Gillian Vine

Fantasy and science-fiction themes dominate fiction for youngsters, with the quality varying from top notch to bottom rung.

A grand Victorian villa in North Otago is notable for its numerous original features. Gillian Vine reports.

Despite a successful career in Australian publishing, all Derelie Cherry really wanted was two dogs and a garden. A husband did not figure in the dream until 1999, when she met Bob Cherry at the Melbourne International Flower Show.

The garden-tour season is now in full swing. Gillian Vine reports.

All in One Basket (John Murray) brings together two earlier collections, (Counting My Chickens and Home to Roost) by Deborah, dowager Duchess of Devonshire.

This Sunday is Rhododendron Day, an annual event in the Dunedin Botanic Garden since 1971. Gillian Vine reports.

When Dick Francis died last year at the age of 89, he left a legacy of some 40 novels and a couple of non-fiction titles, all touching - to a greater or lesser degree - on the world of horse racing.

A family connection has led to the creation of a Florence Nightingale Garden in England. Gillian Vine reports.

For many people, belt-tightening has involved looking at what crops they can grow, and publishers have responded with an increased number of books on vegetable growing and, to a lesser extent, fruit.

In spring, bees are a sign the weather is warming up, as they rarely appear before the temperature gets above 10degC. Then come the butterflies, sunbathing on warm walls and rocks or feeding on favourite plants.

It's easy to fall in love with Littlest Angel, the latest creation of Waikouaiti writer Elizabeth Pulford.

Pick up a booklet at any of England's National Trust properties and you'll find lots of details about the gardens' creators and the properties' development.

The subtitle, Exploring the Paranormal in New Zealand, tells what Spooked is all about.

The city is divided by war. On Southside, people live in squatter camps; on the north, life seems normal with only the occasional burst of gunfire to remind youngsters at Cityside's Tornmoor Academy what is happening.

Pastels in gardens seem to be out of fashion but Gillian Vine argues the case for pink.

Auckland cop Sean Devereaux returns in By Any Means, another of Ben Sanders' police thrillers. Also back is Devereaux' former colleague, bash-anyone-in-sight John Hale. The story starts when a bus driver is accidentally shot in rush-hour Auckland and Devereaux is sent to the scene.

Summer is months away but those who want to grow tomatoes from seed should get started soon, says Gillian Vine.

When her fiance clears their joint bank account and runs, he leaves Holly Love with $40 in an envelope taped to the fridge. Her only other assets are an ailing car, clothes for their low-key wedding and the flannel pyjamas she couldn't bear to part with.

Singapore is the place for flower-lovers this year, says Gillian Vine.