Penstemons

With some 270 species, Penstemon is the largest genus endemic to North America, with examples to be found in every state in the continental U.S. Penstemons are particularly beloved by rock gardeners, but as Panayoti Kelaidis points out in his foreword, they belong in every garden, since "one penstemon or another will thrive in virtually any microclimate a garden can contrive, from hot, desert exposures to dank shade." Nold begins with an enlightening discussion of dryland gardening, hardiness, soil amendments, and other sometimes controversial issues, followed by a general treatment of penstemon cultivation, morphology, habitat, nomenclature, and other topics. The bulk of the book is devoted to detailed species descriptions. Includes 43 color photographs. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Discusses dryland gardening, hardiness, soil amendments, and other topics related to penstemons; proceeding to a general treatment of penstemon cultivation, morphology, habitat and nomenclature; followed by an extensive section of detailed species descriptions. Includes 43 color photographs