BOOK REVIEWS

The Complete Encyclopaedia of Garden Flowers
Choosing Plants, Handy Hints, Descriptions, Cultivation Requirements

Rachel Vogan, Geoff & Kate Bryant
David Bateman Ltd
$NZ59.95, $AUS53.95

THIS substantial hardback of some 600-plus pages features popular flowering plants from all over the world in a comprehensive A-Z format from abutilon to zinnia.

The newly published encyclopedia covers more than 1400 flowering plants, with a huge amount of practical cultivation advice to boot.

The book begins with a fascinating introduction to growing flowers, choosing the right plant for your region, and garden care. For each genus there is a general introduction plus cultivation information and a handy hint. There is also an ata-glance table that focuses on the most popular species and groups, describing their size, flower colour, flowering season, fragrance, hardiness zone, and frost-tolerance. The book also features an easy-to-use seasonal calendar, a useful glossary, and a fully cross-referenced index.

Weekend Gardener, Issue 128, 2003, Page 29

Reproduced with permission from the former Weekend Gardener magazine. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the RNZIH