Making a garden of perennials

A practical manual for home gardeners that explains the nature and care of herbaceous perennials and how they form the permanent backbone of a flower border. It outlines bed preparation and soil improvement, winter and summer mulching, transplanting and dividing to rejuvenate crowded clumps, and routine weeding. The text gives guidance on plant combinations and placement for differing conditions, and supplies lists of dependable species for shade, dry or wet soils and rock gardens. Emphasis is placed on seasonal tasks and simple cultural techniques to secure reliable, long-lived plantings.