Plant Partners

Reviews / Votes

An entertaining read from one of this country's greatest gardening writers, Anna Pavord. Amusingly written in her own inimitable style, it contains tips and planting advice on how to get the best out of your plants all year round. With today's small gardens all plants need to earn their keep and provide interest throughout the seasons. A plant that flowers only for a week or two at the height of the season such as Papaver orientalis needs company to cover up the fact that for the rest of the year it looks unmentionable. The author has taken 60 of her favourite 'star' plants and looks and discusses the best 'supporting cast' for each, season by season. She is no stickler for classic plant combinations but these are included along with braver, more vibrant contrasting plants. Dahlias and cannas star alongside more traditional plants such as nigella and cosmos. Zinnias and busy lizzies, regarded as some as beyond the pale, take the stage in some unforgettable plant combinations. Concentrating on perennials and annuals, although they are by no means all flowering plants, Anna Pavord gives a highly readable discourse on the pros and cons of various plants and does not hesitate to give her own view on certain types of planting and those of other gardeners with whom she would beg to differ! Her ability to humanise plants gives them their own individual character, from the aloof tender perennials taking a holiday outside in the borders to the boisterous bedding plants, nudging and pushing their way through more permanent planting. Divided into seasons and lavishly illustrated, it also contains a concise list at the back of the 60 favourites alongside a list of alternative planting companions for quick reference. Not only an invaluable reference book but a good bedtime read, her descriptions bringing a smile to the face and encouraging dreams of what next year might hold.