one. ... Read more

Product Description
Texans tend to do most things with their own special flare, and gardening is no exception.Expert Alan Dean Franz offers a guide for gardeners hoping to create a truly Texas plot. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

best gardening book
purchased this book for my daughter living in Austin, TX.She has had only good things to say about it.The book has many ideas for different types of gardens, including shade, sun, flowers and veggies.

A great resource
I recently moved to Texas and left a wonderful garden in the pacific northwest. Now I'm starting from scratch in an area I know nothing about. Climate, soil conditions, everything is different. The new property has nothing butspots of weedy grass here and there. I guess I can look at it as a blank slate. This book was exactly what I was looking for. I prefer perennials and this book appears to have the exact information I need to help me start my new gardens and landscaping and lead me to another showcase garden like I used to have. I feel this book will be educational and a great resource and will help me choose exactly what I need that will thrive in my new yard.

an excellent addition to Texas gardening literature
The best new gardening book I've seen in a while. Instead of being a repeat of other high-quality Texas books (Native Texas Plants by Wasowski being the best IMO), a large part of the book is devoted to categorizing the plants by their forms (clumping, trailing, climbing, etc.), their prefered habitat (shade, boggy, etc.), by color, and by their ability to attract bees, birds, and other wildlife to your yard. I found these categorizations to be extremely useful. For further information about the plants, you can then look at the alphabetical listing of all the species mentioned in the book. The pictures in Wasowski's book are better, but the categorizations makes this book more useful for selecting plants for your particular landscape.

Simply beautiful
This book offers a mountain of useful information on technical, environmental, and artistic aspects of perennial gardening,
presented in a manner that is simple and understandable, without being condescending.

This could almost be a "coffee table" book, the pictures are so beautiful! There needs to be a paperback version that can be taken outside.

Gardeners (and gardener "wannabes" - like me) all over the midwest can use this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Finding a perennial that thrives in your garden is like giving yourself a gift that comes back year after year. Whether you're planting your first perennial bed or eyeing your lawn for expansion, this book will help you grow beautiful, healthy plants. Inside you'll find:

 • Expert advice on how to choose and care for perennials for any location, from full shade to hot sun.

• Detailed descriptions of more than 200 varieties of perennials in the illustrated plant encyclopedia. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Flower Dreams
I'm enjoying this book at the tail end of winter with visions of lush gardens all over the yard. There's plenty here to please the new or the experienced gardener. Within you'll find garden design ideas and a chapter about choosing and growing perennials. I especially like the chart that shows the bloom time of perennials so that one can plan to have blooms during spring, summer, and fall.

The plant gallery lists plants alphabetically by Latin names, and highlights hardiness zones, light requirements, size and features. Photos show the reader how the plant may look in his or her garden.

Some books indicate which plants are deer resistant with pictogram symbols. This book doesn't. Instead one has to read the accompanying text in its entirety to see if a particular flower is a deer favorite. The authors probably omit this feature because in a beginning chapter it's stated that deer will eat anything if they are hungry enough. I know from experience they like hosta, lilies, and especially tulips. ... Read more

Product Description
No longer must you waste your time or money browsing catalogs or wandering the aisles of your local garden center. How often have you ended up with perennials that dont live up to the breathtaking photos that convinced you to buy the plants in the first place? Garden expert and HGTV host Jeff Cox takes the guesswork out of shopping for perennials by selecting 150 of the most beautiful, top-performing plants based on attributes such as bloom time, ease of care, disease resistance, and fall color. A Perennial Plant Finder helps you find the ideal plants for your garden whether you live in Palm Springs or Portland. Youll also find suggestions for hard-to-plant conditions like heavy shade with acid soil or drought-prone gardens with alkaline soil. This all-star lineup is pictured in 260 full-color photographs that show each plant plus how each looks in garden combinations with other great plants.Amazon.com Review
Jeff Cox provides the information new gardeners want inPerennial All-Stars: how to produce a garden full of healthy,attractive, low-maintenance plants.Cox, the enthusiastic host ofHGTV's &Grow It!, has selected 150 perennials, both flowers andgrasses, that grow well in North American climates. Each double-pageplant entry tells how and where to grow the plant, how to propagateit, and a list of ideal planting partners. In addition, each entrydisplays a quick-glance sidebar that includes ideal hardiness zones,blooming season, size, color, light and soil requirements, and asubstantial list of plant sources (detailed in the back of thebook). Cox further assists the beginning garden planner with usefulgroupings: "Fragrant All-Stars," "Deer-Resistant All-Stars," "All-Stars for Full Shade," "All-Stars 4Feet or Taller," and so forth.It's in no way intended toreplace a complete plant encyclopedia, but novices will be happy withthe excellent selection and informative, friendly format ofPerennial All-Stars. --Barrie Trinkle ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

