Perennials

This brief compilation of articles culled from five years of Fine Gardening magazine provides useful glimpses of a small number of perennial garden stalwarts requiring varied habitats, climatic conditions and degrees of attention from the gardener. One of the virtues of the book is its informal first-person approach: although practical advice is part of each of the 17 essays, it is neither exclusive nor monotonous. Why, for instance, a chapter on violets? Not just because they're easy to grow and multiply almost without aid. ``They have a nostalgic air of innocence,'' explains Ariel Haynes, ``and the sweetness of unpretentious beauty. Their charm is redoubled by their great variety. . . . I am fascinated by the variation of form, texture and color in violet leaves.'' Or, on the other hand, the merit of cultivating veronicas, which offer a range of shades of blue: ``Nothing attracts livelier debate in gardening circles than color, but everyone agrees on one point--there's never enough blue,'' notes Panayoti Kelaidis. The selection of perennial types is generous in scope, and not obscure; the writers all grow their own, and their firsthand experience shows. Illustrated. (Sept.)