Perennials for Midwestern Gardens: 400 Proven Plants for the Heartland by Anthony Kahtz

From the Publisher

Gardeners everywhere want to grow perennials. But with its hot, humid summers and often bitterly cold winters, the Midwest presents a formidably challenging climate. This book provides concise, experience-tested information about popular perennials-including herbs, ornamental grasses, and bulbs-that can be grown successfully throughout a wide range of the midwestern United States (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin). From the unusual yellow-edged, mahogany-red, disk-shaped flowers of Mexican hat (Ratibida columnifera) to the demure charm of blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium), beautifully illustrated descriptions also tantalize with perennials that deserve wider appreciation for their superb garden qualities.In all, more than 400 plants are recommended, grouped into 140 main descriptions arranged alphabetically by botanical name. Each entry gives the plant's common name and describes its flowers, leaves, habit, soil and sun or shade requirements, propagation, insect and disease problems, outstanding cultivars and similar species, recommendations on where to use it, and other plants that will complement it. An easy-to-use box at the beginning of each description summarizes key characteristics.Native midwesterner Anthony Kahtz holds a Ph.D. in horticulture from the University of Illinois. His plant selections are based on his many years of professional and personal experience and represent perennials noteworthy both for their ornamental features and for the ease with which they can be grown. This trustworthy guide will be an indispensable aid to gardeners in America's heartland who seek to make their time in the garden easier and morefun.

Eboni A. Francis - Library Journal

Gardeners in Midwestern states (defined here as Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri) know that their tasks can be challenging. Heat, humidity, and drought are common in summer; winter brings subzero temperatures and snow (as much as 55 inches annually in some areas); and summer thunderstorms can produce damaging hail. Midwest native Kahtz identifies perennials here that are noted for their ornamental beauty and ease of growth and maintenance and that can withstand the region's wicked weather. The book's main section is an "Encyclopedia of Perennials," arranged alphabetically by botanical name, which may be a hindrance to gardeners who are unfamiliar with the nomenclature, but each plant's profile features a color photo for ease in identification. Each entry includes a shaded text box with plant hardiness, origin, mature height and spread, landscape use, season of bloom, and ornamental characteristics, as well as botanical and common names for the plant and its family. In addition, Kahtz provides a list of state-by-state resources (including web site addresses), a glossary, selected references for further reading, and an index. This book is recommended for all public libraries with avid Midwest gardeners and for special or academic libraries with strong horticultural interests.

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