I just got the newly released Rock Garden Design and Construction ISBN: 0-88192-583-7 book as a gift and it contains a chapter on soils and planting recommendations for troughs (only 10 pages though) written by Rex Murfitt.

Two other good books on rock garden plants are:

1) Rock Garden Plants: A Color Encyclopedia
by Baldassare Mineo ISBN: 0881924326 (lots of pictures)

2) Rock garden plants of North America : an anthology from the Bulletin of the North American Rock Garden Society / edited by Jane McGary. ISBN: 0881923435 (very few pictures but great plant descriptions with mention of which are suitable for troughs)

Here is another book I came across but I don't have any experience with the book but the author wrote the 10 page chapter in the first book:
-Creating And Planting Alpine Gardens: How To Build Small Rock Gardens And Work With Alpine Plants
by Rex Murfitt

Lastly, you may want to check out the North Am Rock Garden Society web site (NARGS). They have three books on troughs but I cannot recommend any of these personally.

See if your library has these books before you invest in them to make sure they have what you want. Definitely check out interlibrary loan - I'm sure you'll be able to get them this way if your library doesn't have them.

Here is a link that might be useful: NARGS Bookstore

Thanks very much for all your suggestions!

Here's two more recommendations:

1) Rock Gardening: A Guide to Growing Alpines and Other Wildflowers in the American Garden
By H. Lincoln Foster
-Very few pictures but great plant descriptions with mention of which are suitable for troughs

2) Creating and Planting Garden Troughs
by Joyce Fingerut, Rex Murfitt ISBN: 1893443000
-How could I forget to recommend this book? This is one of my favorites. This book in addition to the sections on how to make your own trough (which do not interest you), there is much info on planting soils, guidance on placing the trough in the landscape and the plants suitable for troughs (probably 1/2 the book covers these topics).

Both of these books are readily available at libraries unlike some of the other NARGS books.

Terrific. Thank you for the additional suggestions!

Yes, thanks from me, too - I'll be looking for your last book suggestion, sounds like just what I need

Sedum37 has great suggestions. Just to add to it, Baldasarre Mineo's Rock Garden Plants does have a listing of about 100 genera and species good for troughs, but that is the only thing specific to containers. But it is a very good book.

I've just ordered Creating and Planting Garden Troughs from my local bookseller. I look forward to learning a lot from this book. Thank you again for recommending it.

Glad I could be of help! I definitely think Joyce's book is a good one to get started with. Like 'leftwood' said Baldassare Mineo is a specialized book that applies in general to rock garden type plants not just troughs. I mentioned his book because most libraries have a copy of the book so it worth getting it at your library. Because it is pricey I would recommend checking it out before purchasing.

So if it ever stops raining here in Massachusetts I'll post some photos of my troughs. I mostly have planted them with hardy, creeping sedums, hens and chicks and other small alpines but there are many plants that are suitable.

If you are interested in making your own trough definitely check out the Gardenweb hypertufa forum. A lot of ideas and knowledgeable people post there. I took a trough making class by Joyce offered the New England Wildflower Society in Framingham. It definitely helps if you have someone show you how to do it. Joyce lectures frequently at flower shows and you may be able to take a class by her which I would highly recommend. If you are in Massachusetts check out link below and see if they will offer the class again in the fall.

Here is a link that might be useful: New England Wildflower Society Framingham, MA