Selecting which plants you want to grow can
be one of the most enjoyable aspects of gardening--and one of the most confusing,
too, thanks to the thousands of possibilities.
Presented here is basic information to help you choose and care for plants
in a number of categories, from trees and shrubs to annuals and perennials.
For each group of plants, you’ll find a sampler of good choices,
complete with photographs.
The samplers present certain information in an at-a-glance format. Each
entry begins with the plant’s botanical name; any former botanical
names (under which it may still be sold) are also mentioned. Entries that
contain references to a number of species and hybrids are headed simply
by the plant’s genus -- Acer, for example. Other entries cover just
one plant and are headed by genus and species, as in Ginkgo biloba.
After the botanical name comes the common name, if there is one. If the
plant is popularly known by its botanical name--as for magnolia and zinnia,
for example--no common name is noted.
All entries also include information about climate adaptability (see
the Climate
Zone Map to identify your own gardening climate). Each plant’s
preferred exposure is also noted, as are moisture needs.
Entries for some plants include other information. For trees, we note
growth rate; for vines, we tell you just how each plant climbs. For many
groups, we indicate whether the plant is evergreen, with foliage present
all year; semievergreen, losing some leaves in fall; or deciduous, losing
all its foliage each autumn. As you’ll learn, certain plants are
evergreen or semievergreen in the warmer parts of their range, deciduous
where winters are colder.
You'll find much of this at-a-glance information is also summarized on
the section introductions to help you quickly narrow down which plants
will best adapt to your gardening environment.
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