Perennials for Dummies (Paperback)

by Marcia Tatroe (Author), National Gardening Association (U. S.) (Author) "Perennial flowers are in the midst of a popularity surge..." (more)
Key Phrases: prairie zinnia, wintertime lows, common beardtongue, Key Common Name, Special Notes, New Zealand (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
There's no perennial question too basic to ask this book. Maybe you've gardened here and there, but are looking to add a new flowerbed. Or maybe you're tired of the plants you've got that are looking so... tired. In Perennials for Dummies, you can start fresh, with proper plant choices and correct care, and have a lush and blooming garden sooner than you might expect. Choosing the right plants can be annoying if you don't really know what zone means, and the first section of this book is devoted to explaining not just the meaning of zone, but also specific growing conditions for precise regions. High-altitude desert, subtropical swamp, or Pacific Coast--each is detailed with helpful information. The section on planning for your style and color choices is also helpful, and geared toward attractive and low-maintenance choices.

The big downside to this book is its lack of pictures. There are lots of line drawings, but they tend to show particular stages of a process rather than each step. Color photos are limited to one section, and since the plant photos are separate from the descriptions, they don't add much value to the book. With bullet-point lists, icons for highlighting categories like "ecofriendly" or "time-saving," and simple tables and charts, how-to photos aren't essential. For folks who learn best with straightforward reading, the presentation won't be an issue, but if pictorial aids are what you need for learning, look elsewhere. --Jill Lightner

Product Description

Perennials are perennially popular. Now, in Perennials For Dummies, discover how you can bring your garden to life with colorful, healthy perennials, some varieties of which may be altogether new to you. Complete with 32 pages of full-color photographs, Perennials For Dummies digs deep to uncover the secrets of soil preparation, garden design, and plant maintenance and offers plain-English, practical information on how much light and space various perennials need and even how to cope with inhospitable climates, hungry pests, and devastating diseases. Plus, you'll find invaluable resources related to perennials, from mail-order companies to Web sites and online forums.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 326 pages
• Publisher: Hungry Minds (February 14, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764550306
• ISBN-13: 978-0764550300
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #744,752 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars it will give every gardeners answers to their question, August 5, 1998

By A Customer

I love gardening. If I am not in the garden working, my hand will be holding a book or a magazine on flowers. It's my seventh house and each time we moved I started all over again. But this time we moved south. Different climat, different soil, everything is different. Perennials gardening is still very new to South Carolina. I didn't have too much help from my neighboors or even the nurseries. I was crying for help until I found perennials for dummies. I am now redoing the first bed that I did when I moved here following their instructions on the preparation of the soil and the best type of plants to use for this torrid, humid weather with mild winter. I recommend that book for any beginner and good gardeners. You will always find a new tips or answers to your questions and on top of that they are funny.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars great for beginners, November 10, 2002

By A Customer

I'm a beginner gardener who wanted to plant flower bulbs. This book told me that I had to amend the soil, fertilize, and mulch all essential if you want to a great flower garden. They even have top ten lists including the most fragrant flowers.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of info, October 3, 2008

By	K. Bereczky - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Helped me with my first garden. Tons of info!! Great place to start if you are a newbie.