Product Description
Hardy geraniums were the first plants to shrug off the rigours of her coastal climate and grow in Birgitte Husted Bendtsen's garden every bit as well as they did in the fertile, sheltered plots further east in Denmark. Add to this their tolerance of dogs and children, resistance to pests and diseases, interesting foliage, and delightful flowers in a wide range of colours, and it is little surprise that Birgitte developed an insatiable passion for them. In this book, she shares her knowledge of cultivating the plants and highlights the most garden worthy species and varieties. Expert cultivation advice, including comments on soil preferences and hardiness, is followed by fascinating information on pollination, and failsafe propagation secrets. Captivating colour photographs display key characteristics of hardy geraniums including their legendary range of flower colour and intricate, often highly marked, foliage. Here readers may marvel at the many cultivars of Geranium x oxonianum, enjoy favorites like Geranium 'Ann Folkard' with its striking black eye against magenta background, and covet the fine-leaved, blue-flowering Geranium himalayense. Smaller varieties ideal for growing in rockeries, containers and troughs are described along with perfect geraniums for associating with roses of all colours. Birgitte Husted Bendtsen communicates like a true enthusiast and the text is peppered with interesting anecdotes including news of an exciting variety that is prized for its blue flowers and modest stature.With over 400 species and hybrids of hardy geraniums and 450 beautiful colour photographs, this book is both rich in information and beautiful to browse. It is a long-awaited reference that will delight seasoned enthusiasts and introduce a whole new generation of gardeners to the charms of the hardy geranium. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Superb detail...and the photos!
I love gardening!Several years ago I fell in love with hardy geraniums and have, over the years, acquired several varieties without knowing a lot about them.No longer can I say that, thanks to Birgitte Husted Bendtsen's beautiful book published by Timber Press.

Most of the detailed photos are by Ms. Bendtsen herself.Chapters discuss family and genus, cultivation and propagation, specialty uses such as in rock gardens, beneath roses and more.There's a section on bee pollination that includes the most charming photo of two bees curled up in the bowl of a Geranium Gracile bloom.

Chapters discuss the many different types of hardy geraniums and give information on each type.(Did you know that two different hardy geraniums planted close together can have "children"?Did you know that Geranium Sanguineum can be identified as such because it produces a single flower rather than a pair?)I have several clumps of G. Sanguineum in my mountain cottage garden--a gift from a fellow gardener.By comparing a blossom to the twenty varieties shown in the book, I was able to determine that I have "John Elsley."

As another reviewer stated, G. Ann Folkard may not adapt well to a wet and cold climate.I live in a rainy area and can say that this variety does quite well as does G. Brookside.Not mentioned in the book is the extreme hardiness of G. A.T. Johnson.I started ten years ago with one four-inch plant and now have patches of A.T. in every bed.It propagated very well.

Buy this book.It's a wonderful addition to your gardening library.

Gardening with Hardy Geraniums
Absolutely fantastic book!It's beautifully illustrated and very informative.The book arrived quickly and in excellent condition.It's hard to believe it's used and not new.Very helpful in identifying and classifying plants, both by their leaves and by the flowers, especially when the accompanying tag disappears after the plant has sat in the garden for a while!

Gardening with Hardy Geraniums
Fabulous book . . . beautiful pictures, good practical advice on growing and maintaining various cultivars of hardy geraniums.

Wow! Incredibly informative and a good read too!
In my garden planning, I keep running across stunning and adorable hardy geraniums.I got this book on a lark, and based on previous reviews, to get a little more information such as "will these actually look as nice in MY garden" and "are they as hardy as advertised"... I have read this book cover to cover since I got it a few days ago--the author is outstanding, showing a true passion for gardening and gardening using geraniums.She is entertaining and explains each of the variations/hybrids simply and thoroughly.This is the first gardening book I have read and finally "gotten" the latin names, understanding the characteristics of each of 'these' parents produces offspring having 'those' features.I know that's not a hard concept, but sorting through garden catalogs, garden stores, etc. I guess I'd get jaded and set my planning aside for a while.Birgitte explains the features of each kind of geranium and their best uses and placement (will this one work in a rock garden or only woodland settings?), as well as having a great photo of most every flower and some of their leaves to show the many variationsand combinations.Many of the plants I have seen just recently on-line are included in this book, which made me pretty happy.I learned that Geranium 'Anne Folkard' may not survive a cold, damp winter unless I take extra care and shelter it a little, and G. pratense Midnight Reiter may not grow as fast as I would have liked it too to fill in the area where I wanted to place it.

