Product Description

Encyclopedic in its range of information, this single volume contains everything you need to know to create a breathtaking perennial garden. Hodgson thoughtfully covers site selection, starting a garden, garden pests, and diseases and gives the lowdown on more than 700 perennials. As he says, 'Some give you great value for your money, some are weeds, and some need special care.' Plants are organized by attribute, from bloom time or light needs to low-care and no-care categories. Each plant description includes vital statistics, a list of the problems and solutions specific to that plant, suggested 'neighbors,' recommended cultivars, plus a color photograph showing both bloom and foliage. Learn how to plan your dream garden and follow the 10 commandments of perennial design to avoid the most common pitfalls of perennial gardening. If you are overwhelmed or intimidated by the choices, simply select one of Hodgson's lovely no-fail designs, such as an entry garden, a shady foliage garden, or even a layer cake garden.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #53949 in Books
• Published on: 2003-03-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 512 pages

Review
"Perennials for Every Purpose is the next best thing to having a friendly expert whispering in your ear as you plan, plant, and perfect your perennial garden. This book is a treasure!"-- Susan McClure, author of Easy-Care Perennial Gardens and The Free-Spirited Garden

"This book is packed with lots of useful information for the beginning gardener, and it's a great refresher for the experienced gardener as well. Perennials for Every Purpose is certainly a welcome addition to my perennials library!"-- Frederick McGourty, owner of Hillside Gardens in Norfolk, Connecticut, and coauthor of Perennials: How to Select, Grow and Enjoy

"In this solid perennials encyclopedia, Larry Hodgson gives personal, hands-on advice to flower gardeners everywhere. You'll find his excellent mix of widely popular perennial standouts and very desirable, lesser-known flowers a great source of inspiration when working in your perennial border. I especially appreciate the 'Good Neighbors' information provided with each plant. It's invaluable when selecting companion plantings."-- Jacqueline Heriteau, author of the American Horticultural Society Flower Finder
-- Review

Review

From the Back Cover
Perennials for Every Purpose

The title says it all-- there really are perennials for all of your gardening sites and needs. Whether you have a shady spot or want a plant that attracts birds, Perennials for Every Purpose features plants that are perfectly suited to your needs. Author Larry Hodgson expresses his passion for perennials with hands-on advice and tell-it-like-it-is descriptions. Larry never gives up on a plant until he has learned its strengths and weaknesses, and he delivers his hard-won secrets in this book.

"Perennials for Every Purpose is the next best thing to having a friendly expert whispering in your ear as you plan, plant, and perfect your perennial garden. This book is a treasure!"--Susan McClure, author of Easy-Care Perennial Gardens and The Free-Spirited Garden

"This book is packed with lots of useful information for the beginning gardener, and it's a great refresher for the experienced gardener as well. Perennials for Every Purpose is certainly a welcome addition to my perennials library!"--Frederick McGourty, owner of Hillside Gardens in Norfolk, Connecticut, and coauthor of Perennials: How to Select, Grow and Enjoy

"In this solid perennials encyclopedia, Larry Hodgson gives personal, hands-on advice to flower gardeners everywhere. You'll find his excellent mix of widely popular perennial standouts and very desirable, lesser-known flowers a great source of inspiration when working in your perennial border. I especially appreciate the 'Good Neighbors' information provided with each plant. It's invaluable when selecting companion plantings."--Jacqueline Heriteau, author of the American Horticultural Society Flower Finder

Customer Reviews

Excellent guide for choosing perennials
If you are confused and overwhelmed by the large number of perennials available to you, then you might want to take this book along with you on your next trip to the nursery.

The first part of the book covers the basics such as getting started, creating a design, growing perennials and keeping them healthy. The last section of the book profiles perennials that can be used in specific situations, such as dry, wet, sunny or shady areas. Each plant profile includes a photograph, a sidebar listing plant characteristics, and suggestions for companion plantings. Also, the top varities for each plant are listed. Seven garden designs are included if you don't want to design your garden yourself. A very informative and helpful book!

Great book for Beginner Gardeners
I'm a Master Gardener who bought this book for my newly married 26 year old daughter who is planning her first garden. This book has great pictures of PLANTS--not just the flowers on them--as well as garden plans for small doable gardens--9 x 7--as well as larger undertakings. The descriptions of each plant are well done and the book is fun to browse. Good investment for any gardener!

Terrific reference
A great reference that I turn to time and time again. And frequently peruse leisurely at bedtime. Especially nice for wintertime dreaming of next season's garden!

There are only a few paragraphs per plant (facing pages, large-ish print), plus a table; but the info is presented concisely enough that I get what I need most of the time. If not, I move on to other resources.

Author's style is very readable, pleasant and good-natured.

The only downside is that more photos would have made a better reference (although probably a more expensive one). One picture -- which could be a flower close-up or a wider shot -- really isn't sufficient if the reader is not familiar with the plant.

Oh, and too often the table information will say "varies by species" (or "cultivar") for entries like size, etc. I think that could have been handled better.

But having said those things, I have to reiterate that I love this book (and its partner, "Annuals for Every Purpose"). So much so that I felt compelled to write this review/recommendation when the title crossed my browsing path... and despite shopping at Amazon for years, I've never done so before.

Enjoy and happy gardening!