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  • Published: 2 November 2021
  • ISBN: 9780143775010
  • Imprint: RHNZ Godwit
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 288
  • RRP: $55.00

In the Company of Gardeners

Inspirational Gardens and Inspired Gardeners of New Zealand



Magnificent gardens - all stunningly photographed - from around New Zealand, with informative and entertaining text that creates a thoughtful commentary on New Zealand gardening in the twenty-first century.

Beautifully photographed by top garden photographer Juliet Nicholas, this book is a visual feast ... but much more too. While it includes some of the most magnificent gardens in the country, it also reflects on gardening in a broader sense.
Gardens, defined as managed landscapes, are as diverse as the tastes of their managers. The gardeners in these pages include botanists, conservationists, food growers and artists, and the gardens range from a food forest on the south coast to a dry garden in Cromwell, a community garden in Christchurch, a subtropical jungle in Kapiti, a productive Maori garden on the east coast and a historic whaling station in the far north.
In the light of our growing awareness of climate change and land degradation, the role of gardeners as kaitiaki (guardians) is explored, but there is also the infectious enthusiasm that is to be found in the company of gardeners, and here you can see how they gain inspiration and share ideas. Muses include parents, brothers, sisters and spouses, and gardeners also keep close company with nature. These gardens might be seen as snapshots of a utopia we all crave.
There is enough botanical detail to appeal to the experienced gardener but it will also inspire newcomers to don gardening gloves...or sit back and enjoy what is also a superb coffee table book.

  • Published: 2 November 2021
  • ISBN: 9780143775010
  • Imprint: RHNZ Godwit
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 288
  • RRP: $55.00

About the authors

Juliet Nicholas

Acclaimed New Zealand garden photographer Juliet Nicholas has been taking photographs and gardening since the age of seven. Her photographic career spans 30 years with much of her work appearing in New Zealand’s leading magazines, including NZ House & Garden and New Zealand Gardener. She has worked on eleven books.

When she is not working, Juliet can be found tending her garden or escaping to the wilderness of Stewart Island, where she delights in tramping, fishing and enjoying the bounty of the great outdoors.

Sue Allison

Sue Allison is an award-winning journalist with a background in social anthropology. She contributes to a range of magazines and has written five books. When not writing about other people’s gardens, she is likely to be found in her own.