Cut Foliage Book: Fantastic Foliage and How to Farm It

Customer Review:

“The book is everything I expected and more, just love it. I have spoken to Hilary a few times and the book is just like speaking to her, so very knowledgeable but talking straight to me.” – Andrea, of Lavender View Farm

The essential guide to growing Eucalyptus for cut foliage, written by the CEO of Hardy Eucalyptus, Hilary Collins. ‘Fantastic Foliage and how to Farm It’ is the culmination of decades of growing experience, research, and a lifetime’s passion for plants. Hilary wrote this book to aggregate her notes for successfully growing Eucalyptus trees for cut foliage production.

Flower Farmers, Floral Artists, Animal Fodder producers, Farmers looking to diversity, Allotmenteers, school gardening clubs, community projects, keen gardeners or those just starting to green their fingers, and many more readers will find useful information within.

Aimed at both the amateur and professional grower, this book will give you the tools to cultivate a healthy and rewarding relationship with your new crop, whether that’s 3 trees, 300, or acres more. Written in an informal style, with tamed biochemistry, and well referenced so you can do further reading if you wish.

Chapters include topics such as: choosing your Eucalyptus species – what to grow; setting up your site; feeding and weeding your crop; pruning, harvesting and processing; pests, diseases and ‘things that go crunch in the night’; growing outside of the UK; and an appendix of data sheets for each of the 27 species Hilary suggests you can grow.

With over 100 pages, including colour photographs, this really is the complete guide to growing Eucalyptus for their foliage, stress-free. Hilary is always at the end of the phone should you wish to consult with her on your project, or you can visit our website; hardy-eucalyptus.com

Foreword by Tom Hart Dyke, plant hunter, accomplished horticulturist and fellow Gumnut; “Hilary is a leading authority on these Antipodean delights…”

About the Author

Hilary has dedicated the last 10 years of her career to the study and production of Eucalyptus trees. She owns the largest Eucalyptus nursery in the UK, offering a range of 65+ different species, most of which are grown from seed and are hardy in UK climates.

Prior to building her Eucalyptus empire, Hilary owned and managed a large retail nursery for 24 years, selling the usual range of garden-ready stock, including Eucalyptus. The retail nursery was a natural progression from owning the Knotty Ash Tree Seeds mail-order company whilst, having just graduated from University, running a small plant shop out of the back of her father’s pharmacy!

Hilary holds a BSc(Hons) in Horticulture from Bath University. During this time she held summer positions over three years as a Junior Scientific Officer at Long Ashton Research Station (Specific Apple Replant Disease Trial), Showerings Allied Lyons (set up and ran the Fireblight Trials in perry and cider orchards), and the National Fruit Trials Brogdale (rootstock evaluation, tissue culture, designed and implemented soft fruit shelf-life trials).

The Hardy-Eucalyptus team have won 20 Flower Show medals (and counting!), including the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and a trophy at RHS Malvern, for the display of their Eucalyptus trees.

Hilary and her nursery have been featured in a variety of print media and TV footage, including the prestigious Gardens Illustrated and the BBC2 coverage of the Chelsea Flower Show 2018. Hilary is also regularly asked to give lectures across the country, to share her knowledge with amateur gardening clubs and professional organisations alike.

Cut Foliage Book: Fantastic Foliage and How to Farm It

Personal messages

We would be honoured to include a short message to inspire a fellow Eucalyptus grower.

Messages/Autographs will be handwritten in ink, inside the book, on one of the first pages.

If this book is a gift to someone, please email us with a note for Hilary to dedicate the book to them; include their name and a personal message if you wish. Limited to 200 characters.

Or, you can just have the book signed by the author.

Please check your spelling and grammar as it will be copied word-for-word.

(Once the book has been printed) orders are usually processed next day, or same day if received before 12 noon, so if you see a mistake in your personal message please ring the nursery as a matter of urgency otherwise we cannot guarantee it will be changed before dispatch. Requests for alterations must be made verbally, and will then be confirmed in writing to you via email.

Hilary retains the right to refuse the request for a personal message, for any reason. 

Books with Personal Messages are non-refundable as the product cannot be resold.