Lester Rowntree’s classic story of her seed-collecting journey through California was first published in 1936, and has long been out of print. Fortunately, the UC Press has just republished and expanded on the original edition. The expanded version includes the pioneering botanist’s original, engaging account of the flora, climate and landscape of California, as well as the pleasures and hazards of collecting and gardening with natives; newly added are a biographical essay, a chapter on Rowntree’s horticultural legacy, an updated species list, and a bibliography of her writings. Any enthusiast of California native plants or, for that matter, early 20th century travel writing, would probably love to be given a copy of Hardy Californians. Fortunately, this paperback is small enough (6” x 9”) to stuff in a (stretchy) stocking.

A bargain at $19.95; members of the S.F. Botanical Garden, UC Botanical Garden or the Tilden Botanical Garden receive an additional 10% discount.

From chapter 2,

On Top of the World,

in Hardy Californians, by Lester Rowntree:

“I am sure I don’t know why people feel that because a plant grows at high altitudes and is diminutive in size it is necessarily a beautiful and valuable plant. But I do find that it is easy to work up a delusion about alpines. Look at Edelweiss! It isn’t even a true alpine. Yet sometimes when I visit gardens, owners lead me to a small Holy of Holies where they are keeping a measly little plant of this Leontopodium alpinum. Once again I listen as with tearful emotion they carefully explain to me the well-known sentimental associations of the plant and make impassioned complaint about its being so hard to grow. I attend with what I hope is intelligent sympathy plastered on my face; meanwhile my thoughts are far away with the exquisite and little appreciated true alpines of our own Sierra, which live at twice the altitude of their precious Edelweiss and yet are accommodating enough to grow happily at sea-level.”