Growing the Midwest Garden: Regional Ornamental Gardening Guide for Beautiful Landscapes | Perfect for Midwest Homeowners & Garden Enthusiasts

There are several great gardening books out there (Armitage, DiSabato-Aust) but this is the book I have been waiting for. I have wanted a garden book covering plants (perennials, annuals, trees, shrubs) that I can actually find in a local nursery as well as likely have success in growing in my hardiness zone. Lyon covers 12 states and 3 Canadian provinces broken down into 5 Midwest regions that provide the reader with maximum chances of finding the right plant for "my" site. Lyon's illustrations of over 200 plants are marvelous. His writing style is conversational, witty -- I felt like he was sitting beside me discussing plants, soil, diseases, etc. His advice is based on his personal gardening experiences as well as being the director of several major Midwest public gardens. He is candid about the pros and cons of his selections but leaves the reader with good cultivar choices should you want to try, for example, a Bearded Iris - a plant I have come to dislike in my garden and Lyon's narrative hits the problems on the head. I wish I could have had his critical perspective over the years - would have saved me time, money, and frustrations over my poor decisions as well as often reinforcing the good choices I have made. Lyon wants his reader to have successful and enjoyable garden experiences. I look forward to trying out my newly found Midwest garden knowledge.