Synopses & Reviews
Dan Hinkley's quest for distinctive plants has led him on expeditions to China, Korea, Nepal, Chile, and remote areas of North America.
The Explorer's Garden: Rare and Unusual Perennials presents the most fascinating perennials found during Hinkley's treks around the globe, describes the assets each plant brings to the garden, and explains how it is best cultivated and propagated.
Illustrated with Hinkley's own splendid photographs as well as those of Lynne Harrison, this new paperback edition includes a new preface by the author and a completely updated list of sources for plant material.
Review
"Reading the book is like taking a plant hunting trip with Hinkley." Pat Rubin, Sacramento Bee, March 26, 2005 Pat Rubin
Review
"[Dan Hinkley's] depth of knowledge, breadth of humor, and exuberant love for all things green — or, for that matter, variegated — translate well to the printed page, making this intriguing and informative new volume a must-have for anyone who wants to know more about unusual garden plants."—Steve Silk, Fine Gardening, November/December 2000 Sacramento Bee
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"This is just the kind of information we need to know ... It is experienced guidance in choosing amongst the hosts of available plants."—Valerie Easton, Pacific Horticulture, Winter 2000
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"Hinkley ... addresses his plant-collection procedures and standards to assure readers he's taken pains to avoid introducing pests, diseases or invasive species." GardenDesign.com
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"Hinkley is in the old breed of plant-hunter, one who hoofs about the globe with little more than a trowel and a trusty leather carry-all to hold his botanic treasures." Houston Chronicle
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"The Ogdens put plants first when designing gardens and have assembled a photo-rich book filled with plant ideas, where they'd best flourish and in what kind of gardens. Their holistic approach embraces people, places and the natural world."
Country Gardens
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"[Hinkley] traps us with his eloquent, spot-on descriptions as cleverly as a Dutchman's pipe bloom lures, traps, then releases its pollinators." Michigan Gardener
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"Hinkley, like all serious gardeners, knows that to understand how a plant behaves you must first see how it grows in its native environment."
Star Tribune
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"What sets Dan apart from the crowd is his understanding of how to grow plants well. His careful observations of plants in the wild give this book an edge and provide us with a better understanding of how to cultivate many of these wonderful shrubs and vines."
SciTech Book News
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"Scores of exciting plants still await wider use by gardeners, and The Explorer's Garden is a masterful guide to this cornucopia." American Gardener
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"This would be a diverting read on chilly nights to come, when we can share, from a safe distance, Hinkley's "near-lunatic" passion for exotic plants and places."
Review
"The armchair traveler will relish the quotes from [Hinkley's] travel journal which introduce each chapter; the horticulturalist will be caught up in the text, which describes the origins and hybrids of an array of perennials."
Review
"Through his poetic writing, Hinkley's passion for discovering great plants and facilitating their introduction to mainstream horticulture is evident on each page ... a must-have for plant collectors."
Synopsis
World traveler Dan Hinkley offers a truly unique combination of experience and as he describes and illustrates the most interesting perennials he has encountered while hunting plants in the wild, all of which are grown at his nursery.