Complete Garden Guide to the Native Perennials of California

by Glenn Keator

"The only book on the market devoted exclusively to the subject of growing native California perennials,thgis is the consummate guide for the serious gardener. More than 500 species of native plants deemed suitable or worthy oftrial for the natural garden are discussed at length; from woodland ferns t alpine buckwheats, from desert penstemons to coastal bluff dudleyas,from meadow-loving shooting stars to sand dune-inhabiting suncups, this book covers the full spectrum..."--from the back cover

Genres: Gardening

303 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1990

Reviews

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A reference book - I got it from the library but probably need to own it.

[MD · Rating 4 out of 5]

My goal is a low-maintenance, wildlife-friendly garden as my back yard, and ideally my north-facing side yard too. The focus on California species and these types of plants is perfect.

Although there are lists of plants that do well together, I don’t think this book will be very helpful in planning a garden. For example, illustrations are drawings rather than photos - more helpful for identifying a plant than visualizing how it will look in your garden.

However, I’ve been to native species nurseries/sales and been disappointed at the lack of information available about the plants offered. I think this book should be perfect for helping to select plants from what’s available.

I do wish it was more helpful in identifying plants that will grow in heavy (clay) soil though.