Product Description

When first published nearly 30 years ago, Gardening with Perennials Month by Month sparked a renaissance of perennial plants in American gardens, a trend that continues to this day. The revised and expanded second edition, now in paperback, describes the monthly blooming schedules and growing requirements of virtually every type of garden perennial. Over 700 species are documented, with over 400 lavish color photos. Providing a wealth of practical information to both the amateur and the professional perennial gardener, this classic work continues to be one of our most popular books.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1123543 in Books
• Published on: 2003-12-18
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 434 pages

Review
Provides practical information ... for both the amateur, garden club member and the professional perennial gardener.National Gardener, July 2004 (National Gardener )

A comprehensive listing of over 700 species with detailed horticultural advice.Library Journal, December 4, 2000 (Library Journal )

He (Joseph Hudak) knows his sugject through and through and writes with economy and absolute clarity ... it is brilliant ... makes the book worth the price.Sydney Eddison, Fine Gardening, May/June 1994 (Fine Gardening )

About the Author
Joseph Hudak was the plant materials instructor for twenty years in the Department of Landscape Architecture at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design, and also taught at the Radcliffe Seminars Program. He serves as Landscape Design Advisor for the National Garden Clubs and received the Meritorious Service Award for lifetime achievements from the American Horticultural Society. A Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects, Mr. Hudak is also the author of Design for Gardens.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
The natural nutrients for all plant growth are normally found only in soil. When a major nutrient such as nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium is deficient, any plant may soon show signs of discolored foliage, stunted growth, or paltry flowering. Trace elements such as iron, boron, zinc, copper, and magnesium, while not needed in large amounts, are also essential to best growth. An in-depth soil analysis can determine what is missing as well as suggest what chemicals to use to correct the imbalance. Nitrogen is essential for stem and leaf development. Phosphorus is for root enlargement and expansion. Potassium is for flower and fruit production. Since nitrogen is easily dissolved both by repeated rainfall and by mechanical irrigation, it needs to be replaced more frequently than phosphorus or potassium. Manufactured products are available in either a quick-acting chemical form or a slow-acting organic formulation. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions for application exactly. Distribute the fertilizer evenly never in clumps. Scratch it lightly into the top surface, and follow with a thorough watering to start the fertilizer into a useful solution. Excess amounts of water-absorbing, dry fertilizer left to nature's erratic rainfall schedules can damage delicate feeder roots at the surface of the soil. Fertilizing established perennials is usually recommended at the start of spring growth, yet many spring bulbs benefit from feeding right after blooming ends in order to stimulate stronger budding for the next season's leaves and flowers. Newly divided perennials, having reduced root systems, are best left unfertilized until they show definitive new growth.

Customer Reviews

Useful when used in conjunction with other gardening guides
This is a guide for the serious perennial gardener. It is useful as a reference for planning a perennial garden that will always have some feature of interest, no matter what the season. Many of us (myself included) tend to plant gardens that reach their peak in May and June, and after that, only the occasional aster or sedum lights up the landscape. "Gardening with Perennials Month by Month" allows you to plan out your garden from March through September, without any dead spots in the blooming season.

A calendar of blooming times and available colors begins each monthly chapter, and the author's suggestions are geared to Zone 6 American gardeners (he is a resident of Massachusetts). Gardeners in different zones will have to adjust accordingly.

There are over 400 color photographs, focused primarily on a particular species, rather than how that species appears in a landscape. In fact, if I were allowed to make a suggestion for the next edition of "Gardening with Perennials Month by Month" it would be to include information on which plants look and do well when grouped in close proximity.

Suggestion for other gardeners: use "The Well-Tended Perennial Garden" by Tracy Disabato-Aust in conjunction with "Gardening with Perennials Month by Month." Disabato-Aust is more informative about the impact of a particular perennial in the landscape as a whole. She also includes useful information on how to extend the blooming season (mainly by pruning).

Essential reference, comprehensive
The instant I saw this book I knew I had to have it. It is an essential guide for any gardener growing perennials. With its index & extensive lists it allows anyone to easily find plants to suit their landscape.

Flowers are listed for each month from March through September. Conveniently, at the start of each chapter, there is a list of flowers by color. Plants are then listed alphabetically by scientific name.

For each plant there is information on its common name, flowering span, physical description, zone & culture. Other data may include native habitat, cultivation, bothersome diseases or pests & small color photos.

A great reference section in the back lists plants by characteristics, including those that bloom all season long, 6 weeks or more & in the winter. Fruit bearing, drought resistant, moisture loving & shade tolerant varieties are also listed.