Have you ever wondered: what is a perennial anyway? What is mulch? Or what is the difference between soil and dirt? First-time author Dawn Vaessen explains all these questions and more in her novice's guide to perennial gardening on the prairies.

If you want to grow bright, beautiful plants that are low maintenance, but have no clue how or where to begin, this guide will give you the step-by-step instructions to create a colourful and vibrant prairie garden. Even for busy people, a drop-dead gorgeous prairie garden is doable.

More than just a gardening book, Perfect Perennials for the Prairie Gardener unearths a treasure trove of drought-tolerant, shade-loving, and hail-resistant perennials that are easy to grow and look great in the prairie garden. It includes everything the newbie gardener needs to start planting a backyard Eden in between work and kids' soccer games. It includes:

• information on what to do before plants are purchased,
• how to establish and maintain perennials, and
• ways to avert possible garden disasters.

Dawn presents 50 interesting, yet prairie-hardy, choices that give novice planters a baseline to begin their weekend gardening.

Dawn Vaessen has been a high school social studies teacher for the past 10 years with the Calgary Catholic School District. She earned her BA. and B.Ed. from the University of Saskatchewan. In 2006, Dawn completed the Master Gardener training program at the Calgary Zoo under the tutelage of horticulturalist and CBC radio personality, Jeff De Jong. Alongside Namaka Ridge Tree Farm, Dawn developed two successful gardening seminars in the Spring of 2007.

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