Perennial All-StarsAuthor: Jeff Cox
I love this book. It is a great go-to source for all pertinent information on each plant and it's so good to have the advice of an experienced gardener as to which plants are tried and true favorites. This is especially true of species that are offered in a mind-boggling number of varieties such as hosta. The book is especially well organized, presenting the same information on each plant in the same order on each page; making it easy to find what you're looking for. It even suggests good companion plants for each selection. I'm just starting a perennial garden and am so glad I found this book; I know it will be a great help in choosing good plants and hopefully avoiding too many mistakes.

Perennial All-Star
My daughter bought me this book for mothers day.I have lots of gardening books.This is my favorite one.I looked through so many
times.It has lots of information.If you want a new book.This one I love.

What a Treasure!
This book is well thought out- The author has taken time to categorize his picks for 'All-Star' perennials in several different ways to help the reader decipher them in much less time with less fuss. These plants are categorized by bloom season, length of time in bloom, light requirements, height, AND by color, making selection and planning a 'walk in the park'. The pictures are clear and there is even a note under each perennial for possible companion planting options. Out of my perennial book collection, this is easily one of my favorites!

Great For Total Beginners, But Valuable Reference For All
They don't come any more "beginner" (read clueless) than me when it comes to outdoor plantings. Given my limited knowledge base, I knew I'd better have some kind of coherent, organized plan of action, lest I end up completely overwhelmed by my new endeavor (creating a beautiful yard)...and disappointed in the results.

I'm starting at absolute ground-zero--haven't turned the first trowel of soil in my yard yet--but I'm already excited and encouraged about the prospect. Why? Because this book, with its cool indexes by color, plant height, growing conditions, and other variables, has been invaluable in helping me craft a PLAN for my yard.

With its guidance, I've made a list of which flowers are likely to fare best in which areas of my property, which has some of every condition: full sun all day, total shade all day, and every combination in between. Also, I've been able to do some preliminary "design" type planning, thanks to being able to cross-reference the color and height indexes with the light-or-shade indexes.

I feel so empowered! I know there's a ton of hard work ahead of me, and although the staff at local nurseries and home improvement centers are usually very helpful, instead of going to those places and hoping for the best, now I'll be able to make informed and intelligent decisions about the plants/bulbs I purchase.Whatever additional advice I receive from the staff will only enhance my chances of success!

This book rocks.

Perennial All-Stars
This is a well organized and colorful book that is good for the first time gardener as well as the seasoned veteran.Attractive pictures pull the reader into the page, then concise, helpful information is readily available. ... Read more

Product Description
Perennials play a central role in today's gardens. Choosing specific plants, however, can be daunting. Is this plant hardy in my area? How big does it get? When does it bloom? Perennials: A Gardener's Reference answers these and many other questions for more than 2,700 species and cultivars in 250 genera, making it one of the most comprehensive guides available. The informative text is enlivened throughout by the authors' wide-ranging experience with perennials and by Lynne Harrison's sumptuous photographs. Whether you're a beginning gardener, a seasoned expert, or a green-industry professional, Perennials: A Gardener's Reference will be the book you turn to again and again for essential information about these supremely beautiful and useful plants. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Excellent reference
Very informative. Take it to the nursery for information on possible buys. Alphabetic, so easy to use. Information about invasivness especially helpful.Is up to date.

