[.uk] Well-Tended Perennial Garden: Planting & Pruning Techniques (ISBN 0881924148)

Book Description:
Tracy DiSabato-Aust has devoted years of study to creating showplace gardens with minimal maintenance. Her methods of pruning and shaping perennials, thoroughly explained and illustrated here, produce more flowers, encourage lush new growth, discourage pests, stagger bloom times, and maintain vigorous health. Readers have given us rave reviews of this book since publication.

excellent explanations:
This book as been invaluable in caring for my first perennial garden. She doesn't just tell you what to do she actually explains what each task means/is/how it is done. The only thing truly lacking that i find myself wishing for every time I go through the book is more on design. The pictures are great but there is often not a listing of all the plants or a corresponding lay-out so I can use them for help in future planning. A key element for her to have left out I think. Maybe I will find another book with more on that aspect.

Excellent, practical advice for novices and more:
I've been gardening for 4 years and I learned a few really useful things from Tracy's book; enough to keep it on my list of "most wanted" gardening books. There is a great deal of information on preparing beds, soil amendment, planting and some creative pruning ideas. I think of this book the same way I think of Jaques Pepin's "La Technique" when it comes to cooking. It's a basic, a classic, and it should be on your shelf, or better yet in front of you.

Not your average gardening book:
This is not another book of pretty pictures of flowers. The book takes you from start (preparing the soil), to caring for your plants (pruning tips), to finish (dividing mature plants).

Great for the non-professional:
This is a book that I give to all my new perennial clients. It is well written and easy to understand.Tracy cuts my extra phones calls down to a minimum. She gives easy care instructions with optional more in depth instructions for general propogation. Highly recommend it for the perennial gardener.

Useful stuff:
Most garden books concentrate on flower type, color, pairing or such. This book gets you into the day to day maintance such as pinching, dead heading and pruning in a stright forward manner. By following these guides a gardener will end up with much fuller longer lasting flowers. If done with perenials the pinched tops can be just stuck in the ground in a shady spot and have new plans even if 75% do not start. HLM