BOOK REVIEWS

Classic Garden Plans

David Stuart
Frances Lincoln
Distributed by Bookwise
$NZ59.95
Reviewed by Gordon Roberts

BRITISH garden writer and nurseryman David Stuart has killed two birds with one stone: he portrays some of the world's most compelling gardens and at the same time distils their elements so they can be adopted by any gardener.

Each of the 15 or so gardens - which range from Vita Sackville West's White Garden at Sissinghurst to the Water Garden at Giverny depicted by Monet - are accompanied by a plan suitable for a far smaller area (between about 12m wide and 18m long). The book also carries suggestions for those whose gardens may be an irregular shape.

Each plan is furnished with general notes, and pointers on construction, planting and maintenance. Importantly, there's a "shopping list" with the varieties and quantities needed to achieve the desired look.

Whether you consider that all the best ideas are borrowed or just want to discover the secrets of some of the world's great gardens, you'll find Classic Garden Plans an engaging book.

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