Fills a niche
A "big" book about perennials that fills the need for a comprehensive reference. The book includes 250 genera and about 2,700 species and cultivars. Andgiven the flood of new plant introductions, the book is still fairly up to date. The format is extremely user friendly for garden planning or showing to commercial customers/clients. Organized by genus, each entry includes at least one color photo and notes about culture, management, propagation, pests/diseases, and companions for the genus. Especially valuable are the authors' opinions based on actual experience. The text for each genus is followed by a list of species and cultivars in chart form. In this format, it's a cinch to compare, for example, the characteristics of Agastache 'Apricot Sunrise' with A. 'Pink Panther.' Not a reprinted British edition, this is a book written by American-based horticulturalists and backed by the expertise of American publisher Timber Press. As a Zone 6 gardener in New England, however, I was a little disappointed with the emphasis on the Pacific Northwest and that fact that Zone 7 plants that won't survive my climate are included in the book. Nevertheless, all the common garden favorites are included. And if you want to look up something unusual such as Peltoboykinia, it's there as well.

Perennials; The Gardener's Reference
In general it is a very good book.I was a little disappointed in some of the flowers that weren't included in the book.

Just what I needed!
For all the information there is about plants, this book cuts to the core, and renders mini autobiographies of each plant in wondrous detail.This is no overview, but rather specific traits and needs of specific plants, and how to love them and make them happy.The photos are sensitive and detailed, and the individual plant descriptions are concise, clear and readable.This book has style and substance, and is sure to enrich the expert and instruct the rest of us.

Learning to Garden
I love this book.I have always enjoyed gardens and have done some gardening in the past - I finally have a little space to start from scratch and this has been a great help.The book lists the perennials by botanical latin but also has a very handy cross reference by common name.While the author's are from the Northwest, most of the plants listed can be used in USDA zones 3-9.I guess I might not buy this book if I gardened in Alaska, Hawaii or the extremely cold areas of the northern states. I like that the photo's are very clear and that each plant has a paragraph plus information regarding: Origin, preferred conditions, Management, propagation, pests and diseases, companion plants and notes.

This book has over 500 pages of great information about over 2700 spiecies and cultivars and has helped me both decide for and against some of them this summer.
... Read more

Product Description
Finally: a book that addresses the unique challenges of gardening in the coastal South!

Master Gardener Barbara Sullivan provides an authoritative guide for gardeners from Tidewater Virginia to Florida and all along the Gulf Coast from Florida to Texas, an area taking in USDA Zones 7b, 8, 9, and 10. Combining helpful gardening advice with an A-to-Z plant guide that describes more than 1,000 plant varieties and cultivars, Garden Perennials for the Coastal South will become an essential reference for both experienced and novice gardeners in this region.

The book is organized to allow the reader to plan a year-round garden or to focus on a particular season, with sections on subtropical plants, vines, herbs, groundcovers, ferns, heat- and drought-tolerant plants, shade plants, bulbs, ornamental grasses, and annuals, as well as a list of disease-resistant roses for the region.

More than 200 color photographs illustrate both individual plants and examples of beautiful landscape design. Rounding out the book's usefulness is information on the basics of landscaping, soil preparation, plant care, propagation, diseases, and pests. Whether you are new to the coastal South or a lifelong resident, you will find Garden Perennials for the Coastal South an indispensable addition to your gardening bookshelf. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

wonderful gardening book
I highly recommend this book for those gardening in the coastal south.I wore my first one out, I used it so much!

Garden Perennials for the Coastal South
This met many of my needs as I am a novice gardener and new to the coastal South. I also prefer perennials over annuals. The language is easy, and it gives detailed considerations/recommendations by seasons. This will be my key reference book.

A Great Garden Companion
This is a beautiful book you can trust to provide solid guidance on growing not only perennials, but companion annuals and vines that tolerate hot, humid conditions. Sullivan also presents lots of ideas for creating beautiful gardens in a range of sites, such as deep shade or at the beach. One of my favorite sections is called "Don't even think of growing these plants here," in which she shares wisdom on plants that are doomed in this climate. Every coastal gardener should have this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Garden writers Lewis and Nancy Hill share the wisdom of their 40 years of experience growing daylilies. Both beginning and experienced growers will profit from advice on selecting varieties, designing plantings, and propagation, as well as a listing of over 200 popular types. Also includes a directory of breeders, mail-order nurseries, and clubs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

daylillies the perfect perennail book
This is a great book.Everything you ever wanted to know or had a question about is in this book.I highly recommend this to every gardener.

