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Perennial Favorites

By Skokie Staff Advisory Services

I’m an Illinois Master Gardener and simply cannot rest on my laurels (pun intended). I’m never satisfied with how my garden looks and while there may be newer books out there, I keep referring to these tried and true sources over and over again. At the risk of offending your sense of humor (again), check 'em out!

  • Continuous Bloom

    2000 by Pam Duthie

    In Continuous Bloom: A Month-by-Month Guide to Nonstop Color in the Perennial Garden, Duthie writes for those of us gardening in zone 5. She includes a description of the foliage and flowers, plant height and width, and care (such as soil, light and water requirements) of perennials organized by bloom season. Pick out a couple of favorites and be assured there will always be something in bloom in your garden. It also features lists of companion plants and other insider tips. And did I mention the full color photos?

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  • Illinois Gardener's Guide

    2002 by James A Fizzell

    A great book that showcases plants, both annual and perennial, that do well in Illinois. This is like the Illinois edition of the Perennial All-Stars book but also features trees, shrubs, vines, ornamental grasses and groundcovers. Each plant gets its own page and Fizzell includes general advice for gardening in Illinois. Symbols at the bottom of the page indicate natives, sun requirements, and the like.

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  • The shady border : knockout plants that light up the shadows

    1998 by Brooklyn Botanic Garden

    It seems like there are tons of books for people with sunny sites but not as many for shade. This slim volume is a handy reference tool for those of us dealing with the challenges of making shady spots look good. The front of the book has short articles about gardening in the shade and then we get to the good stuff - lists and descriptions of plants for the three main types of shade: dry, moist and wet.

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  • Dry-land gardening : a xeriscaping guide for dry-summer, cold-winter climates

    1998 by Jennifer Bennett

    This book could also be called the guide to low-maintenance perennials for the Midwest. Bennett maintains, and I agree, that we should select plants that grow well in our area without any extra care. With climate change wrecking havoc on our usual precipitation patterns, it makes sense to pick tough plants that will survive heat, cold and drought.

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  • The Well-tended Perennial Garden : planting & pruning techniques

    2006 by Tracy DiSabato-Aust

    Every gardener needs tools and this book serves as a primer of gardening techniques that covers all the basics of perennial care: bed preparation, division, pruning, renovation, and deadheading are just some of the topics. There’s also a terrific encyclopedia of perennials in the back with plant portraits, photographs, maintenance tips and notes about cultivars.

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  • The Well-designed Mixed Garden : building beds and borders with trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, and bulbs

    2003 by Tracy DiSabato-Aust

    The last book in this list provides the design tools you’ll need to pull all these great plants together. DiSabato-Aust covers design fundamentals such as color theory and designing for maintenance but also includes actual detailed designs which you can use in your own garden. An encyclopedia of plants which includes the maintenance characteristics will help you figure out what plants will do well in your garden and which ones will fit into your busy schedule.

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