As a popular pastime, perennial gardening is regarded with equal parts admiration and apprehension. Admiration because the beauty of a perennial bed can be enjoyed for all time; and apprehension because the myriad plant varieties and their growing requirements can be daunting. Successful Perennial Gardening is the work of two gardening experts, Lewis and Nancy Hill, who bring the breadth of their experience to this subject, and have created a volume of enduring quality.

This is a user-friendly guide to the challenges and joys of perennial gardening — less than a botanical encyclopedia, but much more than a volume of garden or species descriptions. The authors' approach will resolve the quandries of those new to perennials as well as meet the needs of the sophisticated horticulturist.

It's no secret that people choose perennials over all other decorative plant species because of their longevity, their splendor, the stories and memories they evoke. The Hills educate and inspire with information that is complete and easily accessible: they tell how to divide and propagate your perennials, how to keep them pest and disease free; how to use them to best advantage; and how to maximize your enjoyment of them by cutting and drying them, growing a child's garden or a butterfly and hummingbird garden, or giving the flowers and plants as gifts. Everything is here:

* a complete section on perennial care and cultivation

* 16 theme gardens

* more than 150 species descriptions

* full-color photographs

* species illustrations

* a glossary of gardening terms

Enhanced by color photographs, drawings, and charts, the real worth of this book is the text: the Hills inimitable style has wit, charm, and clarity. Their previous works (Cold-Climate Gardening, Secrets of Plant Propagation, Pruning Simplified, and others) have earned them a solid reputation among gardeners. This book is sure to become a treasured and valuable gardening resource.

A user-friendly guide to the challenges and joys of perennial gardening. The Hills educate and inspire with information that is complete and accessible.

Covers dividing, propagating, cutting, drying, and much more.

Lewis Hill has been a nurseryman for more than 55 years. He is the author of 15 books (half written in collaboration with his wife, Nancy Hill) that total more than 600,000 copies in print. Lewis's Secrets of Plant Propagation was selected by American Horticultural Society as one of its choices for the "75 Great Garden Books." The Hills live in Greensboro, Vermont, where Lewis's family has been living and farming for 200 years.

Introduction

Part I Planning and Planting a Perennial Garden

1. Those Fascinating Perennials

2. Designing Your Perennial Garden

3. Soils and How to Improve Them

4. Planting the Perennial Garden

5. Dividing Your Perennials

6. Starting Your Own Perennials

7. Coping With Disease, Insect, and Animal Pests

8. The Fine Art of Weed Control

9. Garden Accessories and Lighting

10. Garden Culture

11. A Perennial Gardener's Calendar

Part II A Feast of Gardens

12. The Perennial Pathway

13. The Seasonal Garden

14. A Garden for Bouquets and Arrangements

15. The Foundation Garden

16. The Wildflower Garden

17. The Rock Garden

18. The Fragrant Garden

19. The Water Garden

20. Gardening on a Hillside

21. Gardening in Containers

22. Gardening in a Shady Nook

23. Seashore Plantings

24. The Herb Garden

25. Gardens for Birds and Butterflies

26. The Cottage Garden

27. A Low-Maintenance Garden

28. A Child's Garden

29. The Collector's Garden

30. The Selling Garden

Color Section

Part II Descriptions of the Best Garden Perennials

Alphabetical Species Descriptions

Perennial Planting Chart

Glossary

Appendix

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