Better Homes and Gardens Perennial Gardening

paper, 287 pp., $19.95

This work will attract beginning gardeners with its broad range of text, organization of relevant topics, attractive graphic design, and extensive photography for plant identification. However, this book may confuse a novice in some places. For example, “A perennial is a non-woody plant that lives for more than two years and typically dies back as hard frosts embrace foliage.” Many gardeners know that all woody plants — trees, shrubs, and some vines — are perennial in their growth.

— Marilyn K. Alaimo, garden writer and volunteer, Chicago Botanic Garden