Resource Materials
Resource Centre
The education of a gardener is never-ending; there is always something new to learn and with the ceaseless flow of new and exciting plant material available, it’s very easy for a gardener – from novice to connoisseur – to begin to feel overwhelmed!
I rely on reference materials: books, videos and websites are three readily available sources of information that are also reliable in the sense that they seem to change as quickly as information and fads – something gardeners are becoming increasingly aware of with the passing of each garden season.
BOOKS OF INTEREST
I have complied a list of some of the books that have proven themselves to be invaluable during my shade garden education. I hope that they will be useful in your journey as well:
The Education of a Gardener
by Russell Page should, in my opinion, be required reading for anyone contemplating creating a garden. He is revered as being one of the legendary gardeners and landscape architects of the twentieth century. His memoir styled writing is a wonderful mix of memories, knowledge and know how. Page was one of the earliest advocates that a garden draws it’s energies from the surrounding landscape, and many of his examples pay close homage to this principle.
Dear Friend and Gardener: Letters on Life and Gardening is a series of engaging letters between legendary English gardeners Christopher Lloyd and Beth Chatto. These two master gardeners compare notes on successes and failures in their two distinctly different gardens. Sprinkled liberally is a cheerful dose of gossip, life and nature! Chatto’s garden is located in East Anglia, and was once a desolate flat, dry exposed landscape. Today it is a destination pilgrimage for plant lovers – and is truly story of success winning out over adversity! Lloyd, creator and lord over historic Great Dixter, is best remembered for his controversial garden styles. He single handedly created one of English gardening’s most talked about uproars when he transformed an old rose garden into a hotbed of brightly coloured tender perennials.
A Gentle Plea for Chaos by Mirabel Osler quickly found a place in my heart as it reads like a treatise that begs people to remember that a garden is essentially a tamed sliver of nature, and as such, needs to include areas that seemingly abandon structure for a touch of wilful abandon. Osler uses her own eight year garden creation experience as a blueprint, and continues by delving into numerous digressions, peppered with reflection. This reads like a guided musing on so many subjects that are close to every gardeners heart. In essence she is advocating a movement away from the planning and regimentation that many larger garden estates seem to favour, with , in her words, ‘the mentality of a stamp collector!’ In its place, she likes to let Mother Nature take control, creating moments of de-construction, that are always accompanied with a sense of whimsy and humour. You need only look at my own gardens to see how instrumental this wonderful book has been for me.
The Explorer’s Garden: Rare and Unusual Perennials by Daniel Hinkley, former owner of Heronswood Nursery is my all-time favourite gardening book. Hinkley continues to be one of the true legendary plant hunters who remains at the forefront in providing new, rare and choice selections for the truly discerning garden connoisseur! His eclectic taste and insatiable curiosity where horticulture is concerned has led him on dozens of expeditions, plant hunting from China, Korea, Nepal, Chili, and to closer-to-home remote areas of North America. His legendary, now closed nursery on Puget Sound was home to close to 9000 plants, many of them growing among what can only be described as display gardens par excellence! While readers will recognize a few of the selections, most offer a welcome introduction to some of his more exciting plant discoveries and introductions which include: Corydalis flexuosa ‘Blue Panda,’ Disporum cantoniense ‘Night Heron,’ and Begonia grandis ‘Heron’s Pirouette.’ Many of the rare and choice selections that make up the Shaded Walk within Teza’s Garden were first introduced to me while reading this fascinating book. Hard to locate until recently, it is readily available through Timber Press.
The Explorer’s Garden: Shrubs and Vines From The Four Corners of the World is the latest tome from plantsman Daniel Hinkley. I was immediately immersed in its contents, which introduces gardeners to a plethora of new and exciting shrubs and vines for the garden. While there are easily recongizable entries under genera ranging from Berberis, Hamamelis and Hydrangea, there is also a number of new and exciting specimens that instantly captured my attention and curiosity. I was immediately drawn to the genus Dichroa, a little known Hydrangea relative with spectacular blue flowers, followed by an almost electric blue fruit! While I do not live in a gardening zone that would afford it’s success, I have also found myself smitten with the genus Eucryphia – but a gardener must also be allowed to dream once in a while! Introducing each genera is a wonderful sample of Hinkley’s ‘Travelogue’ - a brief glimpse into the actual expeditions from which these new garden jewels were collected. There is a wonderful section that prefaces the actual plant list that speaks frankly and directly to the ever present threat of bioinvasiveness, an almost mandatory inclusion when so many new plants are being introduced into what to them is an ‘alien’ landscape! Thoughtfully, he also includes a brief section entitled ‘Notes on Propagation,’ that will greatly assist those who wish to try their hand at propogating some of the plants that are introduced within the text. This was a long awaited follow up, but like a fine glass of wine, things of this nature should never be rushed. Like it’s predecessor, it is also available from www.timberpress.com
An Encyclopedia of Shade Perennials by W. George Schmid is a prerequisite purchase for anyone wanting to have a comprehensive compendium of shade tolerant plants at their disposal. This reference combines information on more than 7000 species and cultivars from over 150 different genera – from Acanthus to Woodwardia – with some newbies, and others that are getting a second wind thanks to Schmid’s inclusion. Expertise and personal accounts of the plants listed here, make it an enjoyable and educational experience for the reader.