After reading "Gardening with Hardy Geraniums", I am taking this book with me to the garden stores, with my slightly revised list, so if I see something else that calls out to me, I can look it up and know a heckova lot more than on the little plant tag.I wish more plant-specific books were more like this one--really interesting and informative without being just a list of plants with the same information on the plant tags.

Superb!
I already owned the well-known books on hardy geraniums by Trevor Bath / Joy Jones and Peter Yeo when this new book was published, so at first I hesitated a little before buying yet another book about this increasingly popular garden plant. I have not regretted buying it. I would't want to be without the other two books but the newcomer has a lot to offer: You will find many new cultivars that were unknown to the other authors; it's interesting to compare the experiences of someone gardening in Denmark, where climatic conditions are tougher, to those of English gardeners; there is a fascinating chapter on a leading Dutch breeder of geraniums; you'll find excellent chapters on cultivation and propagation, illustrated with useful pictures; there are 450 brilliant photographs, among them close-ups of flowers and leaves, so you can compare them handily, but also of whole plants and borders, so you get the "micro-perspective" as well as the "macro-perspective"; and, last not least, the author shows real passion when writing, very competently and wittily, about gardening with geraniums. If you are looking for a systematic and scientific monograph about cranesbills, you are better served with Peter Yeo's standard work (2nd edition), but if you are gardening and as crazy about geraniums as I am - then you can't do without this book! ... Read more

Product Description
In the tradition of his classic Herbaceous Perennial Plants, 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. Each entry is liberally sprinkled with strong and sometimes amusing opinions, and the book includes useful lists that make it a practical guide for the dedicated home gardener. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Gardens Are Good
I have browsed through this collection of information. It clearly describes perennials in an informative manner with descriptions that even a novice gardener (like myself) can follow. I strongly recommend this as part of any library.

Armitage's Garden Perennials
I received this book quickly and was very pleased with the condition it was in.
This is a good book for the gardener.It has interesting plants, tells where to plant,and Armitage does it in a lively manner.
This is a good book to have in ones library.

Armitage Garden Perennials
I wanted a book that had a section of height and description of the flowers and how long the blooming season is and whether it did well in sun or shade.I would like to have been able to just open to the flower and find that information all in one place, but I have to read through the entire information on that particular plant to find all of this, so the book is not as usefulto me as I thought it was going to be.It takes up too much of my time to find out what I want to know.I would like a better description of the books so I know more if it is what I want before I buy it.

Armitage's Garden Perennials: A Color Encyclopedia
Good pictures and good information. Useful as a book to show clients a picture of plants in a plan. Could use a consistent, easy to find section on the plant requirements. As a reference for designing this would help in finding appropriate plants for the project at hand.

Armitage's Garden Perennials
This is a nice book but not what I thought it was going to be.I am taking an online course for Perennials and this book was suggested as a suppliment to the textbook.It is a nice picture book that you can use to identify a flower. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Always a great resource
I purchased this book for a friend as I have had a copy for years.It is still one of Dr. Welch's best books and a wealth of useful easy to read information for plant selection for a perennial garden.

It gave me courage
This is my favorite gardening book, and the one that gave me the courage to start ripping out the grass and planting ornamentals.I've referred to it so often, the binding is now loose.Welch's vast experience with plants that can stand up to sometimes-brutal Southern conditions is invaluable.Exceedingly helpful general and specific information on a large variety of plants to brighten your landscape.

Perhaps the BEST book for Houston and Gulf Coast Gardeners
You will enjoy the many discoveries this book has to offer and it is beautifully illustrated with a color photograph and planting recommendations for every plant.I cannot recommend a better book for a Houston or Gulf Coast gardener, either expert or new comer, and I have read them all!It focuses on plants that truly do well HERE.It skips azaleas, hybrid roses, tulips and all the other fussy plants pushed by the local nurseries do great anywhere but here.Instead it offers beautiful and underused (and for the most part - EASY) alternatives.

