Our thoughts on interior and gardening novels to get your hands on

Rose Martin reviews a selection of the best interior and gardening books, from Dominic Bradbury’s lush peek inside the world’s most beautiful homes to Dermot Bannon’s simple, invaluable architectural advice to the appropriately name.

BOOKS are a great gift — default or otherwise — and while they don’t have the immediate whizz-bang response of some twinkly bits or baby soft cashmere — they, above all — will stand the test of time.

Yes, they may suffer from being perfecty acceptable, but when the last of the wrapping paper is rammed into the wheelie bin and you’re left with a house that looks like it suffered from the tail end of Katrina, then the gift of a book comes into its own — it’s a post-Christmas consolation.