Midwest Gardener's Handbook

I was tired of wading through thick gardening books trying to find information about zones 4 and 5 plants and falling in love with interesting plants, only to discover that they only grow in Florida or Hawaii! Now, I have one book that covers all the basics for my area. I have often thought about writing to the author to express my appreciation, but perhaps this review will do until I actually get around to accomplishing that. The photographs (yes, real photographs, not just illustrations!) are great and the information is presented in a format that makes looking for specifics easy as can be. I'm a novice gardener, and our home is only six years old, so we have been trying to put in some new vegetation each year. It helps me make decisions on what kinds of plants to purchase and where to place them in the yard. The book also gives you care instructions, which are handy for maintaining the plants. For instance, I've learned that I can shear back my phlox in midsummer to prevent them from looking ragged. I also use the last few blank pages to make notes to keep track of plants and page numbers that particularly impressed me. I like the book because it's basic, not exotic. I have been able to enter a garden center and ask for plants in this book and they are either in stock or easily ordered without any problem. This book is my gardening Bible!

for any gardener's library. A great reference tool for anyone attempting to grow a nice garden despite the Midwest's unpredictable weather. Concise reviews of the plants most common to this region, with wonderful photos. Would like to see an expanded version with more unique and lesser-known plants for the adventurous gardener.