Perennials for Dummies

"A wonderful introduction to the world of perennials! …the ideal introductory book for all budding perennial lovers." — Lauren Springer, Garden Designer, Columnist, and Author of The Undaunted Garden "Humorous down-to-earth information anyone can understand. Covers every detail of creating a flower garden from beginning to end." — Judy Wigand, Owner of Judy's Perennials, San Marcos, CA

Features 32 Full-Color Pages of Flowers and Sample Garden Plans — Plus a Six Month Subscription to National Gardening Magazine

Do you turn green with envy when you see your neighbor's flower garden? If you want colorful perennial beds in your yard or on your porch, but don't know where to begin, fear no more! With Perennials For Dummies^® at your fingertips, you'll be growing beautiful perennials in no time! This is your guide for exploring the world of flower gardening with perennials — from choosing and growing flowers to protecting them from pests and disease.

Inside, you'll discover how to:

• Identify and choose perennial flowers that will grow in any space or climate
• Plant, fertilize, mulch, and maintain healthy perennials
• Create beautiful flower gardens with suggestions from the full-color pages of sample plans
• Keep pests and diseases from infiltrating your flower garden
• Add style to your flower garden with rocks, sculptures, birdbaths, and more
• Discover perennials that thrive in shady spots where even grass won't grow
• Locate great mail-order sources and online forums for perennials

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.

About the Authors Marcia Tatroe is a garden designer and consultant who specializes in design using perennials and other native plants to create colorful, attractive gardens that conserve water and provide year-round enjoyment. She's an accomplished lecturer, teacher, and writer, and has been a gardening instructor at The Denver Botanic Gardens. She lived for seven years in Holland and England, where she studied European garden designs. The National Gardening Association (NGA) was founded in Burlington, Vermont, in 1972 with the mission of sustaining and renewing the fundamental links between people, plants, and the earth. Today, more than half a million gardeners read its bimonthly magazine, National Gardening. Among its many garden-related activities, NGA is a national leader in innovative science education via the GrowLab, Growing Science Inquire, and Youth Garden Grants programs.

Introduction.

PART I: Perennial Joy.

Chapter 1: Perennials: The Plant That Keeps On Going.

Chapter 2: Finding Your Style.

Chapter 3: Planning Your Attack.

PART II: The Part of Plans.

Chapter 4: Gardening by Climate.

Chapter 5: Creating a Color Scheme.

Chapter 6: Potpourri of Perennial Gardens.

PART III: Cast of Characters.

Chapter 7: Easygoing Favorites with Sunny Dispositions.

Chapter 8: Made for Shade.

Chapter 9: Foliage Follies.

Chapter 10: Perennial Companions.

PART IV: Making Your Bed.

Chapter 11: The Dirt on Dirt.

Chapter 12: Beyond Digging — Building Special Features for Your Flower Bed.

Chapter 13: Mulchlug Around.

Chapter 14: The Good Part: Buying and Planting Flowers.

PART V: Care, Feeding, and Propagation.

Chapter 15: Grab Your Watering Can.

Chapter 16: Fertilizer: Food for Your Flowers.

Chapter 17: Keeping Your Flowers in Tip-Top Shape.

Chapter 18: Trouble in Paradise.

Chapter 19: Growing Your Garden from Scratch.

PART VI: The Part of Tens.

Chapter 20: Ten Myths about Perennials.

Chapter 21: Ten Killer Combinations.

Chapter 22: Ten Ways to Accessorize Your Garden.

Chapter 23: Ten Sets of Ten Perennials.

Appendix: Sources for Perennials.

Index.

Book Registration Information.