Mind Amendment - time to hit the books
flower has a story, written by one of the authors, to make the specimen a lively friend rather than just another scientific notation.
I will also shamelessly add that Felder Rushing was the judge in Suite101's "Tacky Yard Art" competition this year. (My personal entry was prevented only by a serious illness. I know tacky when I see it!)
"The Natural Shade Garden" is not a book written specifically for the hardier zones of the south, but there is enough genuinely useful information in it to merit including it in your own collection.
Ken Druse is a design genius, in my humble opinion, and "The Natural Shade Garden" is my favorite in his large collection of titles. Almost all of the photographs can actually be duplicated in your very own garden, which is no small feat.
He loves hostas and ferns, and does wonderful things with unusual color groupings. Trust me, if I can have a "Ken Druse Corner" in MY garden, so can you. His ideas make just about anyone look good. The photography is stunning, but not unrealistic. It was this book's picture of "Trycirtis Hirta" that made me hunt all over Atlanta for some charming little toad lily. I found it performed exactly as described, almost to the point of invasion. But I love it, and have shared it with lots of fellow gardeners, as it now comes up in moist spots at random.
His use of annuals in combination with standard perennials can be translated into combinations of color, size and texture values in almost all parts of the United States.
If this isn't enough reading material to last you a lifetime, these are links to good gardening book sites for your perusal:
ENJOY!
http://www.carolinagardener.com/books/bo...
http://www.masshort.org/bkperenn.htm
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