Great Book for Beginners
I purchased this book since I had no prior knowledge of daylilies. This is a good book to provide the "beginner" with overview of daylilies. Only subject I found so far which was missing from this book was a more thorough explanation of when transplanting or planting bareroot daylilies there is a period where the plants outer leaves will die off and new growth will begin. If I hadn't asked on a garden forum about this, I would have assumed I was killing my daylilies. An updated publishing of this book would be better as well but content is still okay.
Overall, it's still a good reference but not for a more experienced daylily gardener.

Helpful for Daylily Addiction
This book is really the "how to" manual for beginning daylily addicts.In addition to a history of the species, it identifies high quality cultivars, describes various steps in planting, and most importantly is very informative about hybridizing.I use it as a reference manual as well as enjoyable reading.

good way to learn about daylily growing
This book is full of text on cultivating and raising daylilies. Has some color photos-could use a few more, but an excellent learning tool.

Daylilies in review
As I started reading it, many of my impressions and assumptions about daylilies disintegrated and a whole new concept was formed. They originated in Asia and there are more than 32,000 cultivars. Some consider them to bethe perfect perennial because they tolerate a variety of conditions. Culture, pest, and propagation is covered along with requirements forregistering new cultivars. It gives advice on which cultivars are bestsuited for your soil.Lists of cultivars are useful for selection sincethey indicate what size they are and how hardy they are.Good book! ... Read more

Product Description
Garden the easy way! Create a low-maintenance garden that bursts with beauty year after year! Take advantage of the easy and economical nature of planting and caring for perennials. Get tips on the history, character, and growing habits for over 100 plants, plus inspiring design ideas! ... Read more

Product Description
Structured to answer the questions of both amateurs and experienced gardeners, this book makes it easy to design and plant a garden. The encyclopedia of perennials helps identify each plant. Descriptions are arranged alphabetically by genus and cross-referenced by page number to the color plates. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Taylor's Guide to perenials
I am very new to gardening and found this book very helpful.It is cut and dry! The plants are listed in alphabetical order explaining where to plant them and how to care for them.It also describes when and if to trimthem back and if dead heading is needed.I also enjoyed how one section ofthe book organized plants based on color.

A Must Have for Gardeners
I have many helpful gardening books but this one is the one I always come back to.It's best for identitifying plants or finding the perfect plant for certain conditions.Great photos and lots of them!

The most complete color encyclopedia of periennials!
This book is arranged like a bird-identifier book-- color plates in the front arranged by flower color with plant details referenced in the back of the book. The color plates are clear, good color quality, and provideclose-ups of the flowers. Pen and ink drawings of plant profiles, leafstructures, and distinguishing features enhance the books ability to helpthe reader identify "what plant is this?" If you're looking fordetailed growing conditions or a "how to", get another book. Butif you're looking for a thorough, easy-to-carry-to- the-localgarden-nurserybook, to identify plants and the flowers they will yield then this book isfor you! I have tons of books on periennals, but this is the one that neverfails me when I need to ID a plant or flower.

The most complete color encyclopedia of periennials!
This book is arranged like a bird-identifier book-- color plates in the front arranged by flower color with plant details referenced in the back of the book. The color plates are clear, good color quality, and provideclose-ups of the flowers. Pen and ink drawings of plant profiles, leafstructures, and distinguishing features enhance the books ability to helpthe reader identify "what plant is this?" If you're looking fordetailed growing conditions or a "how to", get another book. Butif you're looking for a thorough, easy-to-carry-to- the-localgarden-nurserybook, to identify plants and the flowers they will yield then this book isfor you! I have tons of books on periennals, but this is the one that neverfails me when I need to ID a plant or flower.

