December is not a month for gardening, practically speaking, but when thinking of what presents to buy for the keen gardener or just a lover of plants, the opportunity to enhance their knowledge is simply the gift of a good book and interesting reading.

The following list will hopefully give some guidance as to gifts you might deem suitable for your Christmas giving.

Fashion comes in many forms and the ?flavour of the month? in gardening circles seems to be the variety of pots and containers available in nurseries and garden supply companies.

With this in mind, Gardens to Go, by Sydney Eddison and published by Bullfinch fills a niche. As with most books the interest level for Bermuda gardens is limited, but still makes interesting reading, with the creative mind using information for their own ends.

Photographs depict styles and uses for containers and potted plants in many settings being mindful of both small and large areas.

Though not a major component in the landscape industry, patio gardens can be made into a veritable landscape with imagination and creativity, even the condo owner on the top floor can use containers to advantage!

Tough Plants for Florida Gardens by Felder Rushing, published by Cool Spring Press is a paper back which lists numerous lists of plants that will ?tough out? most weather conditions ? and still look like plants ? in Florida.

Bermuda is in my opinion not quite the same nature as Florida gardens and we tend to receive more strong salt laden winds especially during the winter months.

Having said that, many of the plants listed do grow in Bermuda, and to be fair to all concerned, knowledge of plant location and correct installation - a major part of design - goes along way in plant survival.

For those of us who like to see ?how other people do things? the paperback ?Success with Mediterranean Gardens?, by Shirley Anne Bell, is an interesting read which encourages the ?grey cells? to become invigorated to create ideas shown into something advantageous for ones own use.

Contents cover such areas as ?What is Mediterranean Gardening??, ?Formal Gardens?, ?Hard Landscaping and Water Features?, ?Suburban Wildernesses?. Interesting reading for the design orientated person.

Many keen gardeners enjoy their hobby but do they know how their garden works, in other words a little understanding of the nuts and bolts would in many cases be deemed additional knowledge.

Botany for Beginners by Brian Capon would be a welcome addition to most gardeners? libraries offering a clear explanation of how plants grow.

Chapters explain in lay mans language the mysteries of cells and seeds; roots and shoots, adaptations of plants for basic needs and protection, the uptake and use of water, minerals and light and a chapter on flowers to fruit.

It offers a good read whilst instilling a basic knowledge of plant life with the end result that gardeners may be more understanding in their horticultural practices.

I mentioned the use of containers in my first book review, I would certainly encourage more use of containers, which are available in every shape and size one can imagine from many of the local nurseries and garden centres.

Containers are very useful and functional in a tight corner or small space, their size will dictate the type of material one should use ? therefore knowledge of proposed plant purchase is important ? especially if using flowering material.

Containers make bold statements, and are oft best planted in a minimalist way to highlight the beauty and character of the container.

They are not inexpensive and should be purchased with a location in mind; in many cases modular groupings can make more of an impact than a single pot, so think before you buy, it will certainly be worthwhile, after all, a thing of beauty is a joy forever, or at least until one becomes bored with it!

Composting has had its ups and downs and is presently I would suggest in a state of limbo, which is a shame for as we continue to develop the need for ?good soil/compost? will increase, therefore the most attractive method of creating and fulfilling this need is to take composting more seriously.

Composting bins are available for purchase, but it is just as easy to create a compost heap in the garden, and recycle ones horticultural waste instead of paying for it to be taken away!

Soil is part of any garden and is needed for growth; talk of importation has been bandied about in the local press, but to import for a specific reason only certainly ?would not be cricket?!

After reading all the above material one should be in a position to consider entering the Garden Club of Bermuda ?Bermuda in Bloom? contest.

This is held in May with closing date for entries being April 14th 2006. Only residential gardens which are visible from a public or estate road are eligible. More information will be available in the New Year, and I will touch on the subject again then.

I take this opportunity to wish all my readers a Happy Christmas and a Healthy and Green New Year.