The Well-Tended Perennial Garden The Essential Guide to Planting and Pruning Techniques, Third Edition

as a guide, with necessary adjustments according to individual needs and condi-
tions, it is my hope that the information included with each plant offers gardeners
precise guidelines for pruning, rather than vague recommendations that don’t
provide specific how-tos or results. Take these, experiment, learn, and grow.
The descriptions for each plant in the encyclopedia are fairly brief. My
objective in writing this reference book was not to write another descriptive
manual—such manuals have already been successfully created. The objective of
this book is to provide new, and easily referenced, material specific to mainte-
nance and pruning of perennials.
Plant entries are listed alphabetically by scientific names. Immediately
following the entry head is a list of key information: the plant’s common name,
the family to which it belongs, descriptive features, size, preferred exposure,
blooming time if applicable, and hardiness zone(s). Height measurements given
in parentheses indicate the height of the foliage and are provided only if the
height is significantly different from the height of the plant in flower. Many
perennials are cut down or deadheaded down to this foliage, so it is significant
information to keep in mind while designing. Pruning and other maintenance
information follows. Cultivars and related plants are mentioned if they offer
something unique from a maintenance standpoint, as compared to the featured
plant. In cases where a cultivar or variety is the perennial being featured, rather
than the species form, more often than not it is because that is the form of the
plant most commonly used in the industry. If you have difficulty locating
information for a particular plant or cultivar, please consult the index, which
may be able to direct you to the proper entry.
The chapters in the first two sections of this book will greatly aid you in a
more thorough understanding of the pruning and maintenance information
provided in the encyclopedia. They provide insight not always included in the
specific plant entries; I strongly recommend that you read and familiarize
yourself with the information provided in these chapters. The numerous lists at
the end of the Encyclopedia of Perennials can also serve as a quick reference on
many of these maintenance requirements. For example, which plants need
cutting back after flowering? Which ones should be divided every year, or every
10 years, and so forth?