100 Best Native Plants for New Zealand Gardens by Fiona Eadie

They say the best way to learn what to plant in a new garden is to look at your neighbours’ gardens and see what’s working for them. The next best thing is to find a book that takes all the guess work out of planting whilst at the same time saving you money and time. This is just what 100 Best Native Plants for New Zealand Gardens does.

First published in 2001 with numerous reprints this completely revised edition has a third of the plants different from the first edition. Eadie, with her many years of experience in native gardens has taken 100 species that are easy to grow and maintain covering all the New Zealand climates.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves because the value of this book is in its introduction. Starting with how to choose your plant professional (and how to continue to use them long after your plant is in the ground) she then goes through the basics: right plant, right place and right time. And because gardeners don’t obey these rules all the time she has tips on site modifications so that that plant that likes full sun can live in the shady part of the garden. Her gardening basics include working out what soil you have, how to prune and the new weeding tool - an old screwdriver.

Once you've covered the basics the fun part begins; choosing which native plant suits your garden best. Each plant has a colour photograph and a quick reference guide with a breakdown on whether the plant will tolerate sun, shade, dry, wet, wind and frost. The rest of the information describes the plant’s likes and dislikes, pests and problems, care and maintenance, finishing off with some landscaping suggestions.

Eadie’s simple and informative style will have you at the garden centre before you have turned the last page. Does it go without saying that once you have read this book there really are few excuses to not have thriving native plants in your garden?

Unless of course you really want to grow roses…

Posted by Miss Moneypenny

Catalogue link: 100 Best Native Plants for New Zealand Gardens