BOOK REVIEWS

Irises
A New Zealand Gardener's Guide

Pamela McGeorge & Alison Nicoll
Photographs by Russell McGeorge
David Bateman
$NZ29.95

THERE'S an iris to suit every gardener's taste and they're all covered in this informative guide - written for New Zealand conditions - which includes bearded, bulbous, beardless and crested irises.

Find out how to landscape with these versatile plants - they're great in borders and bog gardens - plus learn how to pick and pack them to increase their longevity in the vase. There's also a short chapter on pests and diseases, so you know what to do if your plants are attacked by nasties.

Irises has dozens of illustrative photographs of some pretty amazing varieties too, such as the fiery 'Copatonic' and the purple and white 'Batik'.

The authors have a huge wealth of knowledge about their subject - Pamela McGeorge is a former Editor of New Zealand Gardener and writes for the Evening Post, while Alison Nicoll has been a member of the New Zealand Iris Society since 1979 and is a senior judge.

Weekend Gardener, Issue 88, December 13-27, 2001, Page 30

Reproduced with permission from the former Weekend Gardener magazine. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the RNZIH