The Gardener’s Guide to Native Plants of the Southern Great Lakes Region

Gardening with native plants is perhaps the fastest-growing sector in the gardening world. More and more gardeners are discovering the pleasure and benefits of growing native plants, particularly for our dwindling pollinator and bird populations. The Gardener’s Guide to Native Plants of the Southern Great Lakes Region is unique in that it distills all the information essential for growing 150 species of garden-worthy native plants into a single, at-a-glance guide.

For each profiled plant, this informative guide tells you:

• What conditions the plant needs for soil type, moisture and light
• How big the plant will get, when the plant will be in bloom and what color the flowers will be
• How to propagate the plant
• Which pests a plant may be susceptible to
• Which USDA Plant Hardiness Zones it grows in
• The Species At Risk status of the plant in Ontario, Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania
• What the wildlife value of the plant is, including whether it is a host for butterfly and moth caterpillars.

A detailed description of the plant along with photos of the flower, leaf and seed head or berry help you to easily identify each plant. Unique to this book, a detailed map of the native range of the plant within the southern Great Lakes region -- including Ontario, Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania -- helps to ensure success in the garden.

A thorough introductory section covering subjects like shade requirement, naming conventions, plant hardiness zones and more, as well as a common name index and handy tables for quick reference, round out this comprehensive volume. Perfect for both armchair reading and trips to the nursery, The Gardener’s Guide to Native Plants of the Southern Great Lakes Region will be your go-to reference on native plants.

Rick Gray is an avid gardener who over the years has created a fully native garden with over 300 species of native plants. He has a background in sales and marketing, which he taught at the community college level, as well as a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources Management and a masters in Environmental Biology. His website -- NativePlantGardener.ca -- features blogs, book reviews on native plant gardening books, and Plant of the Month articles.

Shaun Booth, who has a background in ecosystem management, runs an ecological garden design company and native plant nursery called In Our Nature. He uses his knowledge and experience to promote the benefits of native gardening through webinars, volunteering and his Ontario Native Plant Gardening Facebook group, which has over 22,000 followers. His website -- InOurNature.ca -- gets about 4,000 hits a month.