Essential Perennials

March 1, 2015

When choosing perennials, gardeners now face what the authors of this reference call "horticultural spam": a floodgate of new cultivations (including 60,000 kinds of daylily!) that have appeared over the last 30 years. In her update of a guide last published in 1989, perennials expert Rogers Clausen (Perennials for American Gardens) and Christopher (Water-Wise Gardening) focus on 2,700 of "the most reliable and rewarding" of these key garden players, which go dormant in the fall and return in the spring. More than 400 color photographs accompany the alphabetically arranged entries, organized by scientific name, with bloom time, size, zone requirements, companion plants, and design suggestions provided. An index of common names is included as a cross-reference. VERDICT A beautifully illustrated "spam filter" for perennial-growers.--Judy Quinn, formerly with Library Journal

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2014
Perennials are found in many North American gardens, usually selected for their long growth cycles and economyplant once, and you'll be set for years to come (with proper care and maintenance!). This collaboration between two esteemed horticulturalists would make an excellent addition to most gardening collections. A helpful introduction briefly discusses plant selection and nomenclature, and then the volume continues with a section on Perennial Basics, which will be helpful to both the beginner and the professional gardener. This section covers shopping for plants, cultivating, maintaining perennials in various ways, and propagating. The bulk of the work consists of alphabetically arranged, detailed descriptions of 2,700 perennials, from Acanthus (bear's breech) to Zizia (golden Alexanders). Plant entries cover the official name, nickname, expected size, color, planting time, shading, and recommended fertilizer for each plant. There are numerous, lovely full-color photographs throughout. The reference ends with a collection of resources and an Index of Common Names. This update to Clausen's lauded Perennials in American Gardens (1989) is enthusiastically recommended for both academic and public libraries and is an essential purchase for libraries where there is an interest in gardening.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)