Planting with Perennials

Perennials bring so much to a garden that it is difficult to imagine gardening without them. Using the diverse colors, shapes, textures and fragrances of their flowers and foliage, you can paint pictures in your garden and create an outdoor area that is uniquely your own. Perennials can be used in a variety of ways. An invaluable section in Perennials looks at choosing a garden style, with ideas for creating formal gardens, cottage gardens and traditional herbaceous borders. There is also helpful advice on shady, waterside and wildflower areas as well as on perennials for containers, fragrance and groundcover. Perennials can have a striking foliage and architectural forms as well as colorful flowers, so guidance on using them as focal points and to add structure and variety to beds is included to help you make the most of these highly versatile plants. Whether you prefer hot vibrant borders, ablaze with reds, yellows and oranges; pale, romantic borders to soothe the spirits; or monochromatic borders composed of purest white and cream, the section on Using Color offers planting suggestions, combined with fabulous color photographs and useful lists of the best perennials to choose. One of the joys of gardening is maintaining interest all year round and an all-important section on Perennials Through the Year shows how to plan for a splash of perennial color in the depths of winter.