BOOK REVIEWS

Encyclopedia of Hardy Plants
Annuals, bulbs, herbs, perennials, shrubs, trees, vegetables, fruits & nuts

Derek Fell
Published by David Bateman
$NZ59.99

DEREK Fell, author of Great Gardens of New Zealand among other acclaimed titles, has been growing and writing about plants for 45 years.

Fell says in his introduction to this, his latest book, the first thing that people in temperate climates ask about a plant is whether it’s hardy, meaning whether it’s cold hardy. However, Fell challenges strict adherence to the hardiness zone system and encourages readers to explore their gardens’ microclimates.

He quotes a recent trip to the Shetland Islands, the UK’s most northerly outpost, where he marvelled at their beautiful wildflowers. He was also surprised to find, in one sheltered garden, pampas plumes and New Zealand flaxes growing outdoors throughout all seasons. Fell puts their success down to the influence of the Gulf Stream that peters out among those islands.

Here is a treasure trove of more than 700 “iron-clad” plants and photographs. He covers, in separate A-Zs, annuals, perennials, bulbs, woody plants, herbs, fruits, nuts and vegetables under their botanical names. The common name for each plant is also given, as are their hardiness zones. A full description of the plants and their provenance follows, as well as discussion on growing requirements and, where applicable, propagation methods.

Hardy Plants will be an indispensable ready reference for gardeners in our more demanding climates, such as the North Island’s Central Plateau and much of the South Island.

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