Australian trout fishing guide Philip Weigall, has written “FISHING SENSE” and says “I’ve found over the decades that regular fishing reports, both formal and informal, tend to be pretty much useless. A combination of inexperienced anglers talking to anyone who will listen, and experienced anglers keeping quiet about the best of the fishing, leads to reports that are basically worthless.” He does some guiding in the South Island. A very nice 192-page hardback, $40.00.

“THE ART OF CREATIVE PRUNING: Inventive Ideas for Training and Shaping Trees” by Jake Hobson is not about pruning fruit trees or roses, but how to prune trees and shrubs into interesting shapes. Sometimes people think a big tree blocks the view so cut it down - they could often prune off the lower branches and see underneath it. The book is a mixture of both Eastern and Western styles; niwaki from Japan, topiary from the west. The emphasis is on free form, including cloud forms. Lots of inspiring ideas to transform the ordinary into something of great visual interest. A 216-page hardback with lots of colour photos, $70.00.

Currently I am halfway through “THE HUNGRY HEART. JOURNEYS WITH WILLIAM COLENSO” by Peter Wells. It’s the 1850’s and Colenso has just been sacked from his role as missionary and his wife and two children have departed after he fathered a son by Maori household help Ripeka. His mission house, in a flood prone swamp between Napier and Hastings, has burnt down. What I want to read about is Colenso’s plant hunting, botanizing and correspondence with Sir William and Sir Joseph Hooker of Kew. So far an interesting read about his printing of the first bibles in Maori, and his protests that the Maoris did not understand the implications of the Treaty of Waitangi (which he also printed). A 467-page hardback with small colour illustrations dotted throughout, $50.00.

Dr Ian St George of Wellington has published several books on native orchids and became interested in Colenso. He has produced a huge 412-page paperback “COLENSO’S COLLECTIONS” on all the plants Colenso collected, where and when, and his correspondence with the Hooker’s of Kew, $65.00.

Ian St George has also edited “GIVE YOUR THOUGHTS LIFE -WILLIAM COLENSO’S LETTERS TO THE EDITOR”, a 500-page paperback with all the letters Colenso had published in various newspapers, plus argumentative and often nasty replies, $60.00.
I was talking to Ian while he was working on this last book and he made the comment “I have become quite besotted with Colenso and my wife said the other day ‘Ian, you may not realise it but Colenso is well and truly dead - I happen to still be alive.’

I have just finished reading Sepp Holzer’s first book “THE REBEL FARMER” about his permaculture farm 1500 metres above sea level in the mountains of Austria. He has run a plant nursery, grows fruit trees, medicinal plants, alpine plants, raised rare breeds of cattle, bison, water buffalo and pigs, farmed fish, raised beavers for meat and their pelts (this failed as the anti-fur lobby got going), run a game farm, guest house, kept snakes, bears, and farmed worms and ants. Before becoming famous he had many legal battles with various bureaucrats. He now spends much time travelling the world lecturing on permaculture. A 239-page hardback, $65.00.

His latest book, in similar vein, is a 232-page paperback called “SEPP HOLZER’S PERMACULTURE”. It is a practical guide to small-scale farming and gardening, $52.00.

You can now walk down the beaches and through the bush from Cape Reinga to Bluff and we have just got “A WALKING GUIDE TO NZ’S LONG TRAIL - TE ARAROA” by Geoff Chapple. Wonderful 3D maps show the hills and valleys. It is a guide book to 113 walks, from day trips to long tramps. Te Araroa is the name for the 3000km walking trail. Good colour photos of things you will see en route plus information on the accommodation huts and the history of the area. A 277-page paperback, $50.00.

Our Ace Packer Tracey says Christmas this year is on a Sunday. Her last day of posting via standard post is Tuesday December 20. Via Fast Post is Thursday December 22.

"GREEN URBAN LIVING. SIMPLE STEPS TO GROWING FOOD, KEEPING CHICKENS, WORM FARMING, BEEKEEPING AND MUCH MORE IN NZ” by Havelock North landscape architect Janet Luke is packed full of good ideas and interesting information. A newly planted tree needs 15 litres of water per week to establish a good root system. Giving newly planted trees a dose of three tablespoons of sugar mixed with 1 litre of water helps develop a strong root system and fend off pests and diseases. To cut down on watering she mentions mulching with straw, dags, pine needles, coffee grounds, shredded newspaper and leaves, but says not to use bark or sawdust on the garden as they gobble up nitrogen as they break down. I’m cutting up old wool carpet to make weed mats to put round small, newly planted trees. Very practical and informative book, I highly recommend it. A 172- page paperback with colour photos throughout, $45.00.

For Christmas I suggest “NZ’s NATIVE TREES” by John Dawson and Rob Lucas. A 576-page hardback with 2300 colour photos, it is the best tree book I have ever seen. Perfect for identification, this book has an RRP of $120.00 - our price is $104.00. There is also a de-luxe limited edition with a cloth cover in a presentation box at $180.00. Of the 500 copies printed, less than 100 remain.

“WARDLE’S NATIVE TREES OF NEW ZEALAND AND THEIR STORY” by John Wardle. This covers the ecology, distribution, uses such as food, timber, fibre and medicine, propagation and cultivation. Of great interest to the tree planter. A 396-page hardback with colour photos throughout, $110.00.

“TREES OF NZ. STORIES OF BEAUTY AND CHARACTER” by Peter Janssen and Mike Hollman looks at 100 notable, remarkable, or historic trees dotted throughout the country. A big 208-page hardback with colour photos, it is a pleasant armchair ride round NZ looking at interesting trees, both native and exotic, and it tells you not only how to find them, but also about other interesting trees in the vicinity, $70.00.

While you are on our website visit our list of New Titles. These list, on a monthly basis, titles new to our shelves. Also have a quick look at Diane's specials, there's some good buying there while stocks last.

Recently we have emailed several notices of new titles and cut-price offers to special interest groups. Our offers have included the following topics:

• Second Hand Books about Wild Flowers.
• New Reduced Sale Prices on Poultry Books.
• Roberto Burle Marx and Tropical Gardens.
• Joel Salatin, Organic Farming and Organic Gardening.
• New Titles - Self Sufficiency and Planting by the Moon.
• Two New Books with a Preserving Theme.
• New Title - The Curious Gardener.
• New Title - Cultivation of New Zealand Trees and Shrubs - new edition.
• New Title - Sepp Holzer's Permaculture.
• Special Offer on selected Tropical Garden and Plant Books.
• Special Offer on selected Australian Tree and Shrub Books.
• Just arrived - "Native by Design".
• ........ and more.

Follow this link to view our 2011 Christmas Catalogue.

Peter Arthur
Touchwood Books
5th December 2011