The best, clearest, most complete perennial book
With its clear photographs, clear and helpful hints on propogating, planning and caring for hundreds of perennials, and a binding which is designed to allow the book to lie open and flat, it is the book I findmyself using almost to the exclusion of all others. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

Love the book and especially the indexing!
In addition to great info and pics, there is a fabulous index in the back.Butterfly plants, hummingbird plants, salt tolerant, even groups plants by bloom color.Great for planning!I give this book as a gift to my Alabama coastal gardener friends and they love it.

Highly Recommended
Highly recommended book for Floridians, it's helpful and easy to understand even if you don't have a green thumb.

flower power!
Get source of information, clearly laid out with lots of photos.
Well worth having as a reference source for Florida gardening. ... Read more

Product Description
From the 2001 Garden Writers of America Award winner!

It is every gardener's dream to create an ever-blooming display of color and fragrance from the first spring flush through the last fall leaf. With the insider tips offered in Perennials All Season, any gardener--from novice to master--can enjoy brilliant beds and borders all season long.

Remarkably simple and refreshingly down-to- earth, this system is structured around planning and positioning plants according to bloom time, color, and height. With a comprehensive selection guide, gardeners can choose plants that will flower exactly when needed to guarantee uninterrupted splendor.

Packed with photographs and information on high-performing plants, newer cultivars, and outstanding foliage, this guide is an essential gardening tool.

Special features include:

• A comprehensive plant selection guide, uniquely arranged by season
• More than 300 exquisitely detailed photographs of plants, plant combinations, and garden settings
• Specific growing information on bloom time, height, color, and sun and soil conditions of thousands of individual varieties

Customer Reviews (2)

Best Perennial Gardening and Design Book!
I have alot of gardening books and this one stands out as a winner that I highly recommend. It is a book for beginners as well as advanced seasoned gardeners. What I love the most and what made me buy this book is how he takes his 30+ years of gardening experience and distills his knowledge into very easy to learn principles.

He doesn't talk down to his readers or use terminology that is over the head of the average gardener.His tonge-in-cheek and witty comments shows that he is a normal gardener like the rest of us, making mistakes, buying the wrong plant and putting it in the wrong place but that's part of the fun of gardening, trial and error and seeing what works and what doesn't.A great book to curl up on a couch/hammock to read and dream how you're going to change your garden soon.

...

Helpful Information forAspiring Gardening Artists
Upon receiving this book, I glanced through it to see what it had to offer.I was very pleasantly surprised.
What most excited me, as an experienced gardener who is ALWAYS looking to expand my knowledge, were the many suggestions and explanations for the non-trained gardening "artist" that would help one better understand the principles of design and the use of color.
The information on the author's suggested plants for an ever-blooming garden were explicit, yet concise, and would benefit the average gardener as well as the beginner.
Within 24 hours, I had read the book, highlighted it, and recommended it to several gardening friends.In addition, I spent the day moving many perennials in my large mixed border to achieve, what appeared to me to be, an overall improvement in the design of my perennial garden.I look forward to seeing the results of the changes I have made as the season progresses.
This book, I think, offers the gardener, who might be tentative in his/her design decisions, knowledge that allows one to improve upon one's overall plan with a better understanding of the design principles presented and how to use them most effectively. ... Read more

Product Description
Drawing upon her vast knowledge of perennials and how they perform in the arid Southwest, Mary Irish has produced the definitive guide for gardeners who want to create lush, colorful gardens while keeping artificial irrigation to a minimum. This book will help Southwest gardeners meet the challenge of growing perennials successfully by providing inspired, practical information on how to design dry-climate gardens and an A–Z guide to 156 proven plants. Each entry includes the plant’s scientific and common names, distribution, cultural needs, drought tolerance, and ornamental characteristics. Written in a clear, reader-friendly style and profusely illustrated with sparkling color photographs, this invaluable volume makes Irish’s expertise available to every gardener. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A must read for Southwestern gardeners
Whether you are new to the Southwestern US or just want to brush up on your gardening, this book is a must have.I am thoroughly impressed by all of Mary Irish's books.Great descriptions and fantabulous pictures.Bravo!

Gardening Book
A good addition to gardening books, especially if you are new to the arid garden region, as I was.

