Perennials are the mainstay of any garden. But how do you choose from the thousands available, and care for the ones you already have? Essential Perennials focuses on what every gardener needs to know.
Trusted garden experts Ruth Rogers Clausen and Thomas Christopher help you decide exactly which plants will bring you the beauty you want and thrive in the conditions you can provide. This A-to-Z guide is packed with more than 2 700 plants, with each entry listing flower color, bloom time, foliage characteristics, size, and light and temperature requirements. Each profile is supported by stunning color photography that showcases the flower and foliage that make each plant unique.
Ruth Rogers Clausen is a prolific garden writer and flower show judge. She is the author of 50 Beautiful Deer-Resistant Plants (2011). Thomas Christopher has been writing about gardening and environmental issues for more than twenty-five years. He has written articles for a range of publications
"Enthusiastically recommended for both academic and public libraries and is an essential purchase for libraries where there is an interest in gardening."
– Booklist
"One thing about Essential Perennials is that it's essential – maybe even mandatory – for every designer to have a copy."
– Garden Design Online
"A beautifully illustrated 'spam filter' for perennial-growers."
– Library Journal
"A valuable reference book that deserves a spot on your garden bookshelf."
– Country Gardens
"Useful and well written. [...] Will point you in the right direction – toward a home garden that brings years of pleasure."
– Garden Rant
"A welcome addition to my bookshelf and it should be for yours too. Its wide-ranging and inclusive listing gives equal time to native woodlanders, ephemerals, exotic introductions, as well as time-honored favorites and takes the confusion out of the ever-growing world of perennials."
– Ottawa Citizen