Excellent
One of the best book's on Texas gardening. ... Read more

Product Description
Featuring plant profiles of the 35 to 60 most popular perennials, at-a-glance boxes which provide their Latin names, height, growing conditions, color choices, and unusual characteristics, plus a troubleshooting section to help prevent problems before they occur, this comprehensive book also contains 125 color photos and more than 100 landscaping and gardening applications. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Southern Living Garden Guide Perennials
Both books were in perfect condition.The pictures and information have been most helpful.I kept one and gave the other as a gift to newlyweds.
Millie Cotten ... Read more

Product Description
There is a fantastic array of vegetables you can grow in your garden, and not all of them are annuals. In Perennial Vegetables the adventurous gardener will find information, tips, and sound advice on less common edibles that will make any garden a perpetual, low-maintenance source of food.

Imagine growing vegetables that require just about the same amount of care as the flowers in your perennial beds and borders—no annual tilling and potting and planting. They thrive and produce abundant and nutritious crops throughout the season. It sounds too good to be true, but in Perennial Vegetables author and plant specialist Eric Toensmeier (Edible Forest Gardens) introduces gardeners to a world of little-known and wholly underappreciated plants. Ranging beyond the usual suspects (asparagus, rhubarb, and artichoke) to include such "minor" crops as ground cherry and ramps (both of which have found their way onto exclusive restaurant menus) and the much sought after, anti-oxidant-rich wolfberry (also known as goji berries), Toensmeier explains how to raise, tend, harvest, and cook with plants that yield great crops and satisfaction.

Perennial vegetables are perfect as part of an edible landscape plan or permaculture garden. Profiling more than 100 species, illustrated with dozens of color photographs and illustrations, and filled with valuable growing tips, recipes, and resources, Perennial Vegetables is a groundbreaking and ground-healing book that will open the eyes of gardeners everywhere to the exciting world of edible perennials. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Awesome, well designed, easy to read
Great book.Only I eat mostly raw foods and this book seems to profile mostly foods that need to be cooked... lots of root crops and bitter greens that improve with cooking.

Good information
This book is full of good information. It gives enough detail that can lead to additional research in areas of interest. I would recommend it for people who are interested in starting an edible perennial garden.

I like this book
I like this book because I always like to try new vegetables.
There are two drawbacks:
First, there is a huge common section about gardening with perennials, more or less what you can read in any gardening book. I would have preferred not having this section but more plants.
Second planting info, especially hardiness zones are too much specific to the USA.

Great Resource!
This book is a must have for anyone looking to increase their production of vegetables without the hassle of replanting every year.The book is well written, intensively researched and fun to read.I highly recomend it.

Excellent book for the gardeners of the tropics
I live in the wet tropics of Australia and have found this book fills a gap in the information available on growing perennial foods in the hot humid areas of the world.The information is concise and extensive and seems to be a good attempt to catalogue most of the common useful foods.Just be careful where you acquire the initial plants/tubers from as some varities can be quite toxic and may need extensive processing before they can be safely eaten, whereas there are edible varities that do not need processing to be had. ... Read more

Product Description

Large plantings of perennial flowers can cost tens of thousands of dollars in large gardens or public parks. Even smaller-scale designers and landscapers can't afford to guess wrong when setting up flower beds that have to look their best on cue. This is the only book available to provide an authoritative, deeply researched guide to flowering time for more than 450 perennial flowers. No designer, landscaper, or public garden can afford to be without it. When Perennials Bloom is based on groundbreaking research on the exact bloom time of particular flowers from around the world—from Moscow to Missouri. Organized alphabetically by flower and including detailed charts and graphs, this book presents a system to predict the groupings of flowers that will reliably bloom at the same time. Introductory chapters explain the seasonal development of various perennial plants, the response of plants to weather conditions, and basic concepts of phenology—the timing of natural phenomena. Detailed descriptions illustrated with stunning photographs, recommendations for garden use, analysis of bloom times, and graphs showing month-by-month bloom time round out this comprehensive title. Whether you're a home gardener who wants to plan an effective perennial border or a nursery, design, or landscape professional whose career survival depends on a plant's peak display, you will find this carefully compiled book to be an indispensable tool.

Customer Reviews (3)

Useless if you live in the South
This beautiful book is simply useless if you live in the South.I had better luck reading Elizabeth Lawrence's 50 year old record of when her flowers bloomed. Too bad there is not a "When Perennials Bloom in the South" edition.

Wonderful, comprehensive review for Mid-Atlantic gardeners
I bought this for my husband, a dedicated gardener. He volunteers for eight hours, once a week (as a gardener, digging in the dirt), at Longwood Gardens, where the author is on the staff.
My husband loves the book and already it has become one of his favorite references when he is thinking about new plants to add to our own garden. It's a beautiful book, highly recommended for amateur or professional gardeners who want to ensure a continuous array of color throughout the growing season in the Mid-Atlantic area.

