Easy Care Perennials

Taylor ( The Weekender's Gardening Manual ) writes as though she is--and makes us wish she were--our neighbor, trudging up the path with a clump or two of a perennial she has just divided, dirty around her pants knees but clean of spirit, witty and sensible. Here she gives the lowdown on 50 perennials that will thrive almost anywhere in the U.S. Taylor is thoroughly acquainted with all, having grown them, and her brief descriptions cover essential information in few, but amiable, words. (She tells us not only when a plant blooms, what color and habits it has, but also how to coax additional blossoms from it, whether it tends to flop, what to do when mildew covers it, and where it can be purchased as seed or plant.) The author also offers bits of botanical history, some--perhaps more than we need to know--concerning the lineage of her own perennial progeny and what her friends have to say about theirs. All is infused with a down-to-earth quality encouraging us to experiment and learn by doing, just as Taylor says she has. Introducing and concluding her 50 profiles are brief discussions of general gardening principles. Illustrations. (Mar.)