Customer Reviews

The Complete Guide to Houseplants: The Easy Way to Choose and Grow Healthy, Happy Houseplants

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

 

 

If you are seeking a single volume guide to houseplants, take a look at Valerie Bradley's The Complete Guide to Houseplants: it packs in details on all kinds of plants, including over three hundred color photos to compliment plant lists and tips. Care instructions include details on humidity, soil, watering and sun while ideas for propagation and descriptions of attributes help homeowners chose the right houseplant.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

I enjoy this very good informative read, I love the glossy bold pictures, I love the way the author made you feel like she was talking to you in person, I have over twenty five different plants and after reading this book I could go into the floral business,just kidding, this is one really great detail informative book, She tells you about the plant in three areas: Detail about plant, Caring for the plants and making new plants, what more could you want,just buy the book!

I've been trying to find a good comprehensive book on indoor plants that is at least the equal of my old standby, Foliage Plants for Decorating Indoors by Mr. and Mrs. Elberts (1989, Timber Press)[q.v.]. That book gives info on each plant from the direct knowledge of the authors and as a result has proved to be the best tropical houseplant book bar none, thus far. They give personal observations, recommendations, etc. Whereas 19 out of 20 such books have the usual set of short paragraphs with pedestrian info (i.e. dimensions, temperatures, light requirements, etc.). The Elberts also cover a goodly number of varieties and cultivars one is likely to encounter.

The present book here reviewed is one of those afore-mentioned 19. Admittedly, if you are into artistically sublime photography of plants this is the book for you!; although from a horticultural standpoint, sometimes the photos are too close to the plant, so that one cannot get a very good idea of what the plant as a whole looks like. Often the flowers, or a few leaves, attractive though they are, fill the whole frame. The majority of these kinds of books at least have good, illustrative photos of the species; as a whole plant.

The text, as said, is run-of-the-mill. Nothing beyond what you'll get in just about any book you find on indoor plants. Very few mentions of the varieties either. This is Reader's Digest's most recent tome of this subject (2006), apparently the successor to their 1997 book by Courtier and Clarke. It is not an improvement, mainly because of the photos. The 1997 book actually has pretty good illustrations of the WHOLE plant and really much better text with some inkling of personal opinion and sharing of personal experience. I'd rather have it than this thing.

Great pictures of plants and good specific information on each one in regard to care and rooting plant.