Holmes, Roger & Rita Buchanan

The founding editor of Fine Gardening offers 46 designs for 23 common landscaping situations.  Illustrated installation instructions are followed by solid plant choices for zone 4.  Zone 3 gardeners are advised on plant substitutions.

Myers, Melinda

Part of a high-quality series that covers other Midwestern states, this volume offers detailed monthly horticultural advice.  More substantial than Don Engebretson and Don Williamson's similar Gardening Month by Month in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Sunset Books Eds.

Geared to the upper and central Midwest, plant categories - ornamental grasses, vines, edibles (often excluded), etc. - are arranged in an eye-catching layout.  With its own "climate zones" and a top ten list of seasonal chores.

Perennials Short and Tall

Andrews, Moya L (text) & Gillian Harris (illus)

Indiana master gardener Andrews profiles 25 flowers (arranged by season) for zones 4-7.  Over 20 appendixes cover drought-tolerant plants, grey foliage, bloomers for shade, and more.

The Gossler Guide to the Best Hardy Shrubs

Gossler, Roger & others

Landscaping with shrubs is crucial to crating the mood on your home turf, but sometimes local nurseries offer predictable, limited choices.  Owners of an Oregon nursery, the authors list, alphabetically by genus, over 350 shrubs hardy to at least zone 5.

Trees, Shrubs, and Roses for Midwest Gardens

Haggard, Ezra

Haggard (Perennials for the Lower Midwest) identifies 100 small low-maintenance trees, shrubs, and roses, with an emphasis on zones 5-6 (though some plants will survive farther north).

Kahtz, Anthony W.

Midwest native Kahtz selects over 400 herbaceous perennials (for zones 3-6) that can withstand the region's wicked weather.  Arranged in a high-quality A-Z encyclopedic format, with each entry having a photo as well as a summary box.

Rushing, Felder

The conversational tone, commonsense attitude, and clear layout enhance Rushing's recommendations on 150 annuals, perennials, and woody plants for zones 4-6 (with only a nod to zone 3).

Snyder, Leon

This revised edition complements the original technical text by the first director of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, with additional notes on landscape uses.  For purchasing sources, not included here, turn to Nancy Rose's Growing Shrubs and Small Trees in Cold Climates.  

  SPECIALTY GARDENING

Aldrich, William & Don Williamson

A good regional guide with practical comments on protection from weather extremes.  Two nice features of Lone Pine's guides are the pictorial guide and quick reference chart.

Dunn, Teri

This regional complement to Ben Helm and Kelly Billing's broader The Water Gardener's Bible presents an extensive list of hardy water lilies and overwintering tips for tender water plants.

Fizzell, James A

Fizzell's state-specific vegetable guides for IL, IN, IA, MN, MO, OH, and WI also include some herbs and fruits and nicely supplements Andrea Ray Chandler's Growing Great Vegetables in the Heartland.

Harstad, Carolyn

Great for woodland areas as well as shaded urban gardens, this guide focuses on plants hardy to zone 4 - small trees, shrubs, vines, ground covers, ferns, grasslike plants, perennials, bulbs and annuals.  A list of dwarf conifers is a nice plus.

Kelaidis, Gwen Moore (text) & Saxon Holt (photogs.)

Outside of local cacti organizations, this is one of the best sources of information on hardy succulents, considering not only temperature but wet winters and muggy summers.  Includes plants hardy to the author's zone 5b garden, with many thriving in zone 3.

Knapke, Debra & Laura Peters

Profiled are 90 herbs commonly grown in the Midwest, a nice complement to Rosemary Divock's Growing and Using Herbs in the Midwest.

McGowan, Alice & Brian McGowan

Indispensable for every Midwest gardener tempted to overwinter plants too tender to stay outdoors.  There's advice on assessing available winter storage space and selecting the right plants for those conditions.

Vanderlinden, Colleen & Alison Beck

Arranged alphabetically by common name, this handy guide to vegetables, herbs, fruits, and seeds includes even lesser-known crops like soybeans, amaranth, and poppy seeds, with recommendations for newer and heirloom varieties.  A good choice for beginning gardeners.

Harstad, Carolyn

Advanced master gardener Harstad touts the benefits of gardening with less demanding native species (hardy in zones 5 and 6 of the lower Midwestern states).  Unlike Hill (below) she includes detailed planting and propagation details.

Hill, Patricia

Award-winning landscape designer Hill offers ideas using native species for a variety of settings, from dooryards to full prairies.  No plant directory included.

Steiner, Lynn M.

The former editor of Northern Gardener magazine devotes two-thirds of her book to detailed plant profiles, with color photos, landscape uses, culture, good companions, and cultivars.  She also has written similar guides for Michigan and Minnesota.

Straw, Jane Ann & Mary Swander

These oral histories splendidly convey the modest, irrepressible spirit of Midwestern gardeners from large cities like Chicago and Omaha and rural areas.  Readers will glean practical gardening wisdom along the way.

Czarapata, Elizabeth J.

This comprehensive source on invasives in the Upper Midwest is useful in other Midwestern states in conjuction with their own state publications.  Libraries will find a reference desk copy useful for time-sensitive queries because the removal of the plants is done at specific, recommended times of the year to prohibit accidental spread.