The ultimate flower gardener's guide How to combine shape, color, and texture to create the garden of your dreams

A British-born, Pennsylvania-based gardener with lengthy scientific credentials, Carey here concentrates on all flowering plants with a special focus on those thriving in sunny climes (getting at least six hours of sunlight daily). The result is a thorough approach to landscaping, not just growing flowers, as Carey explains intricacies of design worth considering, like shape, size, and color. Then she focuses on each season, with color photographs and handy lists of each flower's description, shape, role, height, zones, and category (perennial, annual, bulb). Unfortunately, these 170 beauties are alphabetized by Latin name, so yarrow is Achillea and everlasting daisy, Xerochrysum. A wrap-up section showcases inspirational layouts and provides practical suggestions for starting--buy in threes, prioritize the wish list, and determine goals--as well as planting edible flowers, choosing fragrances, attracting pollinators, and more. A detailed and handy reference.

Expertise and artistry are in full bloom in this outstanding floral masterclass from historian Carey (Glorious Shade). "Flower gardens are as individual as the...gardeners who cultivate them," she writes, urging readers to pay attention to what grows in their area, keep a list of the flowers they admire, and "think about who you are making this garden for." Favoring a cottage-garden-inspired "plant-packed look," Carey breaks down the difference between plant types (including bulbs, annuals, and perennials), and instructs on coordinating flowers by size, form, and foliage (let bold ones such as peonies take center stage, while hollyhocks add fullness and do well in the background). Carey includes "favorite flower" mood boards for spring, summer, and fall, and shares an alphabetized index of her star performers, including delphinium ("sigh-worthy"), catmint ("a great companion for spring bulbs"), and yucca ("indestructible"). Stressing the importance of stewardship, her philosophy is to anticipate, appreciate, and adjust, as "Gardeners live concurrently in the past, present, and future." Encyclopedic knowledge and a fantastic eye for detail make this a must-read for gardeners of all levels. (July)