In a Cold Land

Reviewed by Erl Svendsen and Bernadetter Vangool

In a Cold Land, Saskatchewan's Horticultural Pioneers, by Sara Williams, tells the stories and plant introductions of Cecil Patterson, Percy Wright, Bert Porter and Les Kerr. These four very different men shared a total devotion to developing plants that would survive the harsh climate of their adopted land. They made an enormous contribution to Saskatchewan's landscape and many of their introductions are found in gardens well beyond the prairies.

In a Cold Land was published as a centennial project by the Saskatchewan Perennial Society. Even though Sara Williams includes a list and description of each man's introductions, the focus of the book is on the lives, loves and work of these pioneers in horticulture.