Fortunately for me, and those who can relate, there is now a book that catalogs those well-adapted plants. It is Durable Plants for the Garden: A Plant Select Guide, and it’s exciting reading for the Colorado gardener who wants to know all about the latest and greatest of the tried and true. For that is what Plant Select — a Colorado nonprofit organization — does; it highlights plants with a propensity to grow well in our climate — mountains to high plains — that are not as well known as they deserve to be.

In the introduction of the book, James Henrich writes, “Criteria for selecting the plants for the program include performance in a broad range of garden situations in the Rocky Mountain region, adaptation to the region’s challenging climate, uniqueness of flower color or plant habit, disease and insect resistance, exceptional performance under low water conditions, a long season of beauty in the garden with an emphasis on fall color, interesting fruit, and winter appeal, noninvasiveness, and capability to be mass produced.” Now, if those characteristics don’t describe the ideal garden plant, I don’t know what does.

Plant Select plants can be found at your locally owned garden centers, tagged with the Plant Select symbol. Spring is the best time to find them, since these plants are often grown in small batches and may not be available for long. You may even want to buy them early and hold on to them for when you’ve prepared the right spot for these gems in your garden.

Durable Plants for the Garden features all 74 plants introduced by this program in its first 11 years. As the inside cover proudly proclaims, “This bold new plant palette will revolutionize the way we garden.” I believe it. The information is organized in a format friendly to anyone who picks up the book. Like most garden plant books, the expected size of the plant at maturity is listed, but a particularly helpful illustration showing a human next to the plant is also offered for us visual learners. The plant’s best features and disadvantages are explained, in addition to the standard elucidation of its culture, characteristics, form and landscape use.

The native range of the species is given, which is pertinent information, especially for the native plant enthusiast or for those avid gardeners who plant their garden according to where in the world the plant originates (and I am fortunate enough to know a number of these). A unique treatment of the plants is delivered in the “Why Chosen” section that expounds on why that particular plant was desirable for Plant Select. This section helps readers understand the background of the plant and more about its value to our gardens. Each plant is shown in two or three photographs, revealing attractive attributes or different times of the season. They are also shown in a drawing by a variety of botanical illustrators, making this book as worthy for the coffee table as for the shelf of the plant collector’s reference library.

While I intended this month’s column to be a book review, the Plant Select program is so exciting and helpful that any way it gains familiarity is a benefit to Colorado’s gardening public. For those who are happy with simply gathering the information as it is needed, I will refer you to the Plant Select website at www.plantselect.org. Durable Plants for the Garden is a great reference guide for those who enjoy the feel of a book in the hand and relish collecting a reference library of their favorite garden books. Count me as one of the guilty masses. Whichever way you choose to become acquainted with these terrific plants, enjoy the journey.

Eve Gilmore is a garden coach and owner of Gardens by Eve in Durango. You can reach Eve at www.gardensbyeve.buzztown.com or by calling 970-769-3319.