Customer Reviews

The Houseplant Encyclopedia

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

At best, I would say it is an ordinary plant book. For the three things I wanted to look for, I didn't find any good answer in it. First, I would like to know what kind of plants I have in my house (my mother gave them to me.) Just by looking at the pictures in this book as the book suggests, I would only identify several very very common plants. Second, I want to know how to take care of them. There are symbols in the book about light, water, food etc, but the paragraph I thought should be more specific on it simply repeats the symbols above (which as in a book, it is redundent and takes more space than it should.) Third, I like to know some tips on keeping the plants in good shape. However, what I found most the so said tips are like "I put my (a certain kind of) plant outside beside a pond and under a tree in summer." They are not very useful at all. It is either a book that helps you focus on making one specific decent, healthy plant, nor helps you to know and take care of many plants in general. I read it several times and tried find some positive sign that I should keep it, but I returned it at last.

This is a wonderful book. Having only recently discovered the joys of houseplants, I was looking for a thorough and comprehensive book that would help me identify my plants, and properly take care of them. This book does both and more. There is a section devoted to the conditions and care required for a wide range of houseplant species, plus great sections on diseases, pests, and common mistakes. After each in depth section is an "at a glance section" for quick reference.

Another very important and often overlooked feature is that it has a list of poisonous plants, so that we can make sure we place plants that can be dangerous out of reach of our pets and children (or better yet, avoid buying them all together).

I am also a big fan of its construction. Sturdy hard cover binding and glossy pages make it easy to wipe off all of the potting soil that gets dropped on it. :-)

Great book! Worthy investment!

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!!

Although it might serve as a decent cross-reference book in a situation where details aren't necessary, this is a poor "stand alone." Out of 26 varities, I was only able to locate 7...references steer clear of anything out of the ordinary, and if note is made on them, it's by name only...no specifics. I was somewhat disappointed by the frequent "tips," which entailed more common sense practises than anything useful - even for novice like myself.

This is the greatest book for a house plant hobbyist I have been able to find! All the most common (and many not so common) house plants are included, with good instructions - I have some 80 different house plants, and all of them are there!

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!

This book is not only a perfect choice for increasing the knowledge base of houseplant enthusiasts, it is so beautifully done it is a coffee table book. The layout and information is wonderful. It is concise and easy to use. But what is more enjoyable is the beautiful photography! I will be buying this book to give as gifts often. I recommend it highly.

This is the most comprehensive, enjoyable and infinitely readable book on indoor plants I have been able to find in my long period of searching. The first section of the book is a joy to anyone trying to find all the data relevant to the upkeep of indoor, patio and greenhouse plants, with a superb section on all tools, growing media and placement of all these plants. Green issues are tackled in an informative manner, and the detailed explanations of general plant care are suitable for both the expert and beginner. The section dealing with the actual identificaion of the plants is comprehensive, dealing with every aspect for care of each individual plant shown, and the subject matter is immense. This book is written in a friendly, uncluttered manner, and is a total joy for someone like me, who has scoured the bookshops of the UK to no avail. I would recommend this book to anyone.

I just love this book it tells you all you need to know