BOOK REVIEWS

The Natural Gardener
The Way We All Want to Garden

Val Bourne
Distributed by Bookwise International
$NZ49.95

English garden writer Val Bourne makes it quite clear which side of the fence she's on - gardening for her is part of a larger picture, making a friendly habitat for wildlife.

Her conversion to natural gardening came in tandem with her understanding of the complexity of her garden's eco-system.

This personal account stem's from Bourne's 15 years' gardening in a dryish corner of the Cotswolds. For Bourne, gardening is to "go with what you've got, exploit each area and overcome difficulties creatively - choosing your plants accordingly".

There's a fascinating wealth of material in this season- by-season account relayed with a quiet passion. Snippets such as the portraits of the bumblebee, honeybee and hedgehog and her tips on companion planting leaven the book.

This book blends the practical with the romance of gardening - a fireside tonic for winter days.

Reproduced with permission from the former Weekend Gardener magazine. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the RNZIH