Continuous Bloom

I have several gardening books that I enjoy, but this is the first one to immediately impress me. I think this book could also be appropriately titled "Timing is Everything". Most of us have certain times thruout the year when we look at our gardens/landscaping and realize that something is missing... the bloom has gone... That's where this book shines. It takes you from March ("The Emerging Garden") thru November ("The Last Hurrah!"), listing page after page of perennials that show their best at that time of the year. Each plant has its own page, with a beautiful picture. Below the picture is information on plant type, zone, flower, foliage, bloom length, height, width/spacing, light, soil, care, uses, propogation, problems, insider's tips, and combining ("combines with"). The corners of the pages are color-coded for easy reference (i.e. April is yellow, May is green...). Some corners contain a clock icon for those perennials that have "extended bloom times" (i.e. "14-plus weeks..." on page 91), and/or a leaf icon for those that have "notable foliage" (i.e. "Mounds of chocolate-tinged oval leaves" on page 261). This book also includes chapters for Winter ("Who Stops Gardening in Winter?") that talks about "Evaluating and Planning as Part of the Gardening Process", and Tips ("Nitty-Gritty Tips for Good Garden Care") that can be as basic as "The Fifteen-Minute Garden Solution" which "eliminates...spending an entire day on the weekend...". Is this book an all-encompassing enclopedia? No. Does this book contain all there is to know on pruning and training? No. Do these things take away from the book? Emphatically, No. This is a beautifully done book that is a "Month-By-Month Guide" to help us plan, and give us ideas, and fill the voids that occur in our current scheme. It's a book that is so usefull you won't want to put it away, and is so beautiful you'll want to leave it out. This is a book you'll want to get your hands on in any format (hardcover, paperback...), but if you have the chance, get the spiral bound edition. This edition not only looks great, but all the pages are plastic coated for years of handling.

I am new to gardening and my sister, who is a long-time and very knowledgeable gardener, gave me this book as a gift. We just built a new home and using this book I installed four large perennial garden beds as well as added perennials to my other landscaping areas all with great success. Using her tips and ideas for combinations of plants, I do have 'Continuous Bloom.' The book is very easy to use and it was I was able to find mostly all of the perennials she mentions in our town, I would highly recommend this book to anyone. It has made gardening a new true joy to me while my other attempts in the past were often disappointing.

This book is invaluable to me! I'm a garden designer by profession, and find information in this book to be the best available in the trade. One page is devoted to each recommended cultivar, and the information is listed in an easy, quick-to-use outline format. While I love to read about plants, when creating a design, I don't want to wade through paragraphs of text! In addition to bloom times, great photos, and plant spacing, the book includes information that the plant labels and catalogs (and most other garden books!) do not, such as if the perennial is short-lived, if it tends to be invasive (sometimes a plus!), diseases and their control, propagation techniques, problems specific to that plant, and more. This information helps you select the perfect plants for each site (flower and foliage colors, shape and habits, bloom times, maintenance AND cultural requirements). It'll save you time and $$ very quickly - you'll replace fewer plants because you'll learn the best sites for every plant to select (and where it wil NOT be happy), and you'll be happier because the plants will perform just as the book says they will. In addition, I have so many books that list all sorts of gorgeous perennials, and when you decide to buy them, you can't find them anywhere. Not the plants in this book. They are the "best of the best" that are commonly available in the trade. I'm buying this book as a gift for several perennial-loving friends and fellow landscape designers on my list. It is the best resource I've found for anyone who is interested in perennials!

This is an absolute must have book, whether you are a beginner or an expert gardener. Pam Duthie answers all of the questions you might have. The pictures are just fabulous because she shows combinations of plants. The fact sheet under the pictures gives excellent information. I looked under Verbena 'Homestead Purple,' which we have found doesn't winter over even though it is supposed to, and she says that it doesn't winter over. I teach a class for adults called "Color Yearround in the Garden," and I was so excited about this book, I brought it to the class. My students were equally excited and wanted to purchase the book. One of the very helpful facts Pam Duthie includes is what other perennials combine well with each plant she pictures. With perennial gardening, whether you have a lot of perennials or just a smattering by the pool or mailbox, this is what everyone wants to know, how to combine the plants for a pleasing design and succession of bloom. I can't think of any other gardening book with so much helpful information.

"Continuous Bloom" is a must have garden reference books. The author highlights 272 durable and long-blooming perennials and bulbs which are key to achieving continuous bloom in the garden. Each perennial highlighted is arranged by month of bloom. Like other perennial books, this book provides the botanic and common name of the plant, the zone, the height, the spacing of the plant, and the light necessary for bloom. However, the author also provides valuable information such as length of bloom, flower and foliage description, care and use of the plant, when to propogate, plant problems, interesting insider's tips, and companion plants. Pam Duthie also devotes a chapter to her "nitty-gritty" tips for good garden care. Finally, the appendicees of the book provide additional information on plants with colored foliage, hostas, astilbes, daylilies, perennials least affected by deer and rabbit browsing, and even lists of mail-order catalogs. All perennials in the book are indexed by both common and botanic names making it easy to use. Full-color pictures for each plant is an added bonus. Although this book highlights 272 perennials and is a valuable guide for the garden lover, you might want to keep another resource book around for those plants which are not mentioned. "Continuous Bloom" is a handy guide for both new and experienced gardeners. It has has become my most favorite garden reference book!