BOOK REVIEWS

The House Plant Expert Book Two

Dr D G Hessayon
Expert Books
Distributed by Random House
$NZ24.95
Reviewed by Trevor Hipkins

WITH over 49 million copies in print, Dr David Hessayon, who first published almost half a century ago, can lay claim to being the world's most widely read gardening guru. These manuals are about as far from the coffee table as you can get. This is an update of an earlier book on houseplants that, in the style of others in the "Expert" series, is no-nonsense, clearly illustrated and value for money.

The A-Z of each species has an illustrated panel on each, making this book accessible and informative. There's discussion on the various types of house plant, a pointer to whether each is best for foliage or flower and the "secrets" to successful growing. There are separate chapters on bonsai, bromeliads herbs, Christmas flowers, orchids and spectacular flowers. Everything from the stand-alone pot to terrariums and indoor water-gardens is dealt with under a chapter called "Roomscaping".

When it comes to question time at the back of the book, there's no beating about the bush. Posers like "Why do my plants never flower?" and "Everything I touch seems to die" get uncompromising answers. Included is a list of "cast-iron" species that defy the most cavalier gardener's efforts to bump them off. Great value for money.

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