These handy books are a practical guide to growing perennials and vegetables from the bare beginnings: choice of site, considering light and drainage, preparation of the ground, plant selection and placement, planting, mulching and fertilizing.

Gardeners are admonished to mulch, water appropriately and pay attention to drainage. Perennials do best if planted at mid-spring and early autumn. Hughes offers tips for both sun- and shade-loving varieties and recommends cultivars and appropriate containers. She also gives hints, such as suggesting deadheading, or removing spent flowers to encourage repeat blooms.

Most vegetables can be grown from seeds sown directly into the garden or as transplanted seedlings after the ground warms up and the threat of frost is past. Seedlings must be thinned to give the vegetables room to grow and mature. In Vegetables, Hughes gives advice on specific vegetables, from beans to Brussels sprouts to artichokes, including good cultivar choices and some interesting nuances for successful care.

With excellent photographs and water-resistant pages, this is a great reference for how-to reading on the spot.

These books were reviewed by Barbara Mabry, a Fayette County Master Gardener. For more information about gardening, contact the Fayette County Extension Service at (859) 257-5582, send e-mail to cesfayet@uky.edu or go to www.ca. uky.edu/fayette.