Bruce Partridge, who was there almost from the start, tells the unlikely story of the creation and success of Pleasant Valley Nurseries. PVN was an Antigonish, NS treasure for almost forty years, and helped change the style and possibilities of landscaping and gardening in norther Nova Scotia. "Borderline Hardy in 5b" presents the narrative of how PVN started from an impractical dream, through all the struggles and unexpected triumphs of landscaping, contract work, greenhouse development, and tree nurseries. The stories are both funny and insightful. The second half of the book is a collection of essays on gardening, with practical advice anybody with a plot of land and a dream of growing things will benefit from reading. Bob Osborne of Corn Hill Nursery writes, "These kernels of information come from someone who has learned from years of experience and can be trusted as most reliable. An easy-to-read journey into an iconic business whose legacy will continue to be felt far into the future."

Reference to over 1,000 cold-hardy plants. Included annuals, perennials, woody plants, herbs, fruits and vegetables that can survive servre winters, especially where the ground freezes.

This book is a quick and easy-to-use reference guide for choosing plant material for landscape designs. This reference manual includes comprehensive lists with search criteria for each of the major plant groups, including trees, shrubs, groundcovers, perennials, vines, grasses, and ferns. These plant groups contain hundreds of specific species, varieties, and cultivars that are readily available in the marketplace from the major production nurseries. Landscape architects, designers, contractors, or anyone who designs with plants, can easily choose plants that will work on their site. The book is technical enough for the professional, yet simple enough to be used by the layperson. Both botanical and common names are used and an extensive amount of cultural and environmental information is presented. While many other books of this kind give only basic information such as sun/shade, height/width, there are so many as 30 specific categories for each plant group. The categories cover such important criteria as light and soil requirements, zone hardiness, height and width, pest and disease susceptibility, urban tolerance, and tolerance to salt and drought. The lists also include many criteria often overlooked such as growth rates, overall messiness, root systems, minimal fall clean up, maintenance levels, soil PH and landscape value/use, and many visual characteristics such as texture, foliage color and fall colors, bloom colors and seasons, shapes and forms, attractive bark and foliage and more. There is also a candid Pros & Cons section covering some realistic considerations for each of the plant species groups.

New England Gardener's Handbook is written by popular gardening experts who include their collective wisdom in one complete guide for New England gardeners. In addition to the hundreds of hardy plants in eleven different plant categories, there are monthly to-do calendars assisting gardeners with the proper care and timing for everything from planting to pruning. Full-color photos for each plant and helpful illustrations and charts make this an easy-to-use resource for all New England gardeners with expert advice for home gardeners in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

A complete guide to chooosing and growing the very best bed and border annuals, perennials and bulbs and roses.

New full-color photos. Growing and using in the garden. Instructions for a variety of crafts and potpourris plus recipes for entrees, sides, and pastries.

“A love letter to plants…that oozes enthusiasm.” —The English Garden Why settle for lackluster gardens filled with dull, ho-hum plants? In this spirited, provocative book, plant guru Kelly Norris calls for a garden revolution: out with the boring plants and in with the exciting newcomers that will make your jaw drop and your pulse quicken! A passionate horticulturist and lifelong gardener, Kelly is the ideal guide to the botanical riches available to today’s gardeners. In chapters on environment, structure, seasonal standouts, and plant combinations he shines a spotlight on the A-list plants in every category—plants that will thrive, not merely survive. Along the way, he shows you how to forge a personal style in harmony with your garden’s setting and local environment. As Kelly puts it, “A garden is the best way to savor life on earth.” Let Plants with Style guide you to the plants that will provide a richer, more fulfilling connection between you and your own patch of soil.

Designing a garden by the sea poses special problems for the designer. High winds and salt spray can wreak havoc with planting schemes, and the need to provide sheltered areas for sitting and entertaining may be difficult to achieve. On the positive side, the proximity of the sea greatly reduces the chances of damaging spring frosts, so the designer may choose from a far wider palette of plants than is possible further inland, including the exotic and sub-tropical species currently in vogue. A balance between providing sufficient shelter to satisfy the client's needs and allowing views to the sea to be maintained and enhanced, is the challenge facing every designer. The book explains the particular process of analysis needed for maritime environments, the effects of wind and salt spray and the microclimates created by sea and wind. The establishment and maintenance of shelter belts is fully explained, together with practical information about the choice and implementation of planting schemes. A suggested list of suitable plants for windswept sites is included. Each chapter is accompanied by case studies of actual coastal gardens.

Choosing the best plants for your garden, with an A-Z directory and cultivation notes.