Continuous Bloom: A Month-by-Month Guide to Nonstop Color in the Perennial Garden
Cleverly arranged by month of blooming time, Duthie's book covers 272 perennials, including traditional perennials and selected bulbs, ferns, grasses, and shrubs. Each "plant portrait" provides the scientific and common names of the plant; details of its flower, foliage, care, uses, and propagation; plants to combine it with; and problems, insider's tips, and a good color photograph of the perennial. One drawback is that while the author provides the USDA zone(s) where each perennial does best, no map of all USDA zones is included in the book itself. Libraries needing a good, basic guide to perennials should first consider Larry Hodgson's Perennials for Every Purpose (LJ 12/99), which covers almost three times the number of plants as Duthie's book and offers more information on them. Public libraries in USDA zones four through eight may want to consider Continuous Bloom as an added title, especially if the subject is popular with your patrons.-John Charles, Scottsdale P.L., AZCopyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.