Wharton, Peter 1951(?)–

PERSONAL: Born c. 1951, in England; married; children: three. Education: University of North Wales, graduated, 1973; trained at Merrist Wood Agricultural College.

ADDRESSES: Home—South Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. Office—Rm. 106, Campbell Building, University of British Columbia Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research, 6804 Southwest Marine Dr., Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada. E-mail—Peter.Wharton@ubc.ca.

CAREER: David C. Lam Asian Garden, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, curator, 1975–.

WRITINGS:

(With Brent Hine and Douglas Justice) The Jade Garden: New and Notable Plants from Asia, Timber Press (Portland, OR), 2005.

SIDELIGHTS: Peter Wharton was born and raised in England, where he studied forestry and trained as an arborist. In 1975, he immigrated to Canada, where he has served as the curator at the University of British Columbia's David C. Lam Asian Garden. Wharton's work includes extensive research in the plants of China, and he has traveled there on a number of field expeditions, as well as to South Korea and northern Vietnam.

In The Jade Garden: New and Notable Plants from Asia, which he wrote with Brent Hine and Douglas Justice, Wharton examines the history of Asian plants that have been introduced to North American and European climates over the years, and he discusses new plants that are also suitable for transplant from Asia to the West. He includes thoughtful tips regarding the landscape in China and how best to replicate the natural environments to increase the chance of successful cultivation of the native Asian plant life. Brian Lym, in a review for Library Journal, called the book "an authoritative, ground-breaking work that will delight horticultural connoisseurs and those interested in Asian flora and natural history." A contributor for Asian Review of Books remarked that "this is a nifty and highly recommended book for plant and garden enthusiasts wishing to expand their knowledge of Asian greenery."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Library Journal, June 15, 2005, Brian Lym, review of The Jade Garden: New and Notable Plants from Asia, p. 89.

ONLINE

Asian Review of Books Online, http://www.asianreviewofbooks.com/ (October 25, 2005), "Peter Wharton."

University of British Columbia Botanical Garden and Centre for Plant Research Web site, http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/ (October 25, 2005), "Peter Wharton."