[.ca] Perennials: The Definitive Reference With Over 2,500 ... (ISBN 1552096416)

Encyclopedic reference book:
This book is an exhaustive encyclopedia of perennial plants grouped into three sections by their blooming time - spring, summer and autumn. It has beautiful pictures of each plant, with a number of varieties of each type included and pictured. I do not think, however, that it is a book for those who are new to gardening or who want to learn more about gardening with perennials. The plants are listed by their Latin names only, with no reference whatsoever to their common names. It therefore makes the book quite useless for someone who wants to look up or identify a plant and is not familiar with the Latin name. Basically, this lovely book is more of a dictionary or encyclopedia of plants, rather than a gardening guide or how-to. And although beautiful to look through, and a good and thorough reference for those well versed in perennials, it is not helpful as a gardening book for someone who is looking for more gardening and plant guidance.

my copy is falling apart, so I'm reordering new edition:
This is my all time favorite garden book. It is a reference book for people interested in propagating plants from compatible climates, a photo reference to mature plants and, since there are many photos of gardens within, a visual inspiration. It is not a beginners how to, but contains an enormous amount of useful information if the reader is at all experienced. The writers don't discuss temperature hardiness based on the Zone system, but in minimum temps. centigrade, and since they are British they don't pretend much knowledge of cold climates; the reader needs to think about their own climate in relation to other world climates in order to get the most from this book. The book is packed with excellent photos, and the information on growing preferences, moisture, origins in the wild is invaluable. Based on this, I've tried successfully many plants not supposed to grow here. It is the first book I grab when thinking about a plant, and as I mention above, I've loved it to death. I highly recommend for plant collectors, and experienced or ambitious gardeners.