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9th out of 219 books
—
67 voters
The Well-Tended Perennial Garden: Planting & Pruning Techniques
With more than 130,000 copies sold since its original publication, "The Well-Tended Perennial Garden" has proven itself to be one of the most useful tools a gardener can have. Now, in this expanded edition, there's even more to learn from and enjoy. This is the first, and still the most thorough, book to detail essential practices of perennial care such as deadheading, pin...more
Hardcover, 383 pages
Published
July 24th 2006
by Timber Press (OR)
(first published April 1st 1998)
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As we go into late summer and soon to be fall, the garden starts to look a little raggedy. Despite what many people think, perennials look a lot better in the late summer or fall if you do some tending. You have to clean them up a bit as they wind down their flowering -- remove old flower stalks, trim yellowing leaves, and in some cases cut back the plant to a few inches whereupon it will send up a new flush of fresh green growth or sometimes rebloom.
If you're interested in maintaining your gard...more
If you're interested in maintaining your gard...more
If you are serious about wanting to work with perennials, then this book should definitely be part of your home library. Not only does she give you a good guide to the plant, with it's Latin and common names, but also things it can be susceptible to like water conditions, heat conditions, cold conditions, spreading, etc. She also spends a lot of time going over deadheading and pruning, etc. and showing you how to perform these tasks.
Excellent book on maintenance techniques for perennials. Very little in the way of design advice but I will look for that in another book. I took the time though to read through the encyclopedia of plants at the back and take notes on the ones I have in the backyard. Supplanted my normal reading for two weeks. To me that is high praise for a gardening tome.
This is a great book giving advice on how to tend perennials to extend bloom (pinching, cutting back early in the season) or to deadhead for rebloom, etc.
It is more interesting than I am making it sound. I read it once, and now use it as a reference.
It is more interesting than I am making it sound. I read it once, and now use it as a reference.
I would like to revisit this book when I have more time. It is very detailed, but helpful, and covers everything one might need to know about perennial gardening.
Essential reference for practicing horticulturists. Geared to Midwestern US, but easily adjusted to your region by comparing seasonal events. Excellent maintenance info.
One of my favorite gardening references. It gives specific advice for caring for, pruning and maintaining your perennials to get the most out of them.
This is a very complete guide to caring for perennial flowers. The appendixes are helpful and the pictures are beautiful.
I especially appreciate that the author has tried all the things she teaches. For example, she has experimented to see if deadheading will cause repeat blooming and tells you which plants it works on. When you read 'divide in the spring', she tells you exactly how to go about that.
Now if only I could get some time to go play in the garden ...
I especially appreciate that the author has tried all the things she teaches. For example, she has experimented to see if deadheading will cause repeat blooming and tells you which plants it works on. When you read 'divide in the spring', she tells you exactly how to go about that.
Now if only I could get some time to go play in the garden ...
This is the most useful, and least superfluous, book about garden care I have ever read-- and I've read a lot.
I use this book more than any of my gardening books. It is practical and well-written.
Must have book for anybody interested in gardening. Great reference book.
Good info and great color pictures.
One of the best garden books.
Nov 29, 2012
Nancy
added it
loved it
Nov 24, 2012
Eve
added it
loved it
Here is another highly recommended gardening book that I will probably purchase for my personal library.
More of a gardening autobiography or an "I Love Me" book than helpful. The text and photos constantly refer to her own or clients' gardens.
Excellent reference book on the preparation of a perennial garden and the care for individual species of plants. Much of the text is devoted to a plant encyclopedia. Not a book to help necessarily with the design of a border or bed. As the author states, there are many other books which deal with that subject. I expect this book to be used extensively over the coming seasons.
Feb 20, 2012
Jane Campbell
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
gardeners anywhere in North America
Shelves:
reference
One of the best resources!
Aug 29, 2007
Trudie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
cold climate gardeners
Shelves:
non-fiction
This is the only perennial gardening book a cold climate gardener needs. The author has a wealth of information that would ordinarily take a lifetime of experience to learn.
(I'm a master gardener). Most other perennial books are primarily plant encyclopedias. This writer has actually gotten her hands dirty.
(I'm a master gardener). Most other perennial books are primarily plant encyclopedias. This writer has actually gotten her hands dirty.
This is a great book for gardeners because it helps you control some of the plants that just suddenly might start reseeding....or the plants that get too tall and flop over midseason. It tells you when and how to prune them so they look their best and may even rebloom.
Written with a friendly style but giving good basic advice. If you don't live in the same zone timing must be adapted but the overall sense of tending a garden remains the same wherever the garden grows.
Some lovely pictures, but the strength of the book is the referencing... when to prune, when not to prune, etc. I think I'll need to obtain my own copy.
Excellent reference for the perennial garden (how to prune plants you'd never think of shaping or pruning) - borrowed from the library but one I'll buy.
Notes:
amazing resource for garden care
covers beginning through maintenance
tons of photos
gives names/zones of all plants
amazing resource for garden care
covers beginning through maintenance
tons of photos
gives names/zones of all plants
This was recommended by several people as the "bible" of perennial gardening. It's great - very informative and clear.
Jul 23, 2007
Lee
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Gardeners, aspiring and experienced
Shelves:
nonfiction
If I had to choose one gardening book, this would be the one.
Great idea book with lots of pictures!
May 17, 2013
Nisar
marked it as to-read
May 16, 2013
Ajeet
marked it as to-read
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