Wonderful encyclopedia for the flower lover in you!
This book has wonderful information about Perennials and explores beautiful flowers. This book has dedicated around 428 pages out of the 482 pages (plus index pgs that equal out to 512 pgs that is listed in the Product Detail here on Amazon). It gives a lot of superb information into this book. The vibrant colors of the flowers make this book a one to buy. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (3)

"Why perennials do what they do"
This is not an annotation of perennials.Many other books do that.The value of Cullina's beautifully illustrated book (including some fascinating electron microscope photos) is in learning about the inner workings of plants in clear and personal language. The title implies that the reader will come to understand plants from the inside out.Like the difference between portraiture and anatomy, Cullina is dealing not only with outward appearances, but also with what goes on beneath the "skin."He offers explanations as to why the thicker leaves of a shade plant grown in the nursery sun will have trouble adjusting to a naturally shady environment.Or the difference between the composition of roots, corms and bulbs.Or the purpose of fuzz on a leaf, and how plants communicate to each other through chemicals to defend against predators.This book has the potential to make each of us a better gardener, not by memorizing a bunch of do's and don'ts, but by understanding why plants behave as they do.

Comprehensive review of Growing perenniels
Very informative and well annotated by Cullina photographically.A must read for budding gardeners and seasoned amateurs.

Not what I expected.
In all fairness,we (both gardeners) have not looked at it thoroughly yet. I thought this would be a general reference book about perennials, but it is not. Cullina's orchid book is highly valuable; this is something different. We will give it a chance. ... Read more

Product Description
Here is the English translation of the world's greatest encyclopedia of perennial plants. Included are 809 genera; 4286 species, subspecies, varieties, and hybrids; and 3617 cultivars. It is a peerless resource for perennial one-upmanship because of its inclusiveness, and this translation offers material on new introductions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Disappointed with the delivery
This book was supposed to have two volumes.I only received one.I'm still awaiting Amazon's response to this, but for one volume this is way overpriced.

A Truly Exceptional Work
I have a modest horticultural library, including the AHS A-Z mentioned in another review, and I was thrilled to be able to add "Hardy Herbaceous Perennials" to my bookshelf.The authors are well known experts in the field of herbaceous perennials and they've compiled a truly remarkable book on the subject.

Whereas "A-Z" has as many pages as this work, it includes every type of plant - woodies, vines, conifers, annuals, perennials, water plants - you name it.Obviously you're getting a lot more entries on the narrowed down topic of herbaceous perennials in Jelitto & Schachts' book.You'll find more obscure perennials included in this work than in A-Z.

The entries are also more interesting than A-Z's.Each entry is from the author's first hand knowledge of the plant, more along the line of what you might find in Dirr's and Armitage's writings.However, they do also stick to the facts as in A-Z, so you do get the information you need, as in in origin, zone, plant requirements.A-Z is more clinical.

Since the book was written many years ago (this edition was updated in 1990 when it was translated from the German), some of the photos are black and white, though many are color.And, since the translation was done in 1990, taxonomic changes that occurred after that date are missing.Neither of these points is a drawback to buying this book.All the photography is excellent and, well, names change all the time, so even A-Z needs updating.

One last point to be made is that we in the United States tend to feel perhaps a little too self important.This is why A-Z is considered the 'best' by many US readers.While I wouldn't give up my copy of A-Z, I don't restrict my library to US publications.There is a huge amount of information originating in Europe and on other continents that never makes its way here.This does not reduce its value, just makes it less available unless we reach beyond the US.I have a friend who bought a shrub here in a US nursery and could find no info on it.It wasn't in A-Z or Dirr.The first 3 books I pulled off my shelf had it; two from the UK and one from Australia.

In conclusion, "Hardy Herbaceous Perennials" is one of the best additions I've made to my library in a long time.The price is a bit steep, but worth it.

