Donna Dawson and Laura Peters. Perennials for Alberta. Lone Pine. 2005.

Lone Pine's Gardening series is outstanding. I read through this book looking for unique plants that weren't normally included in a general gardening book. I found it in this book.

Lewisia, also called bitterroot, is found on page 212. I was delighted because you normally only see this in an alpine plant book. It discusses the species that is beginning to show up in many common gardening centers: Lewisia cotyledon is a neat little succulent-leafed plant with a striped flower. You may find several cultivars of this species in your garden center. Just pick out the flower color you like and you'll have a very hardy little plant.

Gentians are another of my favorite "alpine plants" that are discussed on page 176. The description included with the photographs even mention the fact that these plants are best grown in miniature troughs made out of hypertufa. This writer must be an alpine plant enthusiast too.

You'll all your traditional garden perennials discussed and appropriate pictures to go along with the discussion. Since these plants are frequently found in the other guides in this series of books, I was really excited to see the more "exotic" alpine plants included.