BOOK REVIEWS

Roses for the
Smaller Garden

Mark Mattock
Quadrille, distributed by Reed
$NZ64.95

THE first thing that struck me about this sumptuous guide to growing roses in small gardens was not the stunning photography - although it is truly breathtaking - but the deliciously scented pages! I'm not sure whether the fragrant paper is a cunning marketing ploy or simply some new printing technique, but this new book honestly smells good enough to eat.

Roses have dipped in and out of popularity in recent years, mainly due to the low-maintenance gardening trend, but no other blooms come close to their beauty and sophistication.

However, we don't all have room in our gardens to accommodate big beds of large-growing roses or arbours covered in climbers, which is why Roses for the Smaller Garden is such a helpful reference guide.

Author Mark Mattock - an authority on rose growing with a background as a breeder - has hunted out more than 80 roses that are small in size but not in appeal. He recommends varieties with distinctive beauty, colour and scent.

His selection includes groundcover roses, compact climbers and those suitable for potted gardens.

The photography is utterly exquisite, but by no means is this just a glossy coffee table-style book. It also includes all the practical advice you need to get the best results from your roses, with chapters on soil preparation, rose planting, pruning and feeding requirements, as well as diagnosing and treating common ailments.

The versatility of roses for modern landscaping is discussed in detail too, with suggestions as to how to use shrub roses, standards, hedges and climbers to great effect.

Roses for the Smaller Garden is a gorgeous book and one you will return to time and again for inspiration, advice - or simply to admire the photos.

Weekend Gardener, Issue 101, June 27-July 17, 2002, Page 28

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