Customer Reviews

The Well-Tended Perennial Garden: Planting and Pruning Techniques

5 star:		(55)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am exceptionally pleased that 'The Well-Tended Perennial Garden' has gotten as many favorable reviews as it has, since I suspect it's charms and offerings are just a bit more subtle than your average glossy oversized gardening book. It is essential that you pay attention to the subtitle, as this is a book specializing in teaching us about setting up and planting perennials, and less about choosing or matching or even weeding perennials (the author does not like to weed!). If you flip through the book, you may be put off by the lack of illustrations accompanying the text. While I'm not a big fan of pictures in cookbooks, unless it's discussing a specific technique, I sort of miss them in gardening books. This volume is economically done, with all the glossies in a central rotogravure section. This is ok, because the real meat is in the lessons on planting and pruning. The only place I really miss them is in the encyclopedia of perennials, which is less a true comprehensive encyclopedia than a dictionary of pruning techniques by species. The final two appendices on plant maintanence schedules and lists of plants by care technique may be worth the price of the book for serious gardiners. This is easily the most useful book I've read on perennials.

I love this book! I have both editions. What I like most about it is that new gardeners can learn some crutial skills right out the chute and experienced gardeners will learn new ways to care for their perennials.That is whay I recomend it to everyone when I give gardening lectures. Tracy has truly improved on this title with the release of the expanded version. I love the lists in the back of the book and the alphabetical encyclopedia. The fact that a lot of the info in her book is based on her experience in her own gardens and clients' gardens is important to me. Truly a book to add to your gardening library.

This book came highly recommended to me by garden friends. I've been gardening for some time but have just really gotten into perennial gardening. The answers to my questions are right here. What, when and how to 'deadhead', plant, move and prune. Plus some excellent techniques that I have yet to try, but I know work well for other experienced gardeners.

This book has taught me many things I did not know about cutting back perennials, methods for avoiding staking, and producing healthy foliage throughout the season. The book is organized with general information followed by an alphabetical list of hundreds of plants. They are listed by their Latin name but are cross-referenced with their common name in the index. Each description includes the zone, common name, family, description, size, exposure, and flowering period. The description is especially useful if searching for a specific cultivar, especially because the author recommends different pruning techniques for various cultivars. She also indicates good plants for "beginner" gardeners as well as what she terms "high maintenance plants" and indicates methods for creating a successful garden before anything is even planted. At the end of the book she offers a valuable schedule for the growing season. This book is different from most pruning books in that it only discusses plants, no trees or shrubs. The photographs are not of glorious gardens to make one drool, they are more illustrative of pruning techniques. A wonderful book, my garden is already the better for it.

I work as a perennial salesperson in a large, family-owned garden center in the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago. Any time a customer asks for a book on perennials or gardening in general, I always recommend this one.

It provides a wealth of general gardening information on soil preparation, watering, diseases, pruning techniques and more. The plant encyclopedia section is the most valuable part of the book. In it, Ms. Aust discusses the most widely available and popular perennials individually and in detail. For each plant, there is a picture next to which she lists the latin name, the common name, the light, water and soil requirements, the height, width and bloom-time. After those details are presented, she discusses when to prune, cut back, dead-head, divide and fertilize that plant. She has gathered this information over a lifetime of gardening experience.

The appendix of the book contains many valuable lists of plants under headings such as "Plants to Pinch for Height Control" or "Clay Busters". I can't imagine selling perennials to others or tending to my own garden without this bible.

One complaint that customers have mentioned to me about this book (after I have recommended it)is that Ms. Aust uses the Latin nomenclature for everything. This was intimidating to me at first, too. I had to learn the Latin for my job as a perennial salesperson so I was forced to "embrace" it. I am glad that I did because it makes reading a book like this easier. My advice to anyone interested in gardening: learn the Latin! It's intellectually challenging and fun. It will open up a wide world of plants to you. Carpe diem!

We have used the orginal printing of this book for several years....it has THE MOST practical, straightforward, no-holes-barred advice of any of the 100s of garden books I have read...we use it as a bible of perrenial care. I have given this as a gift to many a gardener, this new updated version has many more pictures and additions that really spruce it up.

There are four things that set this book apart from other books on perennials. The first is that this book emphasizes pruning which is unusual and valuable. The second is a discussion of planting and maintenance that is loaded with the author's experience and pictures of her OWN work. Third, the plant encyclopedia gives cultural information that goes beyond the basics of soil type, zone, and exposure. Fourth, near the back of the book there is a set of pages that serves as a journal for the gardener where he/she can record the pruning and general maintenance that he/she has given to individual plants. The only thing I can say about this feature is, "Bravo, Tracy," and in the next edition include a pad of these pages! Other than being a bit on the hefty side, this book is perfect.

The book was very informative and the detail and pictures about the individual perennials was helpful. I was, however, disappointed that many of the larger garden pictures did not identify the various plants utilized. It's hard to duplicate the look if you don't know what the plants are. Otherwise, it will be a great reference tool for my yard.

As a fairly new gardener I discovered this book at the library last year and it is wonderful. It really gets into how and when to pinch and prune (and what these terms mean) plants which I now realize is such an important part of how your flowers will look when they bloom...The author mostly talks about tried and true perennials, but we see them in a whole new light, you can control the height of your plants and even the bloom time. Excellent drawings and color illustrations are very helpful. I really enjoyed the "before and after" photos of gardens that the author has designed.

Great book, great price, and it arrived before I knew it- in three or four days. This was my first Amazon purchase, as I received a gift certificate for my birthday. I was amazed to find this book at such a great price, about a third less than the list price. This is the latest edition, just updated in 2007, with new photos and information. Great reference book, or you can read it from cover to cover if you're looking for ideas and inspiration over the winter. The second half of the book is a plant encyclopedia, covering everything you need to know about any perennial you can think of or you can find plants according to your specific needs, ie; shade, dry, full sun, etc. AND the photos are wonderful. This is the bible for perennial gardeners-and at a great price.