Wonderful Guide to Perennials!
Another winning book by author Mary Irish! I have several of her books, and the style and information within is wonderful. The first part of the book includes designing your landscape, as well as garden prep, the care of perennials and disease/pests. Much of the information relates to plant care in general, so it's a great benefit for any gardener. Add to that the pages upon pages of recommended perennials, with color photos, and it makes for a great reference book for the arid gardener.

Whoa, give this book a chance!!!
I feel this book deserves a much higher score for the information it contains about this under-represented area of gardening. I hate to see a book trashed for odd reasons and would like to elaborate on why I value this book.

One reader has a problem with the fact that this book is not for the Four-Corners area. As one who lives in sizzling Phoenix, I can relate to the disappointment of not having books relate to my area. (So few books relate to Phoenix that it's fantastic to find a good one that does.) The description of the book in Amazon and on the cover of the book may not have adequately given away it's low-desert content, but that doesn't make it a bad book. If the book had been flipped through at a book store, the buyer would have known whether the book met their needs. Buying on Amazon is a short-cut. The fact that we are giving up our ability to peruse every page is the down side to the ease of purchase and lower prices we pay.

Another reader didn't like the fact that everyone in their neighborhood had a copy of this book. Sounds like whoever recommended it was being very responsible in urging water conservation and in steering homeowners toward plants that won't die the first season they are planted. The fact that Phoenix nurseries sell plants that won't live here without excessive babying leads many people down the wrong path. Crispy plants are a disappointing phenomenon that plagues gardeners without sufficient knowledge of the locale.

Of all the arguments, the one about the photos being too small is the only one that actually pertains to this book. Yes, the pictures are small. But the book is so good that I'm happy to do a "G00gle Images" search to see what MANY photos of a plant look like before deciding if I want it. To me, detailed information about each plant is of more value than expensive, space-consuming photos. I am a veteran in the publishing business and if the book containing this many plants accompanied by large photos, the expense of the book would be phenomenal.

Buyers, give this book a chance -- and remember G00gle Images for an array of photos that will provide greater knowledge of any plant from ANY book.

A MISTITLED book
Ordered this book and was all excited waiting for it to come; figured it was right up my alley.
When it arrived and I looked inside I knew when I saw the map that it was about area like Yuma, Phoenix, Tucson, El Paso. The HOT areas of the Southwest. Well, there's a lot of the Southwest that is high and cold and this book is for the low, hot areas. If you live within site of the Colorado mountains as I do in the Four Corners, this book will be of no use at all. Too bad I was given no hint about that and now have to deal with the hassle of a return and pay for it too!
Should have called it something like "Low Desert Gardening" or something... ... Read more

Product Description
Longtime gardener and gardening writer Patrick Lima offers a seasonal guide to three seasons worth of perennials. Lima guides the reader through the stages of planning, preparing the soil and choosing plants. With its captivating text and stunning color photographs, this book is your key to a beautiful garden, filled with eye-catching color throughout the growing season. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent guide for northern perennial lovers
This book is definitely a favorite of mine in making my garden plans.The authors use their own Ontario perennial garden to illustrate and guide the reader through the planning and seasonal chores involved in a perennial garden.Although their garden style is more formal than mine, they cover choosing, planting and care of perennials in a way that is easily applied in my more casual cottage gardens.Each month has detailed cultivation and care information for many varieties that will bloom at that time, helping with the daunting task of planning so that a garden has continued bloom throughout the growing season.Attention to garden "bones," the structure that holds the garden, is demonstrated in their snow-covered garden photos.Even barren of life and buried in snow, their gardens are interesting to look at, giving us hope that we too can have lovely gardens year round.

Pertinent,easy to read, entertaining, informative.
I use this book like one of my little garden bibles.Easy format, and very informative.I like the fact that he gardens in Ontario, and writes about the same climate that I contend with!Definitely one of my favorite gardening writers!! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

TERRIFIC book on perennial gardening!
I have found this to be the most helpful gardening book ever. Lots of great illustrations! It is highly informative, and the information is presented so clearly, including breakdowns like lists of "plants for moist soil," "most fragrant plants," etc.Along with all the carefully presented descriptions of landscape gardening in general, the book includes detailed descriptions and photos of many individual perennials and what they can accompany in your garden. ... Read more

Product Description
The definitive book on perennials is now bigger and better than ever!

