Holiday reading for New Zealand gardeners

Without a doubt, books made a huge return to my life on my entry into gardening. I simply couldn’t, and can’t get enough of perusing others’ ideas, musings and angles on growing!

In the lead up to the holiday season, which I hope will be ideally aligned with hammock, beach, bed and beanbag reading opportunities, I decided to hunt around for some further fantastic New Zealand books aimed squarely at passionate local gardeners.

Some titles might be harder to get than others, so I would suggest a quick online search to look for convenient suppliers.  I’ll also mention that all books (apart from the last two) I have purchased myself to own and review. There is no sponsored content - links to books are either from the creators themselves or some of my favourite bookshops.

I can also vouch, that my local Christchurch bookstore; Scorpio Books has some if not all of these books in stock!

FOR BESIDE THE BED, LIKELY FOREVER

The Joy of Gardening
Lynda Hallinan
Allen and Unwin
$45
Lynda Hallinan is the New Zealand voice that inspires me most to explore and not sweat the small stuff in my own little garden world. My attraction to her deliciously relatable storytelling was only strengthened by her brand-new title. It reads as a gardening memoir with plenty of laugh out loud moments, mixed gently with sentimental emotion and all supported by her signature, easy to consume advice for growers.

This book is a treasure and speaks of Lynda’s continued contribution to our local gardening journeys.

FOR THE PASSIONATE GARDENER

The Gardener’s Journal
Edited by Margaret Long of Frensham Garden
$30
“Publishing three times a year, this journal of articles and photographs caters for readers with a wide range of interests in the gardening world.”
The creation of respected Canterbury gardener; Margaret Long of beautiful Frensham, each issue is tightly packed with well researched articles from a wide range of contributors from around New Zealand and the world. Profiles on gardens and gardeners, examinations of plant species to articles on design, garden history and travel experiences make this the ideal book or series to be collected for those whose gardening appetite struggles to be satiated.

FOR YOUR REFERENCE LIBRARY

The Abundant Garden – A practical guide to growing a regenerative home garden
Niva and Yotam Kay
Allen and Unwin
$45
“Niva and Yotam Kay of Pakaraka Permaculture, on the Coromandel Peninsula share their long experience of organic gardening in this comprehensive book on how to create and maintain a productive and regenerative vegetable garden.”

It is full of practical advice and imagery to demystify regenerative growing practices and what a breath of fresh air it is to have this advice imparted by New Zealanders. As someone with interest but little experience in this way of growing, I have found its pages addictive and so cleverly delivered with brilliant illustrations and imagery to really, very clearly, answer all questions I might have.

Your soil, produce and personal well-being will thank you for it!

FOR CONNECTING TO GROWING ON A DEEPER LEVEL

Te Mahi Oneone Hua Parakore: A Māori Soil Sovereignty and Wellbeing Handbook
Jessica Hutchings
Freerange Press
$40
“This book shines a light on Māori relationships with soil, as well as the connections between soil and food security, and frames these links within the wider discourse of tino rangatiratanga from a variety of Māori perspectives. Through a range of essays, profiles and recipes, it seeks to promote wellbeing and elevate the mana of the soil by drawing on the hua parakore Māori organics framework as a means for understanding these wide-ranging, diverse and interwoven relationships with soil.”

My own book is on order and I greatly look forward to immersing myself in it.

FOR THE COFFEE TABLE

In the Company of Gardeners – Inspirational gardens and inspired gardeners of New Zealand
Juliet Nicholas and Sue Allison
Penguin
$55
Renown photographer Juliet Nicholas continues to explore the gardens of this country, beautifully capturing the unique curation and aesthetic of each. With her latest volume, she joins with Sue Allison to lead us through the gates of 18 diverse gardens New Zealand gardens.

It is both a glossy visual feast and the fascinating written stories of gardeners, growers, conservationists and artists who have found the joy in the ground of our country.

FOR YOUR LOCAL COLLECTION

Common Ground: Garden histories of Aotearoa
Matt Morris
Otago University Press
$45
“Matt Morris explores the historical processes behind the humble gardens created and maintained by ordinary people in Aotearoa New Zealand over time. From the arrival of the earliest Polynesian settlers carrying precious seeds and cuttings, through early settler gardens to 'Dig for Victory' efforts, he traces the collapse and renewal of home gardening culture, through the emergence of community initiatives to the recent concept of food sovereignty.”

This is an interesting and in-depth view of what home gardening has meant to our changing society and those that have sought to grow and live from the land.

FROM ME TO YOU

Flowers for Friends – Casual, seasonal arranging for gardeners
Julia Atkinson-Dunn
Koa Press
$44.95

My own passion for writing has managed to collide with my beginner adventures in gardening and resulted in this year’s release of two of my own books; Petal Power and Flowers for Friends with Christchurch publisher Koa Press.

The latest release; Flowers for Friends, is the book for those new to picking and playing with homegrown flowers.
It is both a reflection, and story of the seasons brought indoors by me; Julia Atkinson-Dunn when harvesting from my own garden and foraging in Canterbury.

The pages offer an accessible guide to picking, conditioning and arranging home-grown treasures, celebrating their quirks and encouraging unexpected combinations. Seasonal chapters profile arrangements I’ve made, detailing plants in season and inviting readers to play without the hunt for perfection, or restraint.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS!

I simply ran out of space in my printed column but felt these two recently published books deserved sharing here too!
I admire them very much but currently don’t own.

Homegrown Happiness: A Kiwi guide to living off the suburban land
Elien Lewis
Bateman Books
$39.95
”Whether you have a small urban section or a rambling, shady backyard, Homegrown Happiness will help you create the perfect garden to suit your needs. An advocate of the low-maintenance no-dig gardening method, Elien Lewis leads you through a year in your vegetable garden, including advice on:
Preparing and maintaining your vegetable patch, what to plant and when, whatever your climate, how to establish a working compost bin, keeping pests at bay, the best time to forage and harvest.
Elien shares her favourite seasonal recipes that draw on the 'root to tip' philosophy, resulting in a low carbon footprint and minimal waste.”

The Edible Backyard: A practical guide to growing organic fruit and vegetables all year round.
Kath Irvine
RHNZ Godwit
$50

”Gardening expert Kath Irvine’s guide to everything you need to know to grow organic vegetables, fruit and herbs in your home garden, throughout the year. In this practical step-by-step guide, gardening teacher Kath Irvine shares her wealth of knowledge from more than 20 years of helping Kiwi gardeners design, build, grow and maintain their own productive edible gardens.

Kath’s steps readers through everything they need to know to grow great produce at home, including garden design, tools and equipment, seasonal planting advice, soil fertility, seed-saving basics, managing pests and diseases, and how to incorporate organic and permaculture gardening methods into any home garden.”

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This is an expanded version of the article featured in my Stuff ‘Homed’ gardening column for beginners , The Press, Dominion Post and other regional papers on December 2nd 2021
All words and images are my own, taken in my home and garden in Christchurch, New Zealand unless otherwise captioned.