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Foliage: Dramatic And Subtle Leaves For The GardenEditions
Review
I must confess to having been somewhat alarmed by the vivid cover on this book which, although admittedly beautiful, does not herald a very subtle approach to the subject. What a surprise therefore to find, early in the text the author’s comment, that while many plants “are dramatic in form and arresting in colour… the gardens that hold most appeal for me have their character determined by plants which are quiet and undemonstrative.” What a relief! A wide range of well-selected plants is examined under the unusual but valid headings of leaf shape, texture or colour and plant structure. Within these categories they are allotted winsome names; shapes can be “straps and ribbons”, “notches and lobes” and “eggs and spoons” and textures could be “hairy and bristly” or “tough and leathery”. This seems an unnecessarily populist gesture in a volume which contains much useful information and many sound ideas. Over 1000 plants are individually assessed in an A-Z glossary with many surprising and unusual inclusions to suit a wide range of conditions. The strong visual component is a telling feature (and remarkably consistent in view of the wide ranging photographic credits at the end) revealing that author David Joyce, well known as a journalist and broadcaster, really does get to the heart of what makes foliage so valuable ornamentally. - review by Stewart Grimshaw |
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John Sandoe [Books] Ltd |
The importance of flowers in the garden is of course, the prime consideration for most gardeners, although we become increasingly reliant on the effects of foliage in an endeavour to provide year round interest. Most of us do this without much thinking or planning and anything which brings into our consciousness such an integral part of our methodology is to be welcomed.
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