Customer Reviews

The House Plant Expert

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If only I'd known that this was one of those books they have lined up at home depot or cashway...full of bits of information for those who really don't know anything, but not really that useful...I would have passed. I admit that I now refer to it occasionally, when I can't find a plant pictured elsewhere or to get a name to reference in another book, but normally it just sits on the shelf. It seems outdated, the pictures are of poor quality, and there's not really enough information about each plant to be that useful to me.

This beautifully illustrated and photographed book is a very informative and easy to use reference for anyone who wants authentic expert advice on growing and maintaining house plants. This practically organized book is divided into nine readily accessible sections:
* Plants in the Home: serves as an introduction to the book and gives some advice on choosing, buying, housing, and repotting plants, as well as learning the basic rules of care and creating the right growing conditions for your house plants.
* Displaying Indoor Plants: discusses the many considerations needed to be taken into account when keeping plants indoor, including mixing specimens, choosing pots, and selecting the right plant for each room.
* The Classification of House Plants: includes foliage house plants, flowering house plants, flowering pot plants and cacti.
* House Plants A-Z: is the most extensive alphabetized guide on house plants in print in a single volume. Each plant's entry includes its image and/or picture, a description of its most common varieties, details on how to plant, grow and care for it, and a list of the ordinary problems that affect it.
* Plant Care: gives instructions on how to optimize the natural elements that impact the plant's health, including temperature, light, water, humidity, and air.
* Increasing Your Stock: explains how to successfully propagate house plants by using the most suitable reproduction techniques.
* Plant Troubles: presents advice on how to speedily prevent or correct each trouble.
* Dictionary: defines both the technical and the not so technical terms used throughout the book.
* An Index.
This book deserves to be one of the best-sellers on house plants because with its excellent selection of plants common to many countries and its clear, invaluable information it simply is an essential resource for anyone, whether beginner or professional, who wishes to grow and keep beautiful house plants. I assure you that it's a book you will refer to time after time after time.
--Reviewed by M. E. Volmar

This is one of a series of gardening books written by Dr Hessayon with the novice gardener in mind , and with the word "Expert" in the title. The reader can choose from The Rock and Water Garden Expert, The Garden DIY Expert (that's a common abbreviation in England for Do It Yourself), The Garden Expert, The Bedding Plant Expert, The Rose Plant Expert, The Lawn Expert, The Tree and Shrub Expert, The Flower Expert, The Fruit Expert, and The Vegetable Expert . Each follows a similar format and there is some overlap between them.

The major part of each book is an alphabetical look at most of the well-known plants in the subject area. Each plant is well illustrated, given its common and Latin name, its appearance is described, and its requirements for heat, light, water etc. listed briefly.

The "Expert" books offer sound basic advice about selecting and repotting plants, plant care, propagation and a section on diagnosing and treating common plant problems.

These are practical, down-to-earth books, mostly for the new gardener. Not even the brownest thumb can go far wrong using the "Expert" books, and The House Plant Expert is said to be the world's best-selling book on houseplants.

There must be an extraordinary number of house plant books, and while many of those are well worth the time, some are required in your library. It's nonsense to dismiss any such resource-guide as worthless if it does not excel in this or that: it's often wise to relay on a variety of such books so that you can compare information.

That all said, this is sure to be a staple in many bookcases, because it offers comprehensive and concise information regarding plant identification, basic growth necessities per plant (lighting, water, humidity, soil) or even plant groups (such as Succulents or Philodendrons, one of my favorites). The range of material is varied and includes all well-known and lesser-known plants that'll do well in your house or greenhouse (or even terrarium, which I do recommend, by the way).

Furthermore, there are additional chapters on for example diseases and what to do about them, displaying indoor plants, etc.. Inside these chapters can be found a wealth of information for beginners and experts alike. But what defines beginner or expert I'll leave to others.

The House Plant Expert even offers golden rules ... each his/her own rules, but you won't hear me arguing with these.

Anyway, for people growing tropical plants, I found out that they adore frequent misting, diffused sunlight, high humidity, company of each other, and room to grow (watch out for Monstera Deliciosa, that one goes fast and all over the place). And do invest in the right soil types; that makes a difference.

Good luck.

I do NOT have a green thumb, but this book was so easy to follow and it made indoor gardening extremely simple. Previously, I could not recognize the signs of a plant in need (i.e. watering, too much sun exposure, natural age progression, etc.). Now I have made small cards to stick in each plant that tells me what I need to do to nurse them back to health if they look "sad." I would never have known these remedies if it weren't for the easy read of The House Plant Expert. If you do not know what kind of indoor plant you have, they are easy to look up by photo. Originally my green-thumbed sister gave me an old copy of the book and I got hooked! I ordered myself one, one for my mother-in-law and often loan mine to friends in need! I highly recommend this one!

This is an excellent book yet someone who lives in the Russian speaking countries do not need this book because there is the good interpretation of the "Expert Series" in Russian and those russian editions much more cheaper

In the past few years I have become more and more interested in plants, yet still manage to kill some in spite of my best efforts to the contrary. I have purchased several books to help me put an end to this, and to my mind, none compares to this one. In addition to having the most extensive alphabetized listing of houseplants of any book I've seen (in both Latin and common parlance), it gives precise advice on everything from light to temperature to propogation. The "Special Problems" listed with individual plants have already helped me to rescue a few that were looking a little peaked, and I am now even able to understand how plants are classified. The first two chapters, "Plants in the Home" and "Displaying House Plants" are chalk full of great advice for both novice and professional, and that unit on "Plant Care" in the back---which tells you in great detail why plants run in to such specific problems as drooping bottom leaves or brown patches---is worth the price of the book alone.
It's easy to see why this is the world's best-selling book on house plants, and why other Amazon customers have unanimously rated this five stars. Count me among them.

I used to ALWAYS kill plants . .. until I got this book! It is so helpful with it's colored photos and easy plant care tips. It's perfect for the beginner (and for the advanced too). I'm not afraid to buy a new plant now. I'd recommend this book to anyone starting up their own "indoor garden".

I am definitely not an expert when it comes to house plants but this book has been of real value to me. It is very thorough yet easy to understand and loaded with colour pictures so if you are not too sure what plants you do have you will surely find them in this book and learn how to look after them.
Definitely a must have for home or plant pot gardeners

I just got mine and have already spent hours looking up and identifying the plants I already have. Nice pictures and layout of information. The only thing I would have liked was a little more detail on propogation. There is a section on propogation that is a couple of pages, but I need more detail since I am an extreme beginner.