Books round up… give a book this holiday!

I’ve reviewed almost a dozen books this year and as the holiday fast approaches, our friends at amazon can still get you a present for a friend or loved one (or a treat for yourself) before the 24th. You can order from amazon as late as the 22nd (UK and US) for delivery on the 24th.

And don't forget: A book - it's not just for Christmas.

These are the books I reviewed, with an extract from each review. Click on the titles to go to the review page. And don’t forget my own books, click straight through to amazon from the panels on the left.

These two books, along with my RHS Encyclopedia of Perennials, were the books which won awards for 2007.

New Gardening – Gardening in a Changing Climate by Matthew Wilson
“This invaluable book… reveals a different approach for a new age, explaining - and showing with some excellent photography - how to re-invent gardening for our new world.”

Garden People by Ursula Buchan
“I started off reading the elegant and accessible text then the pictures become more seductive… then it was back and forth between words and pictures as a fascinating portrait of post war British horticulture unfolds.”

These are some of the other top books for the year.

Flower Confidential by Amy Stewart
“This is a great read, which is all the more impressive considering the wealth of research behind that flowing style.”

Winter-flowering Shrubs by Michael W. Buffin
“The book is so full of good plants and good advice – and some good pictures too – that I’m sure most gardeners will find they want to grow so many of these winter shrubs that drastic changes in their gardens will prove necessary.”

The Winter Garden by Val Bourne
“This is an inspiring book – and one which makes those of us who’ve been looking out at snow in November this year simply want to move!”

Oriental Vegetables by Joy Larkcom
“A triumph of diligent research and practical experience and all expressed in her trademark style in which a vast wealth of information is made easily readable.”

Heucheras and Heucherellas by Dan Heims and Graham Ware & Heuchera, Tiarella and Heucherella by Charles and Martha Oliver
Reviewed together here.
“So… which is best? Ideally, you need both! But if you need as many descriptions as possible, go for Heims/Ware. If you’re interested in tiarellas, go for the Olivers’.”

Delphiniums by David and Shirley Bassett
“This is an excellent book, which will impress and inform anyone interested in delphiniums.”

Who Does Your Garden Grow? by Alex Pankhurst
“This is both a valuable historical record and an absorbing read.”

Hollies for Gardeners by Christopher Bailes
“Thorough treatment of both European and American hollies… Accessible writing style… Great photography… Makes you want to grow more hollies.”

Snowdrops: A Monograph of the Cultivated Galanthus by John Grimshaw
“This is the ultimate snowdrop book. There’s so much good information and so many good pictures that it’s worth every cent or every penny.”

This is a great selection of mostly British books which will be of interest to both British and American readers.