Continuous Bloom

Rating:
Summary: Guaranteed to Bloom!
Review: "Continuous Bloom" is a must have garden reference books. The author highlights 272 durable and long-blooming perennials and bulbs which are key to achieving continuous bloom in the garden. Each perennial highlighted is arranged by month of bloom. Like other perennial books, this book provides the botanic and common name of the plant, the zone, the height, the spacing of the plant, and the light necessary for bloom. However, the author also provides valuable information such as length of bloom, flower and foliage description, care and use of the plant, when to propogate, plant problems, interesting insider's tips, and companion plants. Pam Duthie also devotes a chapter to her "nitty-gritty" tips for good garden care. Finally, the appendicees of the book provide additional information on plants with colored foliage, hostas, astilbes, daylilies, perennials least affected by deer and rabbit browsing, and even lists of mail-order catalogs. All perennials in the book are indexed by both common and botanic names making it easy to use. Full-color pictures for each plant is an added bonus. Although this book highlights 272 perennials and is a valuable guide for the garden lover, you might want to keep another resource book around for those plants which are not mentioned. "Continuous Bloom" is a handy guide for both new and experienced gardeners. It has has become my most favorite garden reference book!

Rating:
Summary: Not a bad book, but not really great either.
Review: I am new to gardening and my sister, who is a long-time and very knowledgeable gardener, gave me this book as a gift. We just built a new home and using this book I installed four large perennial garden beds as well as added perennials to my other landscaping areas all with great success. Using her tips and ideas for combinations of plants, I do have 'Continuous Bloom.' The book is very easy to use and it was I was able to find mostly all of the perennials she mentions in our town, I would highly recommend this book to anyone. It has made gardening a new true joy to me while my other attempts in the past were often disappointing.

Rating:
Summary: Beautifully done - exceeded my expectations
Review: I have several gardening books that I enjoy, but this is the first one to immediately impress me. I think this book could also be appropriately titled "Timing is Everything". Most of us have certain times thruout the year when we look at our gardens/landscaping and realize that something is missing... the bloom has gone... That's where this book shines. It takes you from March ("The Emerging Garden") thru November ("The Last Hurrah!"), listing page after page of perennials that show their best at that time of the year. Each plant has its own page, with a beautiful picture. Below the picture is information on plant type, zone, flower, foliage, bloom length, height, width/spacing, light, soil, care, uses, propogation, problems, insider's tips, and combining ("combines with"). The corners of the pages are color-coded for easy reference (i.e. April is yellow, May is green...). Some corners contain a clock icon for those perennials that have "extended bloom times" (i.e. "14-plus weeks..." on page 91), and/or a leaf icon for those that have "notable foliage" (i.e. "Mounds of chocolate-tinged oval leaves" on page 261). This book also includes chapters for Winter ("Who Stops Gardening in Winter?") that talks about "Evaluating and Planning as Part of the Gardening Process", and Tips ("Nitty-Gritty Tips for Good Garden Care") that can be as basic as "The Fifteen-Minute Garden Solution" which "eliminates...spending an entire day on the weekend...". Is this book an all-encompassing enclopedia? No. Does this book contain all there is to know on pruning and training? No. Do these things take away from the book? Emphatically, No. This is a beautifully done book that is a "Month-By-Month Guide" to help us plan, and give us ideas, and fill the voids that occur in our current scheme. It's a book that is so usefull you won't want to put it away, and is so beautiful you'll want to leave it out. This is a book you'll want to get your hands on in any format (hardcover, paperback...), but if you have the chance, get the spiral bound edition. This edition not only looks great, but all the pages are plastic coated for years of handling.

Rating:
Summary: Simplicity itself!
Review: This book is a novice gardener's dream come true!
The flowering plants & colorful bushes are arranged by month of blooming time, each page has a picture of the plant & a detailed description of it: Type, flower size, foliage color, bloom length, light preference, care problems, tips, etc..
There are planting & seasonal garden care tips at the end of the book.
As a novice gardener I'm glad that I found this book to help me create a continuously blooming garden.

Rating:
Summary: Simplicity itself!
Review: This book is a novice gardener's dream come true!
The flowering plants & colorful bushes are arranged by month of blooming time, each page has a picture of the plant & a detailed description of it: Type, flower size, foliage color, bloom length, light preference, care problems, tips, etc..
There are planting & seasonal garden care tips at the end of the book.
As a novice gardener I'm glad that I found this book to help me create a continuously blooming garden.

Rating:
Summary: The most valuable perennial book I own!
Review: This is an absolute must have book, whether you are a beginner or an expert gardener. Pam Duthie answers all of the questions you might have. The pictures are just fabulous because she shows combinations of plants. The fact sheet under the pictures gives excellent information. I looked under Verbena 'Homestead Purple,' which we have found doesn't winter over even though it is supposed to, and she says that it doesn't winter over.

I teach a class for adults called "Color Yearround in the Garden," and I was so excited about this book, I brought it to the class. My students were equally excited and wanted to purchase the book.

One of the very helpful facts Pam Duthie includes is what other perennials combine well with each plant she pictures. With perennial gardening, whether you have a lot of perennials or just a smattering by the pool or mailbox, this is what everyone wants to know, how to combine the plants for a pleasing design and succession of bloom.

I can't think of any other gardening book with so much helpful information.

Rating:
Summary: The best of its kind
Review: This superb reference distinguishes itself by its organization, unusual plant selections, excellent plant pictures and thorough cross-referencing. The format is simplicity itself, by showing by month which outstanding plants bloom in that period and what other plants combine particularly well with it. Ms Duthie adds tips and insights that show she knows of which she speaks. Several appendices round out the book.
As a landscape design professional, I have many books on planting design in my library. This is one of the very best, appropriate for both the novice and the experienced gardener.

Rating:
Summary: The best of its kind
Review: This superb reference distinguishes itself by its organization, unusual plant selections, excellent plant pictures and thorough cross-referencing. The format is simplicity itself, by showing by month which outstanding plants bloom in that period and what other plants combine particularly well with it. Ms Duthie adds tips and insights that show she knows of which she speaks. Several appendices round out the book.
As a landscape design professional, I have many books on planting design in my library. This is one of the very best, appropriate for both the novice and the experienced gardener.