Without a doubt, one of my personal favourites is Beth Chatto’s Woodland Garden: Shade-Loving Plants For Year-Round Interest. This is the perfect companion for those who yearn to bring beauty to north facing beds beneath shrubs and trees – or, more aptly, for anyone wanting to create their own woodland garden! This book offers a wealth of personal and practical knowledge of more than 500 plants that thrive in the shade. Chatto’s unrivaled knowledge, combined with her keen eye for colour and aesthetics make this a ‘must have’ addition to the garden library. She details the transformation of her own derelict site into a woodland garden that is filled with life and vigor every passing season of the year. For more information on her nursery, see the Webpage link section.
Gardening with Woodland Plants by Karan Junker, owner of Junker’s Nursery draws upon her decades of experience as a nursery proprietor. It is her belief that woodland plants add magic to any garden, and contrary to the myths, large spaces and special soils are not necessarily requirements for success. At the heart of the book is a plant directory, which includes cultivars that have particularly valuable garden features that assist in retaining a ‘woodland’ character.
Those familiar with the Royal Horticultural Society, will no doubt recognize Christopher Brickell’s name. His name is attached to some of the most comprehensive garden tomes available, and when I saw that he had authored a book of his own personal favourites, it was a matter of tracking it down! Christopher Brickell’s Garden Plants is an expert guide to over 500 personally chosen favourite plants! Drawing upon more than 40 years of gardening experience ( notably as Director-General of the RHS) Christopher presents a personal insight into what he considers to be his special favourites! The plant material chosen varies greatly, from the exotic Chilean Bellflower to the exquisite spring alpine Gentians, and includes selections from every possible classification: Annuals, Perennials, Trees and Shrubs, Climbers, Alpines, Bulbs and yes, even Warm Climate and Greenhouse Plants – so yes, there is something valuable here for every gardener. His engaging anecdotal style is infectious, and he offers up a wealth of planting assistance, as well as useful tips on honing a gardener’s skill.
WEB PAGES OF INTEREST: ONLINE NURSERIES AND RESOURCE PAGES
Like any curious person, the web is a great resource for information, and as a gardener, I have come across some wonderful sites that have offered invaluable information in my quest to become a woodland gardener. While I would love to focus on Canadian sites – and even narrow the scope further to include Ontario – this would be like wearing a pair of blinders when shopping for new and interesting plants. Wherever possible I will denote Canadian sites with the letters CAN appearing after the link. This is but a sliver of wonderful gardening sites that are available, and ones that have helped steer me along the sometimes dark and confusing path of becoming a ‘Shade Vampire.’ You’ll soon find that it’s contagious and will soon have your own personal favourites. I’d appreciate a comment so that I can check it out myself, but more importantly, so that I can add it to the list!
www.danielhinkley.com is the homepage of plant hunter extrordinaire and former owner of Heronswood Nursery! His candid and engaging style, as well as the thoroughness of his expertise make this one of my first stops when surfing for garden information. His ‘travelogue’ section is a wonderful commentary on recent plant hunting expeditions and is well worth subscribing to!
www.crug-farm.co.uk is the base of Bleddyn Wynn-Jones, who is often seen accompanying Daniel Hinkley on his plant expeditions. This site has one of the most spectacularly comprehensive listings of new and exciting plant materials that are available to garden connoisseurs! Be prepared to discover plants that will literally charm the money right out of the wallet or purse! Located in Wales, it’s a wee bit of a jaunt for most, but is definitely worth a visit or two, or three!
www.asiaticanursery.com is Barry Yinger’s amazing online nursery that introduced me to more than a fair share of new and exciting plants over the years! His extensive collection of Asarum species is miond-numbing to say the very least! Based in the USA, it’s possible for Canadians to order plants, but don’t forget the shipping and Phytosanitary license fees! They add up faster than you think!
www.losthorizons.ca (CAN) is a personal favourite! This site is the closest I have seen to Hinkley’s famed catalogues. With over 3000 plant entries, there is guaranteed to be something for the beginner as well as the seasoned connoisseur! Located on Hwy 7 just outside of Acton, Ontario, its well worth a visit. Extensive display gardens combined with a collection of perdomiinantly shade tolerant plants, make this one of my first stops when searching out new and exciting garden additions!
www.plantsforshade.co.uk is a site that places its focus on shade loving plants! What more can a ’shade wampire’ ask for? Located in the UK, this site is filled with plants that have successfully transitioned themselves to my Canadian climates quite successfully.
www.bethchatto.co.uk is the online nursery of garden author and plantswoman extraordinaire Beth Chatto. Her site offers something for every gardener, but places special emphasis on plants that sheherself successfully grows and offers to her legion of fans
www.perennialresource.com is a wonderful site whose name speaks for itself! All things gardening are covered under this generous canopied site!
www.gardensillustrated.com is the companion site to what I consider to be gardening’s best magazine! ( Leave it to the Brit’s to show the rest of us how to do it properly!)
www.finegardening.com is the companion to Taunton Press’ Fine Gardening magazine. I especially love the forum sections where gardeners can come together to help solve garden issues ranging from pesy control to identifying plants!
www.thimblefarms.com (CAN) is my favourite Canadian mail-order nursery, and this site has been visited more times this year than any other! I placed an order for some hard to find pink flowering Erythronium revolutum and E. hendersonii, not to mention the long coveted Helleborus thibetanus, and was thrilled with the results. Located on Salt Springs Island, in British Columbia, this is one garden mecca that I must visit!
www.refordgardens.com (CAN) is a wonderful set of gardens on the mighty St Lawrence, that specializes in, of all things, Meconopsis betonicifolia and M. grandis – the blue Himalayan poppy – considered by this gardener to be the true ‘Holy Grail’ perennial plant. The site is filled with gorgeous photography and an endearing history of one of Canada’s most underexposed garden sanctuaries! Stop by and be dazzled by the blue poppies!