BOOK REVIEWS

Begonias
A New Zealand Gardener's Guide

Mike Stevens
David Bateman
$NZ29.95

BRASH and flamboyant, begonias are among the showiest of all late-summer blooms. The latest in the series of New Zealand Gardener's Guides from David Bateman, Begonias covers them all, from the flouncy frilly doubles to the shaggy fimbratas, picotees, rose and camellia forms and the almost hibiscus-like Bertinii compacta types. There are summer and winter-flowering varieties; there are begonias for baskets, for pots and for the garden. What they all have in common is their breathtaking blooms.

Mike Stevens has been keen on begonias for almost a decade and his advice is sought by begonia growers around the world. He has put his expertise to good use in this comprehensive, practical guide to the culture and cultivation of tuberous and non-tuberous begonias.

Begonias also covers the history of begonias, how to create your own hybrids, how to tackle pest and disease problems and what conditions best suit these plants.

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