The revised 10th Anniversary Edition of Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Perennials is the last word on growing lush, healthy gardens using hundreds of gorgeous, versatile perennials. Highlights of this new edition include seven new garden designs by well-known landscape artists from around the country; over 75 new encyclopedia entries, with hundreds of new plants added; and three new chapters: Perennial Flower Finder, Perennial Combinations, and Growing with the Design. The result is a winning mix of information and inspiration-and beautiful color photographs-to take one's dream garden from concept to reality.
Amazon.com Review
Perennials are the most challenging and rewarding of allgarden plants, and most gardeners need all the help they can get togrow them well. Perennials emerge from the ground in early spring,grow to full height, bloom, bear fruit, and then disappear with thefirst frost, only to do the same thing the following year and again thenext. Add this to the fact that for the first year or two, perennialsdon't do much above the ground (they are growing their root structure),but after that they burst forth with amazingly vigorous growth, andyou get an idea of the pleasures and tribulations of perennialgardening. The rewards, however, are rich: a wide array of flowerforms and colors, structure and leaf, an ever-changing mid-leveltapestry in the garden, plus a celebration of seasonal change. Fewgardeners can resist perennials, but how to grow them better and moreeffortlessly?

Readers can count on Rodale books to be practical anddetailed and to advocate organic gardening. While Rodale'sIllustrated Encyclopedia of Perennials does give information, asyou would expect from Rodale, on soil building, climate, propagationand nontoxic pest and disease control, its emphasis is on design. Theadvice is down-to-earth, as in a sidebar entitled "EvergreenPerennials: Myth or Reality?" that points out that although someperennials are touted as evergreen, and do keep their leaves throughthe winter (such as Epimedium, Ajuga, and Bergenia), they are often sotattered by winter storms that they shouldn't be counted on tobeautify the garden off-season.

Though packed with all sorts ofuseful information, the meat of the book is the encyclopedia ofperennials. From acanthus to yucca, each comes with a color photo,cultural and cultivar information, as well as suggestions onuse. Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Perennials is aninvaluable reference for anyone interested in these rewarding, thoughsomewhat demanding, plants. --Valerie Easton ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Perennials: 10th Anniversary Revised and Expanded Edition
Excellent reference source. As a beginning gardener I feel I inadvertently found the bible for the landscaper/gardener. Absolute wealth of invaluable information.

Rodale's Encyclopedia
This is an excellent product and I recommend it for all serious gardeners- a wealth of information.

Good perennial book
Good book for any gardener. Lots of information. The book has three main parts: Designing with perennials, Growing perennials, and the encyclopedia. The part that works best for me is the growing perennials. The encyclopedia is good, but needs to provide more information on each plant. Many, many perennials are listed but the descriptions lack more information that I need, such as, pests and diseases of the plant in question, winterizing requirements, etc.
Overall a good book, " a little more than your basic gardening book", but needs to have just a little more within each "plant description". That's why the four stars, instead of 5.

Super Reference Book
I bought this for my wife and she can't keep her nose outof it.Very, very concise and complete.

the Bible for perennials
Had the origonal for 20 plus years. Gave it to my daughter and bought another for my daughter in law and then this new one for myself. It's the book I go back to over and over again. Pictures are excellent and the plant reviews have not lead me astray yet. Perennials are initially expensive- and this helps choose the right ones for your garden spaces. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A surprisingly comprehensive work at a great price
I have a good library of gardening books, and had a perennial nursery for five years. This was the book I turned to first, and the one I recommended to all customers at the nursery. A surprising number of unusual cultivarsare mentioned, with very sensible growing instructions. Well written, goodphotos. If you're just learning, it's not intimidating; but there is a lotof material for the more advanced gardener. For the money, it's the bestbuy!

