Annuals & Tender Plants for North American Gardens

Rating:
Summary: Good addition to your garden reference library
Review: As with his earlier book, "Annuals for Connoiseurs," this is a great reference book for annuals and tender perennials. It's also a great place for inspiration and ideas -- you'll want to try some new plants, or use an "old" one in a different way.

What makes Winterrowd's work unique are his suggestions on how to get the most enjoyment and beauty from each species. Besides the usual basics, he gives suggestions for each plant on how to grow and use it well (pot, trellis, in shrubbery, etc.), how to start seed, how to overwinter it (if applicable), when to pinch back, which varieties are most floriferous/hardy, etc.

He's also very readable -- engaging, often humorous, a bit like talking to a friend about favorite plants.

My only regret is that there aren't more pictures, particularly of the less well-known species. But, in combination with one of the more traditional plant encyclopedias (for pictures), "Annuals and Tender Plants for North American Gardens" will give you way more ideas than you'll be able to use!