The Explorer's Garden

Rare and Unusual Perennials

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.

Media reviews of this book:

"Reading the book is like taking a plant hunting trip with Hinkley."

—Pat Rubin, Sacramento Bee, March 26, 2005

"[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

"In this wonderful book on rare and unusual perennial Daniel Hinkley takes his readers on fascinating journeys of plant exploration and discovery. ... Quality first-hand information from someone who has observed the plants in the wild and grown them in the garden, all spiced with wit and insightful opinion. ... Is The Explorer's Garden one of the best books on perennials ever written? You bet it is."

—Carl Hahn, American Gardener, May/June 2000

"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

"Hinkley manages to educate us about these beauties and oddities without being intimidating. "

—Valerie Easton, Pacific Horticulture, Winter 2000

Customer reviews of this book:

"A beautiful book with great information by a master plantsman."

—Catherine M. from Petallina, California, May 31, 2006

"A great reference book; brings some old favorites to mind."

—Kerrie H. from Woodstock, Connecticut, October 10, 2005

"Excellent."

—Karen G. from Hutchinson, Minnesota, October 10, 2005

"Fascinating! Always looking for rare and unusual plants for the garden. So many plants are underused!"

—Nathen V. from Kansas City, Missouri, September 26, 2005

"The pictures are excellent. Well-written for professional and amateur alike."

—J. J. from Santa Monica, CA, May 8, 2003

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An excerpt from this book:

Few gardeners who have cultivated the edible rhubarb (Rheum xcultorum) can deny that they have admired the columns of white flowers unfurling in globular splendor in early summer. But homage to such things in the vegetable garden is generally bittersweet, often but a swan song of yet another spring gone by — the end to a season of freshly picked and eaten produce. As a young gardener, in fact, I was taught to never let the blossoming stems emerge from our rather antique hand-me-down clump of "pie plant" that we grew on the far side of the vegetable patch. Advice well taken but, fortunately, not always heeded ...

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