5 stars (Still a star) - PERENNIAL COMBINATIONS by Colston Burrell is another practical and increasingly beautiful Rodale publication (remember those older Rodale volumes printed on coarse pulp paper?). Although this book was published several years ago, it is still a mega-star as far as I am concerned--printed on slick glossy paper and filled with beautiful and clear photographs. The combinations I used worked for me then and they work now in my more mature garden. Burrell includes many suggestions for the gardener charged with developing an otherwise barren plot into a floriferous spot. Every yard is a collection of ecological zones ranging from dry loose (or compacted) soil to wet mucky bogs. Different combinations of plants work in different circumstances. For example, although I once had a professional gardener tell me Siberian Iris would grow anywhere, that has not been my experience, and Burrell confirms their best showing comes in a relatively damp area (Mine do best in the boggy area where our air conditioning unit drips ceaselessly throughout the summer-check out the lake in the middle of Central Park, Siberian Iris grow all along the shoreline). And speaking of "wet" gardens, Burrell shows ferns, Hosta, flags and various other perennials who either like or can tolerate damp feet combined into a `Garden for Three Seasons.' Burrell covers almost any situation you can encounter in the garden: shade and wet, shade and dry, hot and dry, hot and wet. Have you just removed a dead tree and are puzzled about what to do to disguise the residual stump? Perhaps you want to grow wild flowers and don't know how or where to begin. Or, perhaps you have prairie-like conditions and wonder what to plant. And by the way, you don't have to live on the Great Plains to have prairie-like conditions, a sunny bank will do or, as in my case, where the driveway meets the street. Burrell offers many tips and "secrets for success" with whatever condition you may encounte... Rodale Books :: Gardening & Garden Design :: Planting design :: Perennials :: Landscape Design And Planting :: Gardens :: Gardening&Plants :: Gardening & Horticulture :: Gardening :: :: Perennial Combinations- Stunning Combinations That Make Your Garden Look Fantastic Right from the St
4 stars (excellent explanations) - This book as been invaluable in caring for my first perennial garden. She doesn't just tell you what to do she actually explains what each task means/is/how it is done. The only thing truly lacking that i find myself wishing for every time I go through the book is more on design. The pictures are great but there is often not a listing of all the plants or a corresponding lay-out so I can use them for help in future planning. A key element for her to have left out I think. Maybe I will find another book with more on that aspect. 5 stars (Great Book) - Loved this book! I have about 5 shelf-feet of gardening books which I refer to once in a while, but this book will always be on my quick reference stack because it contains an enormous amount of PRACTICAL gardening how-to. No extreme close-up pictures for the artsy crowd, no repetition, no half-empty pages to increase the page count, just a ton of down-to-earth how-to-do it information. 5 stars (Well-Tended perennial Garden: Planting & Pruning Techniques) - Of all the gardening books I own, this is the one I use the most. I have given it to friends and family as a gift many times. ... Timber Press (OR) :: Techniques :: Perennials :: Ornamental Plants :: Gardening&Plants :: Gardening & Horticulture :: Gardening :: Flowers - Perennials :: Tracy DiSabato-Aust :: :: Well-Tended Perennial Garden- Planting - Pruning Techniques
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