Laara K. Duggan

Gardening is magic – put a seed in the ground and it grows. Soon interesting textures, bright colors, intricate forms, and wonderful smells fill the air. Then birds, butterflies, and curious neighbors, friends and family stop by to visit. The possibilities are endless and exciting.

Gardening in the Midwest is different from what most gardening magazines and books would have your believe. In some ways, gardening is easier here. In other ways, it is harder. The easy part is the Midwest's rich soil that plants are happy to call home. The hard part is our extreme weather. Even happy plants will need extra water during a summer heat wave and a blanket of cozy mulch during one of our heavy winters. But, all in all, some the most beautiful flowers and amazing plants in the world grow right here.

The Best Plants for Midwest Gardens and The Best Flowers for Midwest Gardens were written from years of experience in creating gardens for myself and others, back by the gardening journals that I have faithfully kept even when I was covered with mud and limp from shovel fatique, and by the wonderful education I received through Iowa State University and the Black Hawk County Extension as a Master Gardener and Master Conservationist.

My goal is to help you make the most of the possiblities that the Midwest offers, so that your Midwest garden will be brighter, fresher, and more satisfying with less work. With the information in these books you will be able to design and maintain a specatcular low-maintenance garden that blooms with with the seasons and rewards you amply for your time and attention.

Happy Gardening!
Laara Duggan
creative flows studio
PO Box 884
Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613