Customer Reviews

Encyclopedia of House Plants

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

 

 

Don't spend money on this book, I was very disappointed when I got this book. It does not have as much information as what is expected. It cost too much for the little information it has. If this book cost me $20.00 I still would have been disappointed but not as much, the saying "you get what you pay for" does not stand true for this book. It has many pictures but none of the house plants I own. You will wonder why it cost so much. It's a good book if you know nothing about house plants and want to spend alot of money. After I got this book I got The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual, it has more info in it. Encyclopaedia of House Plants is really not worth the money. I would feel guilty if is sold this book for or around the price that it is going for. I would really feel like I was ripping someone off.

This is another of those general guide books on indoor plants that I could not get any info on - i.e. no reviews! So I had to request a loan of it from Interlibrary Loan. My hardcover copy arrived today (5-15-10) at my local branch library. So now I know what it is like.

First of all, let me say that it is "OK", which is why I give it 3 stars. It's OK because the photos are pretty good all told. Alot better than some/many indoor plant books (this is a common failing for some reason). Second, I like it because it is obviously written by a horticulturist for the more serious amateur houseplant enthusiast; it has some very insightful comments on cultivation requirements. Third, whilst I could do without the cacti, succulents, orchids, etc. (these can be found in specialty volumes for those classes), I did find some comprehensiveness in the choice of species and species groups included.

Now, to the negatives. This book was translated from the Dutch (to English), and not always very successfully. In addition the book is full of typos. The editor, one Richard Rosenfeld, should be embarrassed to have his name listed as editor. He did not do his job at all. There are even quite a few words that are run together (i.e. runtogether). More than a few actually.

All told, it is not a bad book given the genre. But it is still not the book I am looking for that will give me a comprehensive, expert guide to the main types of indoor plants, with