With literally hundreds of choices, it can be overwhelming to decide which perennials to plant in your garden. Nancy J. Ondra takes the stressful guesswork out of perennial garden planning by offering 52 vibrant designs, each made up of only five plants. Ondra tailors each simple design to a specific set of growing conditions, with plenty of tips to help your planting mature. Enjoy gardens full of sun-drenched blooming flowers and shade-loving greenery for years to come.

Native plants are drought tolerant, disease resistant, wildlife friendly, and environmentally sound. Experts increasingly encourage gardeners to use natives exclusively. This handy and practical guide focuses on 100 great native flowers, ground covers, shrubs, ferns, and grasses that will thrive in New England gardens. The presentation is aimed at gardeners, who want concise, practical information. It will also include material on the importance and desirability of using native plants. The heart of this book is 100 two-page spreads, one for each species. The spreads will include facts about the plant of use to a gardener (not a botanist)—where it grows best, when it blooms, the soil conditions in which it thrives, its appeal to wildlife, sunlight requirements, how high it grows, how to propagate it, and how to avoid any problems particular to the species. Each spread will also feature two color photos.

"The idea for Plants in Design emerged from Brad E. Davis' and David Nichols' love for plants and well-designed landscapes, and a frustration with the lack of concise information organized for those creating plant compositions. Most landscape and garden design texts focus either on design principles or on plant materials. The unique design of this book provides a palette of options organized by mature size and scale, covering many genres of plants from grasses to herbaceous perennials, woody shrubs and trees, and even annuals and interior plants. All of these genres are necessary for consideration when composing a well-designed landscape. Plants in Design combines two fundamental components of landscape and garden design: (1) principles and uses of plant material (color, line, texture, etc.) in design, and (2) resource information for analyzing and selecting a broad range of plant materials, from annuals and ground covers to shrubs and trees, for Southern landscapes (USDA hardiness zones 6 to 9). Introductory chapters will discuss plants and their uses in creating outdoor landscapes in settings ranging from small-scale applications (courtyards, walkways, etc.) to medium- and large-scale projects (streetscapes, parks etc.). The book includes many native species that should be used more in designs to benefit native wildlife and also points out the dangers of many non-native plants widely used in the past and now threatening natural ecosystems. A large audience of designers and homeowners will be interested in a well-organized book on designing with plants, without the confusing obscurities found in so many horticultural books that list cultivars and varieties impossible to locate in the nursery industry. The text features 500 Southern landscape plants organized into 13 categories, ranging from large trees to ferns and flowering annuals. Plant accounts include such things as scientific and common names, hardiness zones, flowers and fruit, growing conditions, and pests and diseases. Color photographs (approximately 1,750) will depict plant shape, form, characteristics, and landscape use, both for identification and to envisions how individual plants might appears in a composition. The book includes more than black-and-white drawings, a hardiness zone map, glossary, bibliography, index and design use table for quick reference"--

New England Month-by-Month Gardening gives you the when-to and how-to to grow and maintain your garden in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, or Vermont.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1982. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived

This new and updated edition of Landscaping with Native Plants of Minnesota combines the practicality of a field guide with all the basic information homeowners need to create an effective landscape design. The plant profiles section includes comprehensive descriptions of approximately 150 flowers, trees, shrubs, vines, evergreens, grasses, and ferns that grew in Minnesota before European settlement, as well as complete information on planting, maintenance, and landscape uses for each plant. The book also includes complete information on how to garden successfully in Minnesota’s harsh climate and how to install and maintain an attractive, low-maintenance home landscape suitable for any lifestyle.

This accessibly written and authoritative guide updates the beloved and much-used 1970s classic Seacoast Plants of the Carolinas. In this completely reimagined book, Paul E. Hosier provides a rich, new reference guide to plant life in the coastal zone of the Carolinas for nature lovers, gardeners, landscapers, students, and community leaders. Features include: * Detailed profiles of more than 200 plants, with color photographs and information about identification, value to wildlife, relationship to natural communities, propagation, and landscape use. * Background on coastal plant communities, including the effects of invasive species and the benefits of using native plants in landscaping. * A section on the effects of climate change on the coast and its plants. * A list of natural areas and preserves open to visitors interested in observing native plants in the coastal Carolinas. * A glossary that includes plant names and scientific terms. With a special emphasis on the benefits of conserving and landscaping with native plants, this guide belongs on the shelf of every resident and visitor to the coasts of the Carolinas.

In this eloquent plea for compassion and respect for all species, journalist and gardener Nancy Lawson describes why and how to welcome wildlife to our backyards. Through engaging anecdotes and inspired advice, profiles of home gardeners throughout the country, and interviews with scientists and horticulturalists, Lawson applies the broader lessons of ecology to our own outdoor spaces. Detailed chapters address planting for wildlife by choosing native species; providing habitats that shelter baby animals, as well as birds, bees, and butterflies; creating safe zones in the garden; cohabiting with creatures often regarded as pests; letting nature be your garden designer; and encouraging natural processes and evolution in the garden. The Humane Gardener fills a unique niche in describing simple principles for both attracting wildlife and peacefully resolving conflicts with all the creatures that share our world.

Turn a shady yard into a sumptuous garden Shade is one of the most common garden situations homeowner’s have, but with the right plant knowledge, you can triumph over challenging areas and learn to embrace shade as an opportunity instead of an obstacle. Glorious Shade celebrates the benefits of shade and shows you how to make the most of it. This information-rich, hardworking guide is packed with everything you need to successfully garden in the shadiest corners of a yard. You'll learn how to determine what type of shade you have and how to choose the right plants for the space. The book also shares the techniques, design and maintenance tips that are key to growing a successful shade garden. Stunning color photographs offer design inspiration and reveal the beauty of shade-loving plants.

This book bridges a long-standing gap between obscure references in tropical botany and the gardener's need for an accurate, practical guide. Incorporating the latest advances in plant taxonomy, the book is a rare work of scrupulous research -- and magnificent photography -- that will be as useful to the gardener as it is to the botanist.