Bulbs for All Seasons

Practical guide or coffee-table book? This volume falls short on both counts. Gardening writer Swindells presents adequate information about bulbs, divided by species and season of flowering, but the text is wordy, and the various chapters overlap. After examining the planting, feeding and general care advice, readers will discover that the art of growing bulbs is more complicated than indicated by the glib preface: ""All you do is plant the bulb and wait.'' Also, this British import has not been properly adapted for an American audience. There is no indication whether certain obscure bulbs are available in the United States, or what the equivalents are of British products like John Innes No. 3 compost. As for the color photographs of tulips, daffodils and other flowering bulbs in their glory, they are marvelous to behold, but there aren't enough of them to qualify this as a lavish illustrated book. (October 5)