Reviews:

Gardening books

Bonsai

Though it covers outdoor bonsai exclusively, this is is a great introduction to the traditional forms, and tools and techniques for training plants and caring for them. What this book lacks is the useful time scale charts found in Peter D. Adams' venerable Bonsai Design, which show the different stages necessary in developing a tree over a course of years. Without this, beginners may have difficulty with the necessary planning. But this inexpensive paperback from Sunset Books is a valuable starter for any bonsai library.

Cultivating Sacred Space : Gardening for the Soul

While recounting her own journey of the soul, Elizabeth Murray illustrates how a garden can transcend the boundaries of mere physical beauty to become a place that is nurturing on both a personal and community level. The text is full of colourful descriptions of people who have created sites of remarkable spiritual and emotional power, and inspires every gardener to do the same.

Indoor Bonsai

Most of the traditional plants used for bonsai come from temperate Asian climates and respond best to outdoor conditions and seasonal variation. But those of us who live in extreme latitudes with long winters want to bring hobby inside so we can enjoy it for more than the brief growing season we get between May and September. This book provides the best guide to those tropical houseplant species which lend themselves to indoor bonsai design.

The Indoor Garden Book
The complete guide to the creative use of plants and flowers in the home

With over 1,000 illustrations, this attractive and useful book is brimming with inspiring photographs from homes where plants take centre stage, turning dull corners into lush and refreshing hideaways from the typical sterility of modern life. As well as providing care tips and ideas for design with houseplants, there are useful chapters on the use of cut fresh and dried flowers.

Simon and Schuster's Guide to Houseplants

My favourite "field guide" to indoor plants, this book provides an invaluable reference on the care of individual species. With 240 colour plates organized by botanical name, the text details the conditions each plant requires, along with a handy visual key to help group plants with similar needs. For anyone considering buying some special plants for the home, this book will identify those most suited for the location.