BOOK REVIEWS

RHS Propagating Plants
The definitive practical guide to propagating
over 1,500 garden plants

Editor in Chief Alan Toogood

RHS Pruning & Training
The definitive practical guide to pruning
trees, shrubs, roses and climbers

Christopher Brickell & David Joyce
Dorling Kindersely
Distributed by Penguin
$NZ44.99ea

There's no doubt that these two books are "must-haves" for the serious gardener. They're exhaustive manuals - new paperback editions of twin titles published under the Royal Horticultural Society banner seven years ago.

Both are clearly set out, with introductory chapters giving all you need to know about the basics of both subjects. They share a practical A-Z approach; Propagating Plants has more than 1500 individual plant entries and unique tips from expert propagators.

In Pruning and Training, clear step-by-step illustrations show exactly where to make pruning cuts. The book details special techniques such as coppicing, topiary and pergola-training. Great companion volumes for Christmas.

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