Midwest Gardener's Handbook 2nd Edition by Melinda Myers

In this revised and updated 2nd edition of Midwest Gardener’s Handbook, gardeners in the north central US are handed all the know-how they’ll need to grow a lush, productive garden. If you live in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, or South Dakota, the environmentally sound growing info for both edible and ornamental plants found here is your green thumb map to success: Profiles of more than 250 plants proven to thrive in the Midwest’s climate, including shrubs, perennials, annuals, vegetables, fruits, herbs, vines, and more, help you select the best plants to create a beautiful landscape or a high-yielding edible garden. Helpful information highlights sun and shade requirements and offers clear and concise plant variety information. Month-by-month care and cultivation guides are offered for each plant group, guiding your journey—even if you’re a first-time Midwestern gardener. Author Melinda Myers addresses the many challenges of growing in the Midwest, including a changing climate and unique soil and pest troubles. Read more

From the Publisher COSMOS Drought tolerance, butterfly appeal, and suitability as cut flowers make cosmos popular. Cosmos sulphureus produces single and double yellow, orange, or orange-red flowers throughout summer. Cosmos bipinnatus are taller plants with finer-textured leaves and large single flowers of pink, white, red, purple, or yellow. Watch for volunteer seedlings. Enjoy where they sprout or transplant to a desired location. CROCUS The crocus is one of the first flowers to greet you in the spring. They make an impressive display when planted en masse under trees, are naturalized in the lawn, or peek up throughout perennial and rock gardens. AMERICAN WISTERIA Wisteria is the classic beauty of flowering vines. It can be espaliered on a wall, grown over a pergola, or trained into a tree form. The native American wisteria blooms after the leaves emerge but is still quite impressive. It attracts hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators and is a host plant for butterflies. DAYLILY Use these versatile plants as groundcovers, cut flowers, edibles, or in perennial gardens and mixed borders. The individual flowers last a day, but the flower display can last up to 1 month on an individual plant. The newer, repeat-blooming hybrids provide a summerlong floral display.