New Zealand plants covered
A new book on how to make the best use of New Zealand native ground cover plants in gardens of all sizes has been
published by Canterbury University Press (CUP).
New Zealand Native Ground Cover Plants: A practical guide for gardeners and landscapers, is aimed at helping gardeners and landscaping professionals to select and care for native ground cover plants in order
to create low-maintenance and sustainable gardens.
Authors Lawrie Metcalf and Roy Edwards say ground cover planting is most successful and satisfying when thoughtfully
planned, with plants chosen to fit the design objectives and scale of the area to be planted. Hasty ill-informed choices
aimed solely at easy care can result in gardens that need to be removed a few years later because the area has become
overgrown or plants are unsuitable for the site.
“People will be able to plan, propagate plants and prepare areas to successfully establish and maintain New Zealand
ground cover plants,” says Mr Edwards.
“The book also covers what a ground cover plant is and tips for designing your garden. There is no other book on this
topic and we hope that it encourages people to grow New Zealand native plants in their gardens,” he says.
The book suggests suitable ground cover plants, based not only on the species but also on the continuing development of
the range of hybrids and cultivars that are now available to gardeners.
“We hope that this book will provide guidance on these aspects of gardening with New Zealand ground cover plants,” says
Mr Metcalf.
The book contains more than 100 colour photographs that will help with plant selection.
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