Creating a Perennial Garden in the Midwest

by Joan Severa and Stan Stoga

Book Overview

Create beautiful gardens and grow healthy perennials ideally suited for zones 3, 4, and 5. Emphasizing basic good gardening techniques, the author answers such questions as How do I start a garden?... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 091502473X
• ISBN13: 9780915024735
• Release Date: August 1999
• Publisher: Bower House
• Length: 171 Pages
• Weight: 1.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 10.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Great narrative on starting and tending gardens in upper Midwest

This is a great book. Heart-felt narrative by author who give steps to establish a perennial shade garden in Wisconsin (zone 3-4). I think it would be a wonderful addition for a new gardener who want a step-by-step narrative describing the work (and sometimes rework) required when establishing and maintaining a garden. Since my style of gardening is using natives in sunny zone 5, the suggestions for plants really won't work for me. The suggestions about how to create harmonious and relaxing areas is applicable to any garden.

Best for the midwest!

I recently moved to Madison, Wisconsin and am new to gardening. Although we are still in the process of "hardscaping" this year (our lot was in desperate need of retaining walls and a couple of updated patios/pathways), I am reading everything I can about plant selection. Unlike LOTS of other landscaping books, this book shows pictures of plants together AND names and discusses every plant in the pictures. So I already have several good ideas about plant combinations that look attractive together--all I have to do is prepare the soil and go to the nursery. So many other books are full of beautiful pictures, but fail to tell you the names of the plants in the pictures. If you are a beginner, this book is a perfect start!

The first gardening book I read cover to cover!

Although I've got a shelf full of every conceivable type of gardening book, there aren't many out there written specifically from the Midwest gardner's point of view. And this is the first gardening book that I would call a real page-turner! Joan takes the reader on a gardening adventure, giving us invaluable tips and opinions along the way, and showing us wonderful photos of her garden. Based on her perennial choices for sun and shade, I've already put together my wish list for next year!

I am the author! This is to say "Hello"!

The writing of this book was a self-fulfillment project. A graduate of Wisconsin's Master Gardener Program, I am pledged to do what I can to further gardening. Speaking to groups of people is nice, but a BOOK can reach many more people! I write to help beginners and intermediate gardeners come to terms with making gardens. I favor the organic way, but not exclusively. I love native and common plants, but not exclusively. I specialize in shade gardening, but, you guessed it, not exclusively! My book is meant to be encouraging. I am a senior citizen and I do all my own work. It keeps me young.

I read and loved every word.

This is the first gardening book that I have read every word of. Joan Severa has a very easy to read, colorful style of writing which is both informative and humorous. Nearly every plant she writes about is photographed and displayed beautifully. She goes through her garden development step by step, so that if one were creating a garden, one could depend on the book to guide one through the entire process. Joan makes a point of stating in the books preface that she is expressing her own opinion and that it is not necessarily the only way to do things, however; in the books content she expresses her opinions so strongly that one feels one had better not stray from her advice. Luckily I happen to agree with her in most cases. I highly recommend this book to novice as well as experienced gardeners. It is so packed full of usefull information that everyone is sure to learn something new.