Product Description

The most complete book on indoor plants ever published!
More than 1,000 species and varieties for the interior, balcony, patio and sunroom.

This richly illustrated guide, with full color photographs throughout, introduces you to the care and propagation of plants. There are a multitude of ideas, tips and suggestions for the novice, and a complete reference for those well-acquainted with plants.

The plants themselves include the most well-known and popular plants, to exotic flowers, modern hybrids and rare specimens. The extensive plant encyclopedia is central to the value of the book: its 250-odd pages describe more than 1,000 plants, alphabetically by their internationally recognized botanical names, and each is illustrated by at least one photograph. There is a description for every plant and a detailed care plan. In addition, the book provides care plans for less familiar species, new varieties that have not yet established themselves, "old" plants that are making a comeback, botanical rarities and curiosities, as well as useful plants from the tropics. Finally, an extensive list of sources for plants and tools helps the reader and researcher order by mail.

Sections include:

• Placement and purchase (location, terrariums, support, plants with special needs)
• Care and propagation (light levels, watering, special planting media, nutrients, repotting, pruning, overwintering, pests and diseases, cutting and seed propagation)
• Decorating with plants (furniture, containers, accessories, plant windows and mini-gardens, balcony plantings)
• The most beautiful plants A-Z (250 pages of solid information, in full color, including rarities)
• Addresses of reader services and suppliers.

The House Plant Encyclopedia will be every plant lover's complete reference.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #541282 in Books
• Published on: 2001-03-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 384 pages

From Library Journal
This book is somewhat misleadingly titled, as the first 155 pages are narrative, covering many different short topics on container gardening. Sections include room locations for plants, botanical information, plant care and propagation, pests and diseases, and garden types such as miniature and desert. The glossary included in this section is misplaced for optimum use. The two-part encyclopedia section, which lists house plants alphabetically, covers the plant family name, native habitat, flowering time, care directions, propagation, pests and diseases, and uses and also provides a color photo. (The many excellent color photos are an attractive feature.) The first section of the encyclopedia includes better-known container plants, while the second section covers specialized plants, including orchids and cacti, that are difficult to grow in home situations because of their unique requirements. The authors are experts in gardening and plant care, and their text is a translation from a European publication. Recommended for the circulating collections of larger public libraries.?Dale Luchsinger, Milwaukee Area Technical Coll. Lib, Wis.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
If you or someone you know really enjoys gardening indoors, you must have this book. -- Mary Cameron Frey, Chicago Sun-Times, December 7, 2001

It has an A to Z listing of 1,000 houseplants with full color photos; information on how to tackle pests and diseases for each plant along with a detailed description, advice on placement, care and propagation as well as advice on light, watering and feeding needs. -- Agnes Palazzetti, The Buffalo News, Dec 17, 1999

Review
Well organized and particularly strong with technique. (Hartford Courant 20011207)

Clean, simple text lays out the basics ... Supplemental charts and diagrams make the information easy to absorb. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 20081212)

Every once in a while a books come along that you just have to buy ... [This] is that book. (Knight-Ridder News Service )

Should be one of the first books you buy if you're serious about collecting houseplants. (Dallas Morning News )

If you or someone you know really enjoys gardening indoors, you must have this book. (Mary Cameron Frey Chicago Sun-Times )

STARRED REVIEW: Beautiful color photos complement exhaustive plant care advice including tips and boxed sidebars. (Library Journal )

The Houseplant Encyclopedia should satisfy any indoor gardener. (Mary Fran McQuade Vaughan Today )

Customer Reviews

Outstanding !
I checked all my local bookstores for the right book to give to a friend who is always asking me for "horticultural advice" on his collection of houseplants. I grew up in a family of wholesale flower growers, and have 30 years of experience with my own houseplants. This book is the best I've seen. It has a very complete (about 125 pages) section on cultivation, light, water, placement in the house, patio, or balcony, containers, re-potting, nutrients, overwintering. It's wonderful for neophyte houseplant enthusiasts, and has much to teach me as well. I especially liked the extensive pests & problems section, which had actually recognizable pictures of plant symptoms, and charts of how to solve the problem. A unique addition are very useful non-chemical alternatives, including herbal concoctions, to getting rid of pests & diseases, (essential for pet lovers like me who love their animals as much as their plants). After all of this, there are the photographs! Not just the usual plants for beginners, but also a separate section of 150 "Specialties & Rarities". Each picture has info on flowering time, placement, care, propagation, pests, & uses. Throughout the book are prominently placed concise "TIPS" for quick & easy reading both in the general info section and amongst all the photos. Now that I've got one for my friend, I need a copy for myself. An incredible book for the price!

Good, but not GREAT!!
Although the book is comprehensive and has many tips on house plants, I only found 3 out of 25 plants in my house in this book. The photo section of this book is lovely, but it is titled "The most beautiful plants from A to Z" and does nothing for people like me with mostly all green house plants. Most of these plants they reference are blooming and floral. Make sure you know what you're looking for before you purchase this book!!

Excellent--"plain speak" good advice
I have a huge assortment of plant/gardening books, and often do alot of cross-referencing w/my hobby. This book is one of the first that I always pick up. It's "plain speak" approach (i.e. author will say, "I have always found..." etc.) is just terrific; I often find myself wondering how "Ingrid can help me with this?!" The tips are a wonderful "sidebar" feature, both highly informative, and just interesting! The descriptions the author provides of each plant is a true DESCRIPTION....detailed, and geared to educate the reader. They're not just a bullet-point listing of a few of the essentials on the plant, with questions left unanswered.

I went to my library over and over again, consulting this book on a number of plants questions and issues, until finally, I got my own precious copy!!

100% worth the investment of time and money for your gardening needs, both indoors and (gosh, what a bonus!) outdoors as well.