The Flower Gardener’s Bible Flower The Gardener’s Bible A Complete Guide to Colorful Blooms All Season Long LEWIS AND NANCY HILL Photography by Joseph De Sciose ß Storey Publishing The mission of Storey Publishing is to serve our customers by publishing practical information that encourages personal independence in harmony with the environment. Edited by Gwen W. Steege and Nancy J. Ondra Cover design by Alethea Morrison Art direction by Cynthia McFarland Text design by Kent Lew Text production by Kent Lew and Susan Bernier Indexed by Susan Olason, Indexes & Knowledge Maps Text © 2003 by Lewis and Nancy Hill Photographs © 2012, 2003 by Joseph De Sciose, unless otherwise noted (see page 371) Illustrations © 2003 by Elayne Sears All rights reserved. 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Printed in the United States by Versa Press 10 9 8 7 6 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Hill, Lewis, 1924–2008 The flower gardener’s bible : time-tested techniques, creative designs, and perfect plants for colorful gardens / Lewis and Nancy Hill. p. cm. isbn 978-1-58017-462-6 (pbk. : alk. paper) isbn 978-1-58017-463-9 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Flower gardening. I. Hill, Nancy. II. Title. sb405 .h536 2003 635.9 — dc21 To our very special editor and friend, Gwen Steege, who has worked tirelessly with us on many projects with great skill, patience, thoroughness, and creativity, making it all fun. In addition to Gwen, we are grateful to talented photographer Joe De Sciose, who made our words come alive with his artistic eye, and Elayne Sears, exceptional art­ ist, who transformed garden concepts into colorful works of art. Many thanks to the other skillful people who made this book a reality: Nancy J. Ondra, expert gardener and editor; and Cynthia McFarland, consummate art direc tor and gardener. Thanks, too, to Kent Lew, for his wonderful design, and to Susan Bernier, for her skillful production. We are grateful to Tobi and Sally von Trapp, who welcomed us into their beau­ ti ful gardens to photograph. And finally, a huge thank­you to John and Martha Storey, with whom we have greatly enjoyed working over many years. Lewis and Nancy Hill November 2002 Contents FOREWORD BY SUZY BALES viii INTRODUCTION: The Pleasures of the Garden x PART I: THE JOY OF FLOWER GARDENING 1 CHAPTER 1: The Fascination of Flowers 3 CHAPTER 2: Designing Your Flower Garden 15 CHAPTER 3: Nurturing Your Garden Soil 45 CHAPTER 4: Planting Your Flower Garden 59 CHAPTER 5: Making More Plants 77 CHAPTER 6: Coping with Garden Pests 97 CHAPTER 7: Caring for Your Garden 111 PART II: A GALLERY OF GARDENS 131 Down the Garden Path 132 A Fantastic Foundation Garden 135 Wildflower Extravaganza: Meadow and Woodland 138 A Rock Garden to Love 142 Don’t Forget to Smell the Flowers 146 Great Gardening on a Hillside 149 Gardening in a Shady Nook 152 Successful Seashore Plantings 158 The Charm of a Cottage Garden 161 The Magic Spell of Water Gardening 164 The Multifaceted Herb Garden 170 Outdoor Gardening in Containers 174 A Deckside Garden 179 A Bed for Butterflies 182 A Five-Star Garden for Hummingbirds 184 A Garden for Plant Collectors 187 Create a Child’s Garden 190 An Island of Flowers 193 True Blue, the Zenith of Gardens 196 A Take-It-Easy Garden 199 A Shrub Garden 202 Gardening with Groundcovers 205 The Romance of a Rose Garden 208 PART III: A FEAST OF FLOWERS 213 An alphabetical listing of plants with species­by­species information on each plant’s characteristics and how to care for it. APPENDIX A: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 348 APPENDIX B: AHS Plant Heat-Zone Map 349 READING LIST 350 PLANT SOCIETIES 351 GLOSSARY 352 INDEX 354 PHOTOGRAPHY, LOCATION, AND DESIGNER CREDITS 371 Foreword I think of flowers the way most people think of money — there can never be enough! Flowers are happy creatures, such living marvels of nature. They share their joy with everyone who touches them or leans in for a whiff, so I’m always looking for more creative ways to keep them close at hand. The Flower Gardener’s Bible is the answer to my quest. Everything a gardener needs to know is in this book. The late Vermont nurseryman Lewis Hill gardened for more than 40 years with his wife, Nancy. Together they shared their wis- dom in The Flower Gardener’s Bible, a book so filled with insights and hands-on experiences that no matter how long you have gar- dened this book still has something new to teach you. The best part is that the Hill’s garden journey is that of every new gardener. I found comfort in the telling of their own mistakes and was empow- ered by the detailed information on how to make a better garden and grow bigger and better flowers. The first section of the book covers garden basics. Garden terms are defined, Latin names translated, basic propagation demon- strated, and seasonal jobs explained. The second section contains 23 basic garden designs to get the reader started on any site and location. The designs can be copied, enlarged upon, or filled in with your favorite flowers. The third and last section contains detailed plant portraits of more than 400 flowers. Choosing a plant is a bit like screening a job applicant — it’s easy to be fooled. It may take a year or two before you know whether the plants you purchased crawl, walk, run, leap, or blindly charge viii ahead. The plant portrait section takes away the guessing, and it also includes details only a couple with dirty hands from garden- ing and owning a nursery would know. Most new gardeners limit their flower gardens to perennials and annuals, but the best flower gardens also contain a mix of bulbs, vines, and shrubs. The Hills knew diversity is the basis of a better garden so the plant portrait section also includes flowering shrubs, vines, and bulbs. The shrubs add year-round form; the vines add vertical appeal, especially in a small garden, making it feel larger. Vines are at home climbing in the background on a fence, a wall, or an arbor. And, early-blooming bulbs extend the seasons when tucked in between perennials and around shrubs. The Hills’ attention to detail is what sets this book apart. Expe- rienced gardeners will be pleasantly surprised at the expert advice they might not have considered. Because of the Hills, I looked inside the hood of a monkshood flower to see the pair of monkeys on sticks they described inside. Actually, I think they looked more like parrots. It is something I’ll enjoy arguing about with my grandchildren. It is my sincere hope that this book inspires you to plant a flower garden or, at least to grow more flowers. They give back in beauty and joy so much more than they require in care from a gardener. — SUZY BALES Author of 14 books, including The Down­to­Earth Gardener, The Garden in Winter, and Garden Bouquets ix