There are better books out there
I purchased this book as a recomendation of my teacher in Hort Science, at The Ohio State University.When i recieved it, their was only 1 of 2 copies, which was outrageous for the price.The pictures were of poorquality, the information was in small amounts, and there was no detail.Ishowed this book to my teacher since he had never see it himself, and helaughed. He showed me a book he and I thought was going to be, infact TheAmerican Horticultural Society A To Z Encyclopedia Of Garden Plants is oneof the best in his collection of over 2000 books on Horticulture.Thisbook shows 6000 color photos, full descriptions on each plant, trees,details, and everything else I thought the Hardy perennial book was goingto be.If you want to know the truth, their are many other books out therebetter than this one.For instance check out TimberPress.com, the maker ofthis book. It shows many other titles related to this title. ... Read more

Product Description
Beautiful gold embossed book - the authoritive gardening bible. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great book
It is a great book but the condition was not as promised.It was supposed to be new but there were red check marks next to the names of some of the plants.

More Gardening Glory
Having purchased several of these books over the years, I can truthfully say that it was impossible to see that I bought the book used!

From the cover ...
A Sourcebook for Every Gardener

Make your home and yard an extra special place with the help of this comprehensive collection of landscaping and gardening ideas.From grasses and ground covers to hedges and flowering shrubs to trees reaching to the sky, you'll find everything you need in TREASURY OF GARDENING.

Advice on how to design your entire landscape.

Information and illustrations detailing specific gardening techniques.

How to grow annuals, perennials, specialty gardens, ornamental grasses, trees, shrubs, vines, and vegetables and herbs.

Directories of hundreds of plants with vital information on growth, use, and related varieties and species.

Whether a novice or an expert, TREASURY OF GARDENING will open an entire world of possibilities to any gardener.
... Read more

Product Description

In The Art of Perennial Garding Patrick Lima shares the secrets and strategies he has gleaned from gardening in Ontario's Burce Peninsula, bringing a seasoned, pragmatic perspective to his latest work. Beautifully illustrated, inspiring and often humorous, this book is infused with that staple of good gardening: the promise of what is possible. The author offers hundreds of solutions and options for the perennial garden, suggesting plant combinations for every phase of the growing season. Whether you're cajoling a tiny backyard plot into beauty or facing a landscape of intimidating proportions, Lima has much to teach both the novice and the seasoned gardener about the creative act of garden-making.

Customer Reviews (4)

one of my favorites
i originally borrowed this book from the library and wound up re-borrowing it so much that i decided to buy it (a rarity for me).since then, i keep it in my satchel which is always in reach. i am currently designing and installing a new garden, and many of the combinations i will use are from this book.

the author's comments and experiences are instructive, humorous and well written.indeed, i would not mind reading any writing he might produce.

ONE OF THE BEST GARDENING DESIGN BOOKS!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book!This book took me from color to design to planning borders so that something is in bloom all the time.The photographs provided identification of plants and I have found myselfreturning to them again and again to study the author's compositions. Ialso shared his views on gardening's place in one's life.Highlyrecommend.

Written with humor and clarity. EXCELLENT.
Patrick Lima is without question my favorite garden writer. He is knowledgable and witty, and really offers comprehensive material for gardening with perennials in a zone 4 region. I can't recommend this bookhighly enough. John's photos are spectacular.

An excellent gardening book!
Patrick Lima and John Scanlan once again have produced a lovely and informative book for gardeners. I am writing from zone 2, where gardening is a challenge!I found many useful ideas, and practical"how-to's".I have read it from cover to cover, and wait eagerlyfor the snow to melt, so I can try some of their ideas.Buy this book, itis money well spent! ... Read more

Product Description
Ornamental grasses are among the most versatile andsophisticated of garden plants. Planted as single specimens in beds oron the terrace in a container, grasses are striking focalpoints. Smaller forms bring rhythm and diversity to mixed borders, andclumping forms richly carpet the ground. This beautifully illustratedbook by two imaginative garden designers will provide equal measuresof information and inspiration. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Very disappointing...
I must say, I am astonished that this book has recieved the positivereviews that it has. I bought this book with the intent of gainingknowledge in the area of designing with grasses. I read it from start tofinish and found that the entire text consisted of rambling, repetative,generalizations that were devoid of any substantial content. I wascompletely shocked that the authors would dare publish such wishy-washymaterial.

In addition, many of the photos are out of focus and thecorresponding descriptions are often incomplete. The descriptions ofspecific grasses are very brief and many very popular grasses are notincluded at all.

I have never been more disappointed with a book purchaseof any kind on any topic.

Not a great reference book
I'm writing this review to balance out all of the 'great' reviews this book has received. The book is okay, but it is not a great reference book. It has several faults:

First, the book is suppose to be about grasses,yet 25% of the text discusses garden flowers.

