The choice of annuals and perennials at any nursery is overwhelming, to say the least. Annuals and Perennials contains all the information needed to make the right choice from the enormous number of plants available. With its compact and easy-to-use format, the book is perfect to take along to the nursery. Using the comprehensive plant-selection tables, gardeners can see at a glance the most important characteristics of more than 1,300 annuals and perennials, helping them make the best choice for their garden’s appearance and cultivation requirements.

Perfect for gardeners of any and all skill levels, the book is packed with useful checklists, troubleshooting advice for common problems, handy at-a-glance charts, up-to-date coverage on new varieties and trends, and in-depth guidance on basic gardening techniques. A comprehensive reference for planning, planting, and caring for the most popular perennials.

As an accomplished gardener and professional florist, Linda Beutler offers unique insights into creating inspired floral arrangements and growing the plants that go into them. Among the topics that Beutler discusses are the philosophy of floral design; making creative use of plants you are already growing; techniques of harvesting and preparing cut flowers; “bouquet basics”; and creating arrangements for special occasions. Adding greatly to the book’s appeal and usefulness are Allan Mandell’s breathtaking photographs of flowers in every stage from the garden to finished arrangement.

Features ten plants in ten color groups and offers gardeners hundreds of opportunities to mix and match. Want a red garden? Choose the ‘Crimson Star’ columbine, the ‘Lucifer’ crocosmia, and the ‘Gardenview Scarlet’ bee balm. For a metallic garden plant the Japanese cobra lily, the Chocolate cosmos, and the Kamchatka fritillary. Or, create a multicolored array by picking plants from each category. Plant profiles include a description, the common and botanical names, information about expected height and spread, bloom time, hardiness, and light and water requirements.

Explores the history, botany, care, and cultivation of green-flowered plants. The hand-picked selection includes trees, grasses, vines and climbers, annuals, perennials, bulbs, wildflowers, exotics, orchids, edible plants, and water garden plants. The appeal of the selection is broad: Jack-in-the-pulpit provides curiosity; fritillaries and columbines lend quiet beauty; and green roses, hellebores, and irises are an excellent foil to their more colorful companions. Eighty-four plants are included in all. Complete tips on growing and arranging the plants are given for each entry, as well as an account of the interesting myths, history, and lore.

Native midwesterner Anthony Kahtz holds a Ph.D. in horticulture from the University of Illinois. His plant selections are based on his many years of professional and personal experience and represent perennials noteworthy both for their ornamental features and for the ease with which they can be grown. An easy-to-use box at the beginning of each description summarizes key characteristics. This trustworthy guide will be an indispensable aid to gardeners in America’s heartland who seek to make their time in the garden easier and more fun.

The secret is out: cooler-zone gardeners are discovering that with a little wintertime TLC, plants that have long been considered “annuals” can thrive for many years. These plants, including geraniums, gladioli, dahlias, begonias, rosemary, lavender, and even impatiens, aren’t annuals at all. Rather, they are tender perennials. Not hardy enough to survive winter on their own, they can be moved indoors during the cold months, and then returned to the garden in spring. Many are even more beautiful in their second and third years!

The diversity of bearded irises rivals that of any other perennial grown in temperate climates. For some gardeners, they bring back warm memories of a grandparent’s garden; for others, they’re a cutting-edge plant with a seemingly endless capacity for producing new forms and patterns. In this comprehensive and definitive guide, iris expert Kelly Norris provides an accessible yet authoritative overview of these deservedly popular plants.

Brilliant photographs and down-to-earth advice are packed into this guide to over 443 annuals suited to the climate of this Great Lake state. Szerlag and Beck provide information on light, water and nutrient needs, as well as recommendations on how and when to start your plants. This book also includes tips on planting, growing, recommended varieties, and problems and pests.

Orchids have a reputation as the divas of the plant world: fussy, difficult-to-grow plants that—on top of all that—are prohibitively expensive. But there are plenty of orchids that anyone can grow. Orchids are no more difficult than familiar houseplants such as the African violet, and can be made to thrive and bloom in average indoor conditions. You just need to know what makes them happy. So if you’ve always been intrigued by orchids but were nervous about caring for them, put your worries aside.