Tough Plants For Southern Gardens

Tough Plants for Southern Gardens is written for novice and accomplished gardener alike, and for all gardeners who value their leisure time. They also value the appearance of their home and appreciate the benefits of well-placed landscaping; however, they do not want to devote too much time to keeping it beautiful.

Tough-but-beautiful plant picks There’s a growing demand for dependably hardy plants that require less maintenance and less water, but look no less beautiful in the garden. Plant Select—the leading purveyor of plants designed to thrive in difficult climates—meets this need by promoting plants that allow gardeners everywhere to have stunning, environmentally-friendly gardens that use fewer resources. Pretty Tough Plants highlights 135 of Plant Select’s top plant picks. Each profile features a color photograph and specific details about the plant’s size, best features, and bloom season, along with cultural needs, landscape features, and design ideas. The plant list includes perennials and annuals, groundcovers, grasses, shrubs, and trees. A chart at the end of the book makes it easy to choose the right plants for specific conditions and needs.

In my many years in the horticulture industry, especially in the teaching end, I've found that the vast majority of gardeners believe that the real challenge in gardening is to produce a beautiful garden with minimal care. However, the "true" gardener likes to push and is willing to make the needed adjustments, work, sacrifice, whatever, to grow some prized possession. And what on earth is wrong with that? If a gardener is so inclined, he or she is welcome to brag about having a perfect lawn, or growing the first Isoplexis canariensis in the neighborhood. Yet only a very tiny percentage of people want the challenge of growing really unsuitable plants, which involves not just extra time on the gardener's part, but also includes heavy resource use. Besides, some plants are too specialized for the average gardener. Everyone is welcome to dig, bag, chill, spit, and turn summersaults to get a temperamental posy to do just right. But telling others to do this is less than good advice. There is plenty of "fun" in gardening to keep everyone busy; we don't need "work" to make gardening fun. In this book, Felder presents us with the "what-does-best" plants--the plants that fill our gardens with the least care needed, and that, in turn, allow us more quality time in our garden oases. For those who want a landscape of entirely low-maintenance, this is certainly the listing of the lowest. "Tough," as in the title of this book, is Felder's word for "hardy." "Tough" is also the word for Felder's no-nonsense style that cuts through the--let us say--manure of the plant selection process.--Adapted from introduction.

In this eloquent plea for compassion and respect for all species, journalist and gardener Nancy Lawson describes why and how to welcome wildlife to our backyards. Through engaging anecdotes and inspired advice, profiles of home gardeners throughout the country, and interviews with scientists and horticulturalists, Lawson applies the broader lessons of ecology to our own outdoor spaces. Detailed chapters address planting for wildlife by choosing native species; providing habitats that shelter baby animals, as well as birds, bees, and butterflies; creating safe zones in the garden; cohabiting with creatures often regarded as pests; letting nature be your garden designer; and encouraging natural processes and evolution in the garden. The Humane Gardener fills a unique niche in describing simple principles for both attracting wildlife and peacefully resolving conflicts with all the creatures that share our world.

The northern garden, with its unique growing conditions, presents gardeners with a major challenge. Many popular plants simply do not grow well in colder climates. Now, this easy-to-use guide for northern gardens gives you step-by-step instructions on choosing and caring for more than 150 low-maintenance plants and shrubs that thrive in colder climates including…Annuals, Perennials, Vines, Shrubs and Trees. Tough Plants for Northern Garden is your solution for a beautiful, healthy, low-care garden.

Expert advice for Southern gardeners A gardener’s plant choice and garden style are inextricably linked to the place they call home. In order to grow a flourishing garden, every gardener must know the specifics of their region’s climate, soil, and geography. Gardening in the South is comprehensive, enthusiastic, and accessible to gardeners of all levels. It features information on site and plant selection, soil preparation and maintenance, and basic design principles. Plant profiles highlight the region’s best perennials, annuals, trees, shrubs, and bulbs. Color photographs throughout show wonderful examples of southern garden style. Gardening in the South is for home gardeners in Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana.

Tough-but-beautiful plant picks There’s a growing demand for dependably hardy plants that require less maintenance and less water, but look no less beautiful in the garden. Plant Select—the leading purveyor of plants designed to thrive in difficult climates—meets this need by promoting plants that allow gardeners everywhere to have stunning, environmentally-friendly gardens that use fewer resources. Pretty Tough Plants highlights 135 of Plant Select’s top plant picks. Each profile features a color photograph and specific details about the plant’s size, best features, and bloom season, along with cultural needs, landscape features, and design ideas. The plant list includes perennials and annuals, groundcovers, grasses, shrubs, and trees. A chart at the end of the book makes it easy to choose the right plants for specific conditions and needs.