My experiences with Fred McGourty prove this books quality.
I am 17 years old and have worked at Hillside Gardens for 5 years now, under Fred and MaryAnn McGourty.It has been a wonderful experience, and after five years, there is always something new to learn.It is anextremely strenuous job but is well worth it in the end to see what youhave accomplished.I have not seen many gardens better looking thanHillside, and am proud to say that I helped do so.To get to my point,I feel that this book "Perennials: How to..." reflects Freds workgreatly.This book is a wonderful guide for the exotic perennials, andincludes many great ideas on how to successfully grow and maintain them. So in closing if you are looking for a great perenial referance book, thisis the one. ... Read more

Product Description
This book combines in-depth information on using, selecting, and growing perennials with inspiring photographs in one easy-to-navigate package.

From start to finish, this is the handbook on creating beautiful perennial beds

• Design inspiration

• Colorful garden plans

• In-depth care instructions

At-a-glance charts simplify buying decisions

• Plants by size and shape

• Flower color and bloom season

• Materials for mulching

An all-new edition written for gardeners from novice to expert

• Comprehensive plant-selection guide

• Techniques for growing success

• Planning a garden for year after year of beauty

... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

EXCELLENT BOOK SIMPLY FULL ON USEFUL AND VITAL INFORMATION
My wife and are love flowers and are quite "into" their cultivation, growing and general overall care along with bed design.For us, perennials are the way to go.We found long ago the yearly preparation of flower beds, and annuals do require yearly preparation and lots of it, was extremely time consuming and at times unpredictable.Add the fact that weed control is often times an issue in larger annual beds along with the fact that seed cost has skyrocketed over the years and the answer to most of our needs were perennials.

With these lovely flowers, and there is a tremendous variety out there now which is growing each year, there is indeed bed preparation but it is about one half of what is put into the annuals.We also enjoy the lush foliage that many of these plants produce, even when they are not in bloom.Owning many books on the subject, we were reluctant to purchase this one so we check it out of the library.After one quick scan read, we went ahead and bought the thing and have not been sorry once.Now keep in mind that I am not normally a big fan of many of the Ortho Books, but this one is certainly an exception.

The bed preparation section of this work which I will lump into designing, color schemes, depth requirements, placement and so forth, is a wonderful, if for not other reason that it has given me many moments of inspiration, which, when followed by action and not just daydreaming, have paid off big time.I also found that the section concerning choices to be extremely helpful.Our property is heavily shaded for the most part but we do have some large areas of full sun.Couple this with my tendency to use a lot of rock for my beds, and the choice of plants can become quite tricky at times.This book helped.

Now some of the information in the book such as plant separation, care and feeding, mulching and that sort of thing was not as useful to me as I have "been there and done that" over the years.That is okay though.The authors of this book did not design the book just for me and for my specific level of knowledge or my specific yare.That is one of the major strengths of this work; there is something in it for everyone, from the rank beginner to the master gardener.This is how a book like this should function!

Now no book is absolutely perfect and no book will answer all of your questions.That is the precise reason why there are so many books on this particular subject!But that being said, if you can or desire to purchase only one book on the subject of perennials, then this would probably be a pretty good choice.

I might also say that the text of this work is written in a fashion that is quite easy to understand and quite detailed.The book is also filled with some wonderful photographs.This is a nice work and if this is an area of interest, then it should be on your book shelf.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

Ortho Complete Perennials Book
I own a lot of books, especially gardening books, and this is by far the best of them! If you have any interest in perennials, whether you're a beginner or an expert, this is the book for you. It covers it all. How to design a perennial flower bed, specifics (hardiness zones, height, water needs, when they bloom, bloom duration, sun/shade needs, soil requirements, recommended species, growth rates, fertilizer needs, when they should be divided, disease and insect problems, how the plant develops new plants ie: offsets, runners, etc.). Includes lists of plants and designs for different types of gardens; butterfly, hummingbird, water-thrifty, damp-soil, shade, small-space, rock, and foliage. Plus different charts that compare plant size, season of bloom and colors. Also gives specifics on approximately 187 perennials. I dare call it the 'Bible of perennials' book. Enjoy perennials?- get this book!

the complete perennial book
it's a beautiful book full of informations and I'll use it for years to come ... Read more