
A Handbook for Horticultural Students - I used this book for my RHS General Certificate Level 2, and found it to be invaluable. It is accurate, follows the syllabus, well written and all 24 members of my class had a copy. Just like any in depth course it is as well to have other books on specialised topics but I would not have been without this one. I bought mine off Amazon. It is the recommended book for this and the diploma course at almost all colleges, what more can I say.
An Aid to Revision - I used this to revise for my RHS General Cert course in 2000.Excellent for that purpose, as it gives concise summaries, relates to the syllabus (check which edition you buy! Not always obvious on the Amazon book site) and self-test sections reveal how much you really know!Personally I did not use it as an intro to horticulture as I wanted to learn the subject, not simply cram myself through an exam (and I doubt it will do that for you anyway). I have over 2 metres of bookshelf on the detail, many via Amazon, plus about 200 hours of personal note-taking and handouts including a vast bibliography, from course tutor, C M Walkden. Also access to Writtle College Library was invaluable.I still refer to the Handbook for guidance.
A handbook to mislead horticultural students - A promising sounding title to anyone who wishes to study horticulture, but the book is flawed, inaccurate and misleading. There must be better books out there. Don t be fooled by the helpful sounding title.
An Excellent Introductory Text - I used this book when studying for the RHS General Certificate and found it to be excellent for that purpose.The book is A4 in size and has the feel of a lecturers own personal notes. The text is large with useful diagrams and summaries. This text is a general introduction and as such is not detailed enough for students on the more advanced RHS courses.
A good basic introduction for horticulture students - I have recently completed a BSc (HONS) in Horticulture and found this book to be a useful (basic)introduction to the subject. The book covers many of the important topics covered in more scientific detail in the degree. However, the book would be most useful to diploma students, or, for people considering doing a course on the subject and keen to find out more.