Re: Re New Books
Tim Longville wrote:
>
> And - next stage in this game of musical books - I'll second David's
> recommendation of the Cave & Paddison book on NZ plants: and also his
> general comments on the relatively small percentage of the vast range
> of feasible Kiwi plants currently being used, which are as true of the
> UK as they are of California - it's sometimes quite depressing to read
> something like Will Arnold-Forster's 40s UK classic, Trees and Shrubs
> for Milder Counties, and see how many more plants he was growing then
> than are available now....
Hi Tim
Cave and Patterson is indeed a splendid book and rapidly becoming a
local "bible"
here. I would however hasten to assure you that not by any means all the
plants it lists are freely available in the local trade (the rarer
Astelias for instance). However, by dilligently contacting the
specialist nurseries one could possibly run down most of them.
The dumbing-down of the local plant trade here is also a growing problem
and is much encouraged by the mass outlets which are only concerned with
what will bring in the most quick money. It takes a dedicated small
grower to have a pride in presenting the rare and difficult. I think to
a large extent this function is fulfilled here by speciaist mail-order
growers, some of whom offer quite splendid collections both of native
and exotic plants in far greater variety than even the best garden
centres..
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata (near Wellington, capital city of New Zealand)
