Author(s): Edward Edgar Pescott

Plants & Flowers

The Victorian climate and environs provides ideal conditions for a profusion of wildflowers and native plants which do not occur naturally anywhere else in the world. When judged by European standards, the soil quality is poor and lacking in essential nutrients, and the depth of the soil is rather shallow in some places and yet with these drawbacks, the luxuriant vegetation must surely qualify as one of the hardiest in the world.This facsimile is not intended as a scholarly work or the definitive text on all native Victorian plant life. It taps more so into our fascination and curiosity for that ‘evergreen’ question; what occurs in nature, how planting cycles wax and wane and of course, the profusion of colour and scent in such variable climatic conditions.For some time there has been a move towards the planting of native gardens in urban settings. This kind of movement requires the gardener to have accessible information on plant varieties, when to plant, when flowering times are as well as the adult plant’s formation. Pescott’s definitive classic makes for entertaining and informative reading. There are in excess of 100 award-winner Ken Stepnell’s colour photographs, all captioned, and a comprehensive index of plants providing data and identification for these plant species.