Dear Fellow Gardeners: The information contained herein is believed to be true and correct and every effort has been made to verify each tidbit of information. The CD is viewed through your browser, so be sure to make use of your browser BACK button as needed.

Experienced, enthusiastic, amateur and professional gardeners have kindly given of their time to convey their personal gardening successes and failures. Their experiences have been heeded and documented, for there is no better knowledge than that gleamed from the hands-on garden tender. The need to create this CD-ROM was predicated by a frustrating need to spend many hours perusing an extensive and costly gardening reference library each time I embarked on a design project for English Cottage/Perennial flowerbeds, for no matter how well versed is the designer in plants, instant recollection of all the potential annuals, bulbs, perennials, grasses, etc., was certainly well beyond this gardener's intellectual prowess. Rather than use and reuse the same flowers in all designs, frequent and time-consuming research was essential to keep the designs fresh and original. So I set about compiling this interactive gardening reference guide, using my approach to selecting plants for an overall design. When making plant selections, the goal is to include plants which bloom at different times throughout the growing season to provide as long a bloom time in the garden as possible. The Calendar of Perennials helps the gardener select the appropriate month, then view a showcase of plants by month and color. Rather than just providing a database from which the gardener selects a single plant which fits narrow criteria, it is my preference to view a selection, for my ideas change when I view other plant possibilities. There are also Useful Lists, to help select a plant by criteria such as attractive foliage, long blooming, shade loving or drought tolerant. If you know the name of a plant just select Choose By Botanical or Common name. Sometimes the plant may not be found, although every effort has been made to include as many species as possible. Although many of the plants contained are hardy throughout Zones 2 to 11, there are no guarantees of success, for gardening is not a science. Each and every plant has its own growing agenda and personality, and the actual time of flowering, mature height, color and productivity will be effected by how unusually warm/cold/wet/dry is each season. A plant is a living, breathing, temperamental entity which is effected by our unpredictable climate, the micro-climates in our gardens, the condition of our soil, and our diligence as gardeners. Since embarking on gardening in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1974, I have planted and enjoyed successful perennial and annual gardens. In some years, the gardens have been breathtaking, at other times ... well, not quite so breathtaking. I have tried plants which failed under my loving care, but flourished in a neighbor's flowerbed under neglect. Photographs of our gardens are so useful in reminding us of what we planted and where; what worked and what didn't. Many of the photographs used in the database are of my own flowers and flowerbeds which I have taken over the years, and note that not all the photographs are perfect specimens, for few species look perfect throughout their growing season. I continue to update the database and increase my stock of plant photographs as opportunites are presented. During the winter months, when we eccentric gardeners become feverish with anticipation of new spring growth, and suffer withdrawal from our inability to get into the soil, let this CD be your salvation. Familiarize yourself with the plants, and engross yourself in planning new plant inclusions for the upcoming growing season. To increase your chances of success, become familiar with the lighting aspects of your flowerbeds, and with the aid of the information provided here, learn how to prepare your flowerbeds correctly, choose plants which match your prevailing garden and soil conditions, and, be sure to purchase healthy plants from a reputable source. In Support of Garden Nurseries: Long before we fair-weather gardeners venture outdoors to test the spring temperatures, nursery owners have been working diligently for months, nursing tender, young seedlings into healthy potted plants for transplanting into our gardens. Once those plants are sold to the public, the nurseries relinquish guardianship and trust that we gardeners will continue to provide the plants with an environment conducive to the plant's long-term health and well-being. Unless we transplant our new purchases into correctly prepared beds, under appropriate lighting conditions, and water and fertilize in accordance with the plant's needs, it is not the fault of the nursery if the plants fail. Read, ingest and digest the information on the CD and your plant losses will be reduced. However, if a plant flourishes, but the blossoms are of a color different from which it was labeled, then, indeed, the nursery is responsible for replacing your plant. But, does it REALLY look so terrible blue, when you really wanted was lilac. Have lots of fun gardening. Janet Kilburn-Phillips

Review English Cottage Gardening - American Style

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