INDY'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTING ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
Perennials Short and Tall
by Rita Kohn
An absolute must for anyone who gardens, this is a conversational guide through the thicket of what to plant where for what effect. While the profile of 25 of the best perennials that grow in the Midwest by season is a visual and planting advice delight, the deeper value of the book is in the unfolding philosophy and psychology of gardening found in chapters one through four, and in the appendices that help unravel the mysteries of which plant is best to choose for the effects desired. Andrews writes from an international scope, commenting on designs from master gardeners worldwide. Hers is a cohesive approach regarding design and arrangements, and a practical concept regarding what’s possible in any one year. For Andrews, a garden is not just a collection of plants, it’s an extension of who we are, what we seek, why we garden and, as such, is a subliminal statement to all passersby. Companion titles include Go Native! and Got Shade? by Carolyn Harstad (IU Press) and Indiana Gardener’s Guide by JoEllen Meyers Sharp and Tom Tyler (Cool Springs Press, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc.).