BOOK REVIEWS

Rangitikei Houses and Gardens

Joyce Soler
$NZ39.95

THE introduction to this enchanting book on Rangitikei's heritage sums up the tone and ambience of this book. Gardener extraordinaire Gordon Collier, whose Titoki Point garden features in the book, comments:

"This is not a conventional book about gardens - there are many of these. Joyce Soler has used her artistic talents to produce a particularly personal view of the houses and gardens of the Rangitikei, a beautiful part of New Zealand she knows so well."

Joyce Soler has exhibited widely in Manawatu- Wanganui regions and works in both oils and watercolours. In this self-published book she captures some 20 houses and gardens in the region. Among these gems are the Colonial House at Bulls, the little Kendrick Cottage at Marton, Woodleigh Farm and, of course, Titoki Point. The author's detailed text includes accounts of the aspect of the gardens and species they contain. Her paintings, done with a keen eye for detail, evoke the character of the dwellings and their surroundings.

This is a grand guide for any garden lover contemplating touring the region and a delightful memento for those who already know it. Some of the houses and gardens are historically significant and the book will prove a pertinent record for future generations.

. Rangitikei Houses and Gardens can be ordered from the author, Joyce Soler, 2RD Marton.

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