The Complete Gardening Book for Southern Africa By Sima Eliovson
The Complete Gardening Book for Southern Africa (Collectible Cellophane-Protected Hardcover Edition)
The Definitive Alphabetical Compendium on Regional Horticulture, Indigenous Masterpieces, and Exotic Favorites
The Definitive Alphabetical Compendium on Regional Horticulture, Indigenous Masterpieces, and Exotic Favorites
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: The Complete Gardening Book for Southern Africa
- Author: Sima Eliovson
- Publisher: Macmillan South Africa Publishers Ltd., Johannesburg
- Publication Date: 1977
- ISBN-10: 0869540122
- ISBN-13: 9780869540121
- Edition Details: Presumed First Edition thus (1977 Macmillan Imprint). A highly prized, comprehensive single-volume local milestone publication presenting timeless regional text blocks.
- Binding: Original publisher's premium full-cloth boards, structurally firm with elegant title stamping along the spine face.
- Physical Format: Quarto (4to), 296 pages. Lavishly supplemented with high-fidelity full-colour plates, technical botanical sketches, localized climate charts, and a master cross-reference index.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
-
The Book: Very Good (VG)
- Exterior Boards: The original full-cloth boards are exceptionally straight, solid, and flat. The spine face is completely unbroken, undamaged, firm, and uncreased, displaying a rare absence of standard reading stress. True to a genuine mid-century volume, the inner boards show old archival tape residue marks from a past protective wrapper, a standard and endearing trait of carefully preserved vintage books.
- Interior: The structural text block binding is remarkably tight, square, and firm. Internal leaves and hundreds of high-gloss color plates are exceptionally clean, crisp, bright white, and fully intact. Completely free of modern ink highlighting, heavy user marginalia, dog-ears, or dealer pencil notations.
-
The Dust Jacket: Very Good (VG)
- Condition & Integrity: The original illustrated graphic dust jacket is present. It exhibits limited, age-appropriate signs of mild shelf wear, small handling chips, and minor edge crinkles, but remains unclipped and free from deep tears or paper loss. The vintage jacket has been carefully stabilized and is now beautifully preserved under a high-grade archival cellophane protective cover sleeve.
Synopsis & Historical Value
First released in this magnificent format by Macmillan South Africa in 1977, Sima Eliovson’s The Complete Gardening Book for Southern Africa stands as an unassailable classic and the ultimate multi-disciplinary reference manual for regional horticulture. Born out of the author's decades of actual, hands-on practical gardening experience, this monumental compendium spans the entire gardening scene to strip the guesswork from cultivating plants in the Southern Hemisphere.
The genius of this work lies in its highly organized, alphabetical layout paired with an easy-access master index, putting vast botanical datasets right at the reader's fingertips. The encyclopedia provides precise data for successfully identifying and growing local trees, shrubs, flowers, vegetables, and culinary herbs. Furthermore, Eliovson provides deep-dive features on prized garden exotics—such as azaleas, roses, camellias, and dahlias—alongside beautifully written, dedicated chapters focusing on the architectural preservation of cycads, conifers, and palms. Rich with timeless regional wisdom and flawless visual production, this cellophane-protected volume is an indispensable handbook for local landscape architects, estate curators, and rare Africana collectors nationwide.
Author Profile: Sima Eliovson
Sima Eliovson (1921–1990) was a world-renowned South African botanist, professional landscape designer, photojournalist, and incredibly prolific author who became one of the ultimate international authorities on Southern African flora during the late 20th century. Over a brilliant multi-decade career, she authored numerous definitive guidebooks—including South African Wild Flowers for the Garden and The Complete Gardening Book—which fundamentally shaped the identity of domestic land curation. Celebrated for her highly logical, empirical approach, Eliovson specialized in teaching everyday homeowners how to cultivate beautiful, biodiverse plots amidst the severe droughts, unique soils, and specialized microclimates of the South African veld. Her landmark publications remain the foundational golden benchmark for international auction blocks, academic research labs, and serious antiquarian collectors across the globe.
sima eliovson complete gardening book for southern africa, macmillan south africa 1977 hardcover, 0869540122 vintage gardening book, rare horticultural books south africa, sima eliovson cycads roses reference, used collectible book flora sa, timeless collectible books south africa
