This month I have chosen a book that is both fun and useful to the avid gardener. The colorful photographs and extensive information make it a must have!

New Perennials by Jenny Hendy with David Tarrant is a great reference book for those of us who like to use perennials as part of our garden landscape. In it you will find information not only on planting and care of most perennials available, but also on what is new and hot in the perennial gardening world.

This book is divided up into several sections so you can look plants up by; the time of year they bloom, their versatility, their color or their care. Within each of these sections the author has tried to further categorize the plants by giving information on such things as; what the fall foliage of plants is like, what the appearance of the seed head is like, which plants are drought resistant, what conditions work best for each plant along with some information on how to arrange your perennial gardens and even some tips on planting bulbs for a full overall landscape.

The section ?in the crowd? covers new varieties as well as old perennials that have again become fashionable. The introduction to this section explains very clearly how these plants were chosen, not only for their appearance in the garden but also on their merits awarded by horticultural organizations around the world. This information is useful for those of us who like to keep up with the gardening trends and establish plants that have been proven to be good performers.

I found this book to be informative and inspiring and would recommend it for the reference section of your garden library.