Product Description

Gardening can be easy, successful and enjoyable with this gardening guide at your fingertips. Featuring 434 perennials grouped in 95 entries, this book includes planting tips, blooming periods and light, water and nutrient needs, plus information on choosing plants for specific sites and conditions. Beautifully illustrated with 537 color photographs, this guide also includes a comprehensive plant information chart. The authors share their common-sense and practical wisdom to meet the unique challenges on the climate and soil conditions of the Northwest.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #511673 in Books
• Published on: 2000-04-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Review
It's the ideal book for Northwest gardeners without a lot of time to do research on the best choices. Readers will discover gems by reading everything. And in a stroke of genius, there's a pictorial index. --Everett Herald

About the Author
MARIANNE BINETTI reaches over a million readers each week in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer with her syndicated garden column, which also is carried in 20 newspapers across Washington State. She contributes to several national magazines, including Better Homes and Gardens, Woman's Day and Flower and Garden. Marianne's light-hearted approach to gardening appeals to television and radio audiences as well. She has made a number of guest appearances on HGTV, the Discovery Channel and Gardening in America with Ed Hume. Marianne also is a popular speaker at garden centers and before horticulture societies throughout Washington and Oregon.
ALISON BECK has been gardening since she was a child. Author of almost two dozen books on gardening, she showcases her talent for practical advice and her passion for gardening. Alison has a diploma in horticultural technology as well as a degree in creative writing.

Customer Reviews

Great Focus - A Must Have Handbook
I've bought a number of different gardening reference books over the years, but none has been as helpful as this book. Only 96 perenials are covered (not counting the variations of each plant.) Every one of them can be grown in the Pacific Northwest.

Last week I decided that would finally get around to planting in the rocks around my little backyard pond. It didn't take long for me to identify a number of plants suitable for the rocks that could be planted in fall. Sure enough, I was able to find them all at the local garden center! This would have been an overwhelming task if I were using one of my big, more complete garden reference books.

While most of the book is about the plants, the first sixty pages of the book has general information on gardening. The information is simple enough for the beginner, but comprehensive enough that all but the most advance gardener won't find something to consider. This section also has mini lists of plants suitable for some basic conditions, like sandy soil, or shade.

I have absolutely no problems recommending this book to every homeowner in Washington and Oregon, especially those west of the Cascades.

Better than most.
I found this book very useful. I especially enjoyed the rear section that graphically showed the comparision between each plant. Plenty of photos and more specific than other books. Highy recomended.

this year's most used books
This book and its companion volume: "annuals" are my current garden favorites. I am a long-time fan of Marianne Binetti and these books are like taking her expertise as a "lazy gardener" to FlowerWorld or the garden show with you. I save money by not buying tempting plants that won't work here. The seed starting tips are also excellent.

One suggestion for future editions: I had Kinkos cut and spiral bind my copies of these two books so they stay open on the table when I am reviewing catalogs or making lists or planting seeds. This 8.00 investment really makes them perfect.