50 High-Impact, Low-Care Garden Plants

This was a gift.

Easy care plants that require little or no maintenance are favorites of mine.Like many other people, time is a rare commodity for me and I must manage it wisely, even in my own garden. Every now and then I focus on a perennial that I have been growing for many years. I marvel how easy it is to care for and how well it blooms, even when neglected. Perennial gardeners wish that all of their plants would behave like that. Nature, however, only cooperates with us to a limited extent. It requires research to learn about such plants and it is reassuring to discover that some garden writers are doing that work for us.With the publication of this book, Tracy Disabato-Aust has given us a gift. For the novice gardener, the author supplies a list of plants that will help create an eye-catching low-maintenance garden. The seasoned gardener, on the other hand, may discover several plants previously ignored but still worthy of consideration. The reader should bear in mind that the plant list comes with the usual restrictions based on the amount of sunlight and humidity available in ones garden as well as recommended hardiness zones.According to the author, and we gardeners are all in agreement, a plant must exhibit the following five characteristics to be considered high impact:-* Multi seasonal interest* Colorful foliage* Long lasting bloom* Outstanding texture* Architectural formIn addition, there are 12 traits that the author looks for in evaluating low-maintenance plants. Each of the 50 mentioned in this book demonstrate at least 10 out of the 12 traits:* Long lived* Tolerance for heat and humidity* Cold hardy* Deer resistant* Insect and disease resistant* Minimal or no deadheading* Thrives without heavy fertilization* Requires no staking* Infrequent or no division required for four years or more* Infrequent or no pruning required to maintain neat appearance or best flowering* Non-invasive* Drought tolerant.This is a very welcome publication because the topic contributes to the dialogue on sustainable gardening. There is a movement in the landscape community to try and develop gardens that require very little resources such as water or fertilizer and that require almost no maintenance to keep them alive. The list of plants in this publication addresses these issues admirably.Another welcome trait of this book is the opportunity offered to the reader to discover important plants that might have been overlooked. This reviewer was delighted to learn about a cultivar of a perennial that is hardly known in the gardening community. It is called Thalictrum Erin. I have always been a Thalictrum fan and I grow a lot of it in my garden. But I have never seen anything quite like this one. It is the tallest of all Thalictrum, growing up to 96 inches in height without staking and yet never exceeding 36 inches in width. My "eureka" moment occurred as soon as I found this information in the book. Now, I need to find this plant for my garden.In order to understand how Ms, Disabato-Aust compiled the list of 50 plants; it is helpful to study her style of landscaping. Hers are exquisitely designed gardens that are not just flower beds but are, instead, foliage and textural compositions that include shrubs, trees and perennials. All of the plants used in the authors work are chosen for the synergistic effect they have on the viewer when seen as a whole. The reader should feel confident that by selecting from her list, it is possible to create an attractive garden.Tracy Disabato-Aust has earned international acclaim as one of America's most entertaining and knowledgeable garden writers and professional speakers. This book is just one of her many accomplishments.[...]

There are some good suggestions in here, but many not to my preference. Could tool for beginners.

I sat down with this book along with my garden catalog and for the first time felt like I knew what I was doing. The author has developed a fabulous rating system for evaluating plants based on their low maintenance, resistance to pests, and beauty. Her top 50 plants are not what you'd find in a traditional cutting garden but, instead, offer subtle beauty in the way of grasses, ground covers, and sturdy perennials. The author mixes her love of the subject with wit and a fun style of writing. Plus, she lives in the Midwest so her advice is especially valuable for those of us in the garden-challenged parts of the country (clay soil, high wind, cold winters). This is my new bible.

From The Well-Tended Perennial Garden to The Well-Designed Mixed Garden, we have learned to expect excellent and practical information, complete with beautiful and enticing plant photographs from Tracy DiSabato-Aust. Her new book does not disappoint. Tracy shares her experience from decades of professional gardening with her choice of 50 plants that have that big wow-factor for which we all are looking as we plan our gardens. From beginners to the most savvy gardeners, everyone will find a new plant (plants!) to try in this fact-packed, extremely attractive volume.

I own way too many gardening books (according to my husband). This is by far one of my favorites! She has a long list of how a plant makes it to her top 50 collection. For instance drought tolerant, deer resistant, multi-season interest, little division required,,,, We've incorporated many of her recommend plants into our garden and they've all been great performers. I've purchase several copies as gifts for friends. I'd also suggest The Well Tended Perennial Garden by the same author.

Loved the info! Helps choosing the right plant for my location!

I checked this book out of our library so many times that I knew I needed to own a copy. I am currently on a mission to either own or plant (for someone else) each of the plants she describes in the book. Every plant I have bought so far is a winner. It is a great way to show someone why you are recommending a particular plant for their landscape.

What a shame! This is an american author writing for an american audience - and what is the point of publishing the book over here if there is no information that can be applied directly to English/Scottish etc gardens. The names of the plants are given as their American version, only the Latin names give a clue as to what they might be. There are THREE PAGES of garden-supply firms willing to sell you the plants - if you happen to live in America! All references to hardiness are given in 'Zones' which relate only to the United States.A very slapdash offering from the publishers, who could quite easily have gathered information on UK plant suppliers; and could also have given useful Tables to indicate the temperature band/soil types of the different zones. Expensive and in the end not really useful for UK gardeners of whatever experience.

Although Tracy Disabato-Aust has previously produced two great gardening books  50 High-impact, Low-care Garden Plants It's well laid out and has excellent pictures.As this book is written by an American she fails to provide any British nurseries where the plants recommended might be bought, this is despite many of the plants have the Award of Garden Merit from RHS Wisley; and the book is published by Timber Press who are based in Portland Oregon and in London UK!In the check lists of High Impact and Low Maintenance Traits there is no mention of propagation. This would have been useful to know if rooted cuttings, seeds or any other method could be used to achieve more plants.She has also included trees, which seems a shame as the picture on the front cover implies that this book is about border plants.There are many plants in the book that are of interest to me and I may well buy, but before you buy this book check it out in your Local Library first. 50 High-impact, Low-care Garden Plants

I love this book. It has been on the market for a few years (I saw it in the local library) and I just had to have it. Some of the plants are already in my garden and doing just fine. Some plants (the acres) are a bit hard to find in my neck of the woods so I will have to look a little harder. Recommended by a keen gardner.

For those who wish to establish easy, but beautiful low-care gardens. All the information you need on 2-3 pages per plant. Included are combinations with other plants and very nice photography. Very informative checklist as well.

Great