Second, many of the photosare cluttered or blurred. There were few species specific photos thatdisplayed a single clear crisp grass variety.

Third, the book rambles andtakes the long way to discribe a simple observation. Some readers willenjoy this style, but it's not for me. I want something that gets to thepoint.

Fourth, the species reference (called 'Selected Plant Catalogue'),is sparse and dated. For example, Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Overdam' iscovered in just three words, 'outstanding variegated form'. Gee ... somehowI was expecting more information. There is not one photo of Overdam in theentire book. Likewise, there is no photo of Festuca glauca 'Elijah Blue'.These are two very popular grasses to have been leftout.

On the positiveside, there are some neat winter photographs of grasses, and the bookcontains some useful information (but it is difficult to find it when youneed it).

This is the kind of book that you're suppose to sit and readfrom cover to cover. A pleasure reading book. Not what I do with gardenbooks, I read them rather like an encyclopedia - and this is not a goodchoice for a reference book.

Excellent explanation and examples of mature plantings
We are a Landscape Design/Build firm specilizing in using ornamental grasses in our design concepts.We have found this book to be an excellent sales tool to show clients how the mature grasses will look in their L/Sdesign. The text is extremely informative and gives a good basic knowledgeof grasses to the novice. The photos are stunning.

Excellent writing and pictures of ornamental grasses
This book covers all the different types of ornamental grasses; from choosing cultivars to the many ways they can be used in your garden.The best book I have seen in this area!

The most complete book you could buy for ornamental grasses.
An excellent text on the subject of ornamental grasses.The authors acknowledge that ornamental grasses are only a part of the landscape, and they address the other types of plants that work well with them.

They approach the subject from a landscape design frame of reference, how to work grasses into your garden.This information is usually only available through your own trial and error.King and Oudolf take out the guesswork.What puts this book a step above all others about the same subject is that it informs its readers how to plant in combination with other perennial flowers.The 161 color photos and very thorough coverage of ornamental grasses and their companions make this the most complete package you could buy for incorporating these graceful, ornamental features into your design. ... Read more

Product Description
The number-one complaint of gardeners is that they can't grow flowers in shade. In this guide, the reader is introduced to 80 species of perennials that will flower in shade. 80 color photos. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Nice book, wish it had even more flowers.
This is a very informative book. I just wish it would be even more comprehensive. ... Read more

Product Description
Every gardener loves perennials. Buy them and plant them, and most will flourish and even expand year after year. But in addition to reliability, perennials offer gardeners a wonderful opportunity to make a stunning visual statement in their home landscapes--if you know how to combine and arrange them. In The Perennial Gardener's Design Primer, Stephanie Cohen and Nancy Ondra, two top garden writers and teachers, offer fun, organized, and--most important--attainable advice on how to create gorgeous gardens using these beloved plants.

Cohen and Ondra walk the gardener step-by-step through the process of creating new gardens, as well as of bringing new life to gardens that have lost their luster. They explain how to pick perennials that suit the site by making the most of plant color, shape, size, and texture and how to create eye-catching plant combinations. Beautiful illustrations accompany the new garden plans, and stunning photographs capture how Cohen and Ondra have redesigned their own gardens. Throughout the book a lively dialogue between Cohen and Ondra encourages readers to experiment and to create their own satisfying designs.

The authors also offer down-to-earth design solutions for 20 specific types of gardens, including everything from a minimum maintenance garden to a more complex container garden, from planting a formal border to indulging in the controlled chaos of a cottage garden.

Whether you are breaking ground for a new garden, or revitalizing an existing bed, The Perennial Gardener's Design Primer can help every gardener achieve great results--year after year. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Good designs and clear directions
I had taken this book out from the library and liked it so much that I decided to buy my own copy.

very helpful
This book is very helpful in planning a border or bed. The authors give a simple procedure that will give good results. In addition, they describe several plants that do well without much care. This books focuses on sunny areas. I wish they would do a similar book using shade plants. One of the most helpful garden planning books I've seen.

Everything You Need To Know
The Perennial Gardener's Design Primer
By Stephanie Cohen and Nancy J. Ondra
Storey Publishing
ISBN -13978-1-58017-532-2

If this book had been available when I first started gardening, I would have saved both time and money and might have avoided frustration and disappointments. This publication allows the perennial gardener to skip past the trial and error stages of gardening and move directly into planting and growing pleasurable perennial gardens.

