Product Description

In Annuals for Every Purpose, popular garden writer Larry Hodgson delivers hands-on advice and no-holds-barred descriptions to guide readers through choosing and caring for plants. What sets this comprehensive primer apart from other guides to annuals is its unique organization. Instead of a standard A-to-Z listing, Annuals for Every Purpose features plant profiles-each an attractive two-page spread-grouped by characteristics that -really matter to gardeners, such as shade tolerance; attractiveness to bees, butterflies, and birds; and adaptability to challenging climates. Each entry highlights a Top Performing Plant and lists recommendations for several other plants, for a total of almost 500. In addition to explaining the basic how-to's, Hodgson shares tips and tricks for combining plants with a variety of texture, color, and size. With four stunning garden designs and Hodgson's own 'Ten Commandments of Annual Design,' Annuals for Every Purpose promises to be just as popular as its predeces sor. LARRY HODGSON is a regular contributor to national garden magazines such as Horticulture, Fine Gardening, and Canadian Gardening. He speaks frequently to gardening groups throughout Canada and the United States and is a frequent guest on radio and television. He also leads international garden tours. Hodgson lives in Sainte-Foy, Quebec, just outside of Quebec City.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #540119 in Books
• Published on: 2003-08-23
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

From Publishers Weekly
From choosing seeds to grooming and fertilizing, veteran gardening writer Hodgson (Perennials for Every Purpose) guides readers through the making of an annual garden. He explains what to look for at the nursery, how to design with annuals and how to keep plants blooming all summer long. True to its title, the book includes encyclopedic listings of annuals suited to every imaginable whim, whether gardeners want their flowers to bloom in the shade, attract birds and butterflies, hang in baskets or make pleasing dried arrangements. Hodgson's entries include growing tips for each plant, potential problems and quirks, and suggestions for "good neighbors" to plant beside it.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review
"There are three things that I feel should go into any book about gardening. The first is, Will it help the gardener in the garden? The second is, Will the readers, be they professional or amateur, understand what is written? The third is, Will there be new and old territory covered in the book? Larry's book covers all three and then some!"--Bob Tanem, host of the San Francisco Bay Area's #1 radio garden show, "Bob Tanem in the Garden," on KSFO

"Colorful and down-to-earth, this wonderful book tells you everything you need to know about growing annuals in your garden. And there's an abundance of great hints about using these wonderful plants in your landscape."--Ed Hume, host of the television show "Gardening in America"

"In the rush to embrace perennials, many of us seem to have forgotten the simple pleasure of planting a seed and watching it grow. Larry Hodgson hasn't forgotten, and this book provides all the whys and how-to's you'll need. Whether you want vases full of flowers all summer or rich color after the burst of June perennials, annuals fill many needs and niches in every garden. This excellent reference will reintroduce you to the wonderful plants you thought you could find only in six-packs at the garden center. Beginners will find it invaluable, and those of us who've grown annuals all along will find many helpful tips and ideas."--Renée Beaulieu, Internet editor, White Flower Farm and Shepherd's Garden Seeds
-- Review

Review

Customer Reviews

Look no further for a book on annuals
This is THE book you'll need on annuals. I've been looking for two years for one that sorts flowers by use and growing conditions and tells you everything you need to know. Others make all annuals sound like they'll be successful in your situation. But as someone who strictly grows only annuals (I have a rooftop garden), even treating flowers according to directions in other books doesn't always work. This book will save you money in the end. Buy it!!!!

A Must Have for a New Gardener
As a novice gardener, I have found this book to be an invaluable resource. When I'm not studying it at home and planning my next flower bed, it is in my tote bag going to the local nurseries with me. When I find a flower I like, I look it up to get more details and find recommended companion plants.

Although I've not found the plants to be nearly as available in my nurseries here in the Atlanta area (I've had a little more success with mail ordering a few), there are still some great features to his book.

My two favorite features are:

Organized by Plant Type - The book is organized into sections such as General Purposes, Drought Tolerant, Flowers for Containers, Foliage for Containers, etc. It has helped me as a new gardener focus in on plants that fit my need rather than reading about all plants and determining what's right.

Good Neighbors - This is probably my most used section. For every plant, there is a "Good Neighbors" section. In this section, Larry lists several plants that would do well with the plant being described. Especially for a novice gardener, this section is great to help choose a plant that is not only going to look good alone but gives you some companion suggestions to put together that gorgeous bed or container.

ANNUALS FOR EVERY PURPOSE
WHILE I LOVED HODGSON'S PERENNIALS FOR EVERY PURPOSE, I FIND THE ANNUALS FOR EVERY PURPOSE BOOK A LITTLE LESS HELPFUL, BUT WOULD STILL RATE IT A 3.5-4. THERE ARE LOTS OF PICTURES OF THE ANNUALS, BUT MOST OF THEM ARE CLOSE UPS...SOME OF THE CLOSE UP PICTURES YOU LOOK AT AND SAY "WHILE I KNOW THAT IS THE CORRECT ANNUAL, IT REALLY DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THAT FROM A DISTANCE OR IN THE GARDEN". HOWEVER, THE SECTIONS FOR EACH ANNUAL ENTITLED "PROBLEMS AND SOLUTIONS" "GOOD NEIGHBORS" AND "TOP PERFORMER" ARE STILL HELPFUL....HOWEVER, I AM STILL LOOKING FOR A BETTER ANNUAL BOOK... LANSING, ILLINOIS