Perennial Gardening Guide. 3rd ed.

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

More than 1500 perennials are described in this expanded third edition
of Valleau’s guide, a work now widely recognized as a gardening
classic.

Although it contains some basic information on the mechanics of growing
perennials (planting how-to, soil and water requirements, pest control,
etc.), the bulk of the work is a dictionary. Perennials are listed
alphabetically by scientific name, with each listing including
description, color, height, preferred uses (e.g., back of the border,
specimen plants, ground cover), popular name, light, water and soil
requirements, varieties, and hardiness zones.

At least 500 color photos accompany the listings, meaning that most
genres and many varieties are illustrated. For example, there are 109
varieties of hostas listed and described, 19 of which are illustrated by
color photos. The photos, although not the best available, are adequate
for the task at hand: identification.

Chapters on ferns, ornamental grasses, ground covers, and herbs round
out this very useful reference work.