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Subtitled "The Expert Guide to over 500 plants for all seasons" this is the new paperback edition of Christopher Brickell's Garden Plants the reference book first published in by the author and former Director General of the Royal Horticultural Society. Though it does contain lots of factual information, it's by no means a staid reference book. It's written such a manner that it clearly shows the author's enthusiasm in his subject and the reader can be excused for forgetting that it is in fact a reference book, by finding it so much easier to read. Brickell has carefully selected plants for inclusion in a variety of ways, including plants of exceptional quality and those which are personal favourites worthy of promotion. All the entries are dealt with in broad categories, such as trees, shrubs, climbers and wall shrubs, herbaceous perennials, bulbs, alpines, short-lived plants, warm- climate plants and greenhouse plants, and they are then arranged according to flowering season within each group (remembering also that these can overlap as climactic conditions can vary from place to place and garden to garden, so affecting the flowering and hardiness of the plant). The coloured photographs enhance the text and the reference section, which is very practical, contains black-and-white line drawings and is an excellent directory of plant suppliers. As Brickell so rightly claims: (and anyone reading this book will no doubt agree) "Enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm".--Susan Naylor
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