What’s Growing at the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens: Field guides
By Melanie Priesnitz
If you are one of those people who like to know the names of plants as you walk by them in the woods, you are probably well acquainted with field guides. My new favourite guide is Boulder Publications’ Wildflowers of Nova Scotia by Todd Boland. The thing that really sets this book apart from other guides is the full colour photographs. It’s a resource for herbaceous plants of Nova Scotia both native and introduced. The guide is laid out by flower colour and contains simple explanations of plant identification and botanical keys so you don’t need to be a botanist to navigate it. If you want to get to know the trees of the woods Boland’s Trees & Shrubs of the Maritimes is also a great choice. If you’re travelling this summer you may also be interested in Boland’s Trees & Shrubs of Newfoundland and Labrador or his latest, Wildflowers of New Brunswick.
The Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens will be hosting a book-signing and talk on gardening with native plants with author Todd Boland on the evening of September 19, so mark your calendar. Boland is from St. John’s where he is the research horticulturist at the Memorial University of Newfoundland Botanical Garden. We’re excited to be working with Boulder Publications to bring him here to Acadia.
Todd will be especially interested in signing well-loved copies of his book this fall, so grab a copy and get outside and get acquainted with the Flora of the Acadian Forest. Two of the features that I enjoy most about the Boulder Publications guides is that they are printed on thick paper that doesn’t mind getting dirty or wet, and they never run out of batteries while I’m in the field! A selection of field guides are available for sale at the KC Irving Centre Café or visit your local bookseller or library.
Stay connected to the Gardens on Facebook for information on upcoming events. facebook.com/HarrietIrvingBotanicalGardens
Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens
Acadia University
botanicalgardens.acadiau.ca
