Best Perennials for Sun and Shade: Easy Plants for More Beautiful Gardens

This simplified guide, derived from Taylor’s 50 Best Perennials for Sun and Taylor’s 50 Best Perennial for Shade, highlights a selection of easy-to-grow and “best performing” perennials, “plants that persist year after year in a garden.” After briefly touching on gardening basics, the book divides into two sections, making recommendations for plants that do well when exposed to at least eight hours of sun daily, and varieties that thrive in full or part shade. Each promoted specimen is awarded a two-page spread with a color photograph of the plant accompanied by a brief description, instructions for how and where to grow, and points of interest, such as the long blooming season of yarrow or dusty miller’s unusual foliage—“feltlike silvery gray hairs... very soft to the touch.” These tidbits are reminiscent of the information typically found on the growing labels stuck in plants at nurseries and gardening centers. The book includes the essentials, but reads like a series of PowerPoint slides. This slickly produced repackage is not likely to impress veteran gardeners, but those with less dirt on their knees may be pleased by the colorful illustrations. (May)