Ortho All about Perennials

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.

This is a good introductory, all-around book about perennials for beginning gardeners and gardeners who do not expect to get deeply involved and technical in their gardening. It gives a good overview of what's available, where it will grow, and concentrates on "proven winners". Lots of pictures, too, always helpful when deciding what you want to plant.

I aggree with the other reader when he says that this is indeed a very useful book and one that I consult regularly when looking for quick answers to some of my questions. I personally like the color-matching guide, which helps you select what to plant based on the color of the flowers and on the plant's height. However, I think this book lacks some information on which annuals to plant close to your perennials (very few gardens that I know of contain only perennials). I also dislike the fact that the section on different species is organized by their scientific names rather than list them by their common names, which makes me constantly have to go to the index to find where the entry for a specific plant is. How many people know the Latin name for common species such as Shasta Daisies, Black-eyed Susans and Day Lillies???

I have found all of the Ortho series of gardening books to be very useful. In a relatively condensed fashion, the book on perennials communicates a wealth of information. I own several longer, hardbound books about perennial gardening, but find myself consistently consulting my Ortho guide when I need a quick answer to a question.The catalog of plants included in the book is very comprehensive, and unlike some other books I've used, includes information about ornamental grasses.