Whether one is a novice attempting a first-ever flower bed or a seasoned gardener re-configuring or enlarging a pre existing one, there is ample advice and encouragement to accomplish ones goals with confidence and satisfaction. The artistry of this book is that it is not necessary to read it from cover to cover in order to learn. Reader may select only those chapters that reflect the existing physical conditions of their gardening space or may chose to read about a specific style of garden they want to create.

One can find advice about a shade or a sun garden, a dry or a soggy location, a small flower bed or a meadow of wildflowers, a perfectly manicured border or a minimal maintenance garden. Whatever the readers' choice, the authors offer guidance for plant site, bed preparation, flower selection and plant combination. Within each clearly defined type of garden there is a suggested list of very specific plants that have a proven track record for converting perennial gardeners' dreams into reality.

There is an interesting rhythm to this book. Each author gardens according to her particular tastes and needs and writes about them with conviction. By juxtaposing two different yet respected points of view, the authors have created a primer with a double purpose. It emboldens the reader to embrace one's own gardening style while at the same time offers more than one reliable path to perennial gardening success.

Allan Becker reviews books on gardening for [...]
and for,< [...] >

My favorite for garden design
This is one of my favorite garden books.I've only started gardening in the last couple of years.Since I had some failures in my first season, I've been trying to read all I can on the subject.This is definitely one of the best books that I have found to communicate garden design.I would also recommend "Designing Your Gardens and Landscapes" by Janet Macunovich.

Absolute favorite of my gardening books
If you want to plant a flower garden, this is a great how-to.It gives you plenty of suggestions and "jumping off" points which giving you the knowledge and confidence that you can put together your own plans/ideas and not just feel like you have to copy a set plan exactly if order for it to look decent.
I bought 4 garden books after looking at about 25, and this is still my favorite. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
Ground covers take on new meaning in this enlightening book designed to make gardeners' work easier. Hostas, stonecrops, smaller rhododendrons, prayer plants, pyracanthas, box huckleberry, hellebores, daylilies, grasses, alpine willows, and unsupported climbing vines are just some of MacKenzie's imaginative suggestions. Even Gunnera manicata, a 6-foot-tall, 8-foot-wide plant, is suggested for some situations! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An excellent title from Timber Press
Perennial Ground Covers is a great example of the high standards of Timber Press publishing of horticultural subjects. MacKenzie does an overall exceptional job at breaking down hundreds of species of both traditionaland non-traditional groundcovers. Many of the plants included here areclever and reasonable additions to those that would normally be consideredgroundcovers, while some step over a few bounds, with no harm donenonetheless, to be included in this group. This reference book is best forthose with just a little more than basic plant knowledge, but can be justas helpful for the beginner. It is refreshing in its approach that does notbaby the reader as it does not assume they know nothing about plants atall. The breakdown of this book consists of an introduction, including anexplanation on nomenclature, a section of plates of each groundcoverincluded in the book, a non-picture section of species in alphabeticalorder, and an outstanding appendix of characteristics in table form for allof the plants included.One main drawback of the book is a lack of familynames of species that have descriptions. This is where a grouping byrelationship or by environmental conditions would be better than analphabetical listing. I appreciate that the pictures were kept together ina separate section, rather than including them alongside each description.This makes for easier use for reference.I would recommend this book toanyone interested in a reference for both groundcovers and perennials astwo individual groups of plants. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Sunset books rock
As all Sunset books, this is knowledgeable and suited to the region I live in.I am very happy with it. ... Read more

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If you love to garden but don't have much time to spend weeding, watering, and fussing over your plants, perennials are the perfect flowers for you. Most perennials self-propagate and multiply on their own, increasing in beauty and size each year. They are also less expensive and time-consuming than annuals over the long term, because you don't have to buy new plants each year. But choosing the best plants from today's selection of literally thousands of perennials is enough to stump any flower enthusiast, let alone a beginning gardener.

This booklet will introduce you to 10 beautiful perennials that are undemanding, wonderfully versatile, and adaptable to a variety of growing conditions. They're not particularly fussy about soil conditions, and they can tolerate both drought and overwatering, as long as they have adequate drainage. These wonders of the perennial world grow quickly, require little maintenance, and reward you with a kaleidoscope of color and gorgeous foliage year after year. ... Read more