A modern, small format version of classic Redoute’s Roses, this is not although it tries to be. It is a collection of 50 botanical paintings of roses with facing page of information (a bit of history, catalogue style description and a little interpretation but nothing of note that has not been written elsewhere). But the success of this book was always going to rest on the charm and quality of the flower paintings. Unfortunately the quality of printing in this book, which appears to be privately published, is so poor that it is impossible to judge whether the artist has any talent or not. The paintings are on a grey background, washed out of colour and defintion and so fuzzy they must be out of focus. It seems a shame to go to all the effort to produce a book only to end up with such a dreadfully disappointing result.

Author: HRH The Prince of Wales with Stephanie Donaldson
Publisher: Orion distributed in NZ by Hachette Livre
ISBN 978 0 297 84498 3

No, HRH did not actually write this book and my review copy was not, alas, signed by him but he is a very keen gardener and has been committed to organic and sustainable gardening practices for many years, enduring quite a bit of ridicule before it became fashionable. This is a book for gardeners, not for fans of the royals (though the latter may enjoy it too). What sets this book apart from other organic tomes is that it is not solely dedicated to the production of healthy food. Indeed, while chapter 2 is on growing fruit and veg, much of the rest of the book is dedicated to good land management avoiding the use of chemicals with particular reference to maintaining a very high standard in ornamental gardens.

The Prince has three gardens – at Highgrove, Clarence House and Birkhall and he takes a hands on approach to managing all of them. Naturally he is backed up by very capable gardening staff but these gardens are his projects. The book is full of handy hints on gardening and quite a bit of very precise information. Some practices clearly require a generous royal budget (the water recycling process at Highgrove is reasonably complex) but many of the other tips and hints are within the reach of all gardeners. There is even a chapter on how to start converting to organic gardening practices. It is good to see a book which demystifies organics, avoids the hocus pocus fringe element often associated with it and which promotes practical solutions in sustainably managing high quality ornamental gardens on a large scale. Well done, Prince Charles.

ed: Philip Robinson
Faber, RRP$59.99
ISBN 0 571 22420 2

As readers of our regular In the Garden column will know, Mark and I have a penchant for quirky little garden books which are anthologies of quotes and hints. Sadly this Faber book is not quirky, is not little and despite sitting on the coffee table for weeks on end, it failed entirely to capture our interest. It is, however, an anthology of quotes and poems arranged by time periods from Eden to AD400 in chapter one through to modern times. But it is generally dry and worthy stuff, more reminiscent of a text book with hardly a heading and no illustrations at all. Many of the quotes are quite lengthy. Some of them are quite interesting so if you don’t your mind your reading unleavened, you may quite enjoy this book to browse. But it is not a reference book, it is unlikely to inspire, has little in the way of quirkiness and is more likely to sit forever in our bookcase, failing to excite any further interest.

Rose Thodey and Gil Hanly
Godwit, RRP $59.99
ISBN 978 187631 425 5

The front cover of this book claims that it contains inspirational landscape ideas and by golly it is a fair claim. This is a genuinely inspiring book which lifts garden decoration and ornamentation just so far above the naff, the twee and the cheap and nasty that it is in a completely different league. Gardens are about more than just collections of plants and equally they are about more than good design. They are also about creating different spaces and adding a stamp of originality, delight and sometimes humour or quirkiness. The authors have gathered ideas and top quality images from here in New Zealand and around the world. Yes some are a bit staged (I do not see myself laying a Persian rug in an outdoor seating area), some are rather OTT and not to my personal taste and some are simply too expensive for our budget, but there are so many ideas that there are styles to suit everybody. There are chapters on entranceways, walls, paving, sculpture, water features and more.

Gil Hanly is our foremost garden photographer in this country and Rose Thodey is an Auckland based garden writer and editor. They have worked together to bring this somewhat lavish book (288 pages and over 450 colour photographs) put together in a coherent sequence.

I have no hesitation in recommending this book, especially for thinking gardeners who are refining their own styles and tastes. Those of us who err on the under-stated and modest side when it comes to garden ornamentation and features can find much of interest. Those who lean more to the lavish or flamboyant will equally find inspiration. With our tradition of open gardens in Taranaki (we have done it on a larger scale over a longer time period than any other area in the country), we have many gardeners who are constantly looking and thinking about ways to improve their garden presentation and create their own stamp of individuality. This is a good book to have and easily the best New Zealand book we have seen in this category.

Nick Hamilton with Philippa Jamieson (New Holland, $29.95)

Mark is decidedly sceptical of the claim that carrot fly don’t generally exceed 15cm of altitude and therefore planting your carrots inside a low box hedge or similar will reduce their infestation. But he is currently on a mission to decode organic gardening and to unravel its leanings to unscientific sweeping claims (somewhat like blind faith at times) so he read this book from cover to cover. It claims to be a very handy New Zealand guide to gardening the organic way. It isn’t. It is a British book, adapted to New Zealand conditions by changing south facing to north facing and June to December, with the addition of the occasional extra section such as one on possum control (maybe replacing a section on coping with moles and squirrels?).

What it is, is a handy and sound book giving a basic introduction to good vegetable gardening practice, along with a few fruits, particularly for those who live in cold climates. Good gardening practice is universal and not limited to organics. The section on organic pest control is very average at best and it is not going to help you to deal with infestations of insects in your brussel sprouts. It does, however, avoid the excesses of fervour sometimes associated with organics and encourages successful home production of food without the usual chapter on chemical controls. It is a book for the novice gardener but not a reference for the experienced gardener who is looking to cast out the use of chemical controls and wanting reliable alternatives.

ISBN 978-1-86966-224-0