Customer Reviews

Best Perennials of the Rocky Mountains and High Plains

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought four books to study and to get some ideas for reviving our old yard. You win some and you lose some.

The plants in this book are in order by their Latin names. There is a common name index in the back, but you have to already know what you are looking for in order to use it.

The book has some beautiful color photos, but not everything is photographed. There are tables in the back of the book showing average blooming times of the plants, by months and days.

This would probably be a very useful book for a landscaper or other professional. For me, it just didn't work.

A pretty good reference for Rocky Mountain gardeners. As a nursery professional it's not quite as comprehensive as I sometimes need but for most people will be a great addition to their library.

This is a most excellant gardening book for those of us on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains. It is a very good source of information a good complement to Xeriscape Gardening.

This is a publication of Colorado State University that describes the top perennials grown and evaluated in the Fort Collins research gardens. Each plant is listed by botanical name, variety name, and a brief description of cultural requirements. In the back is a chart listing bloom times for each plant by color (orange, red, blue, etc) which I found to quite valuable in choosing among the best perennials.

I just received this book and I'm disappointed. First, perennials are arranged in alphabetical order by their official species name (instead of their common name), so the average home gardener has to look up the majority of the species in the common name cross-reference section in the back of the book in order to know what the common name is. And, since the publisher chose not to include pictures of most of the species, I've found it necessary to search for photos on the internet. What a hassle! For the price point, I expected better. The next issue should, at minimum, offer quality photos of all species. The reason I was willing to give it three stars is because I liked the charts and lists in the back of the book, most notably the chart showing the bloom time frames for various colors of flowers; it's a handy reference for anyone who wants to use specific colors in their garden and needs to know which plants will bloom the longest during the season.