During planting season, this is the one book I turn to almost daily. It has helped me find plants which will grow and thrive in my shade garden (which has dense, moist soil)...my side yard (which contains areas of chalky, rocky ground)...an area which is moisture-prone and nearly always wet...another area that has some shade, some sun and another with acid soil...and so on. Each page of this book has full-color photos of the plants as well as their final size, flowering season, needs, care, etc. The author goes on to describe those that are perfect for such ground covers, containers, hedges, etc.

This book has been a constant companion as I planned and nurtured 3 different gardens in 3 different homes. Of all the books in my gardening library - and over the years I have purchased quite a few - this has remained the one in constant use. This is not a design book, but rather a very well organized "tool", allowing a gardener to zero in on plants that have the best chance of thriving under a particular set of conditions. I too wore out my first copy, but with years of notations, it is too valuable to replace. It remains one of my favorites.

It is a problem for every gardener. You walk through the garden center or leaf through the catalog, making your selection, envisioning the new plant thriving at home. Lovingly, you pick the perfect spot, carefully planting and nurturing your prize ---- only to be disappointed by the results of your efforts. What went wrong? Perhaps you had too much sun for its liking, or too little. Possibly you got too much rain or not nearly enough. Or maybe the perennial that looked so charming in the garden center spread rapidly enough to choke out everything else and soon took over the garden. Nicola Ferguson understands, and this book is aptly titled --- it really does make it easy to select the right plant for the right place, no matter what type of garden you want. She discusses not only the optimal growing conditions for thousands of plants, but also adresses a range of concerns that all gardeners --- whether beginners or pros --- ought to know before they plant. The material is organized so that it is easy to find exactly the information needed, and the book features colorful photos of nearly every plant mentioned (surprising at this price). I found this book incredibly useful, and in fact, actually wore out a copy (well, honestly, the first copy was not bound all that well, either). If you have any interest in gardening and reading, you've probably already spent a lot more for books that were of much less help. Do yourself a favor --- before your next trip to the nursery, dig into a copy of this book. I guarantee you'll learn something that will help make your dream garden become a reality