High and Dry: Gardening with Cold-Hardy Dryland Plants
Nold aims his expert eye on America’s “Big Sky” high country, providing all who garden in the cold, dry landscape of Rocky Mountain regions with a truly incisive resource for selecting ornamental plants. Summer’s extreme heat is considered, along with frigid winters and semiarid conditions, as Nold recommends a wondrous selection of appropriate bulbs and perennials, annuals and grasses, shrubs and cacti. A plant-lover’s zeal defines the chapter devoted to species for rock gardens, where Nold puts forward plants that promise to be easily grown, although mostly from seed. The book’s trove of plants is brought to life through detailed advice based upon Nold’s hard-won understanding of gardening in Denver’s unique climatic conditions. Extensive plant profiles offer descriptions of plants, their habits, and cultural requirements. Moreover, entries are filled with Nold’s personal experience, helping to govern readers’ choices as they look to create their own beautiful gardens. --Alice Joyce