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Scottish born Beatrice Hale lives in Dunedin where she and her husband continually re-create their small suburban hillside garden. A favourite plant is lavender, all varieties, and the more the better. This leaves little space for other plants. However, they contrive to sneak in specials like old geraniums and scented pelargoniums. An extensive use of pots helps to create more space, and therefore allows more plants, in their garden.
Beatrice began gardening when she emigrated to New Zealand over thirty years ago, concentrating on fragrant and culinary herbs. This resulted in the 25 Herb Book, in collaboration with Elizabeth Hinds and Wendy Pilbrow. Further herb growing resulted in the three friends publishing the New Zealand Herb Calendar, still popular today. Beatrice has also written children's stories, with 'No Space to Waste', telling children how to grow potatoes in rubber tyres.
Since then, through her work with the elderly and people with disabilities, she has developed an interest in the sensory appeal of plants and the therapeutic nature of gardening. This appeal is universal, and has led to Beatrice's present exploration of plants and gardening for the five senses in The New Zealand Pleasure Garden.