Add a touch of the unexpected to your garden. From agaves to ice plants and sedums to sempervivums, hardy succulents can bring color, texture, and versatility to perennial flower beds in any climate. This comprehensive guide offers clear growing instructions accompanied by vivid photography of these durable and beautiful plants. With tips on choosing the right varieties for every North American hardiness zone, you can enjoy all the quirky vibrancy of succulents wherever you live. Saxon Holt is a photojournalist who has spent more than 40 years exploring Kingdom Plantae and the fundamental importance of plants to the health of the planet. A lifelong gardener, he abandoned commercial photography when he discovered garden publishers and could no longer stay in a studio. His work has been featured in diverse publications, from Architectural Digest and Pacific Horticulture magazine, to Smithsonian and Money magazines. Gwen Moore Kelaidis is one of the foremost experts on rock gardening in the United States. She is the former co-owner of Rocky Mountain Rare Plants, a mail-order nursery, and for 11 years was the editor of the Bulletin of the American Rock Garden Society. Succulents are the drama queens of contemporary gardens. Their pointy tips, barbed spines, plump moisture-filled leaves, and unexpectedly vivid blooms are the perfect choice for gardeners seeking bold plant statements. Flashy, yes, but hardy succulents are also easy-going plants, able to thrive in every region, and add their good looks to any garden design. Count on them for the spark your garden needs. Introduction: The Glories of Succulence 1. Companions and Stars 2. Tiny Gems 3. Containers 4. Succulent Ground Covers 5. Perennial Companions 6. Shrublike Selections 7. Planting, Propagation, and Care "I LOVE this gorgeous, inspiring, info-packed book for gardening in the Age of Climate Change and highly recommend it. " GardenRant.com "[Kelaidis] writes an accessible descriptive primer with tips on selecting plants, pots and garden sites; and designing your container or in-ground succulent garden." The Tribune (Mesa, Ariz.) "Kelaidis…certainly knows her stuff and brings a fine introduction to these diverse plants to print."Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Mode of access: World Wide Web