From agaves to ice plants, and from sedums to sempervivums, hardy succulent plants bring beauty, versatility, and intrigue to perennial gardens in every hardiness zone. No longer relegated to desert climates, succulents offer extraordinary color, texture, durability, and ease of care. It's no wonder succulents are some of the hottest plants to capture the attention of enthusiastic growers in all zones.

Hardy Succulents gives gardeners everything they need to know to select, grow, and maintain these dazzling, low-fuss plants. With step-by-step growing instructions, practical care tips, creative ideas for use, and stunning photographs from acclaimed garden photographer Saxon Holt, this book is as beautiful as it is practical — one that will appeal to novices and experienced gardeners alike.

Gwen Kelaidis, an avid horticulturist and garden designer, provides a comprehensive overview of these unusual beauties, including tips for purchasing, planting, weeding, and dividing. She encourages gardeners to consider the plants when searching for autumn color and explains how succulents can solve common, and confounding, garden problems.

Presented alongside Holt's captivating, cover-to-cover images, her insights are sure to inspire growers of all levels and climates. Readers will delight in succulents' unexpected colors — bronzes, grays, greens, and blues — as well as their distinct shapes.

The first book dedicated to bringing succulents to every North American hardiness zone, Hardy Succulents holds intriguing possibilities for gardeners looking for dramatic ways to make bold statements.

Gwen 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. Currently, she owns and operates a garden design and installation company based in Denver, Colorado.

Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC
Distributor: Barnes and Noble
Publication Date: 02-20-2008
Pages: 144
Measurements: 9.52in X 9.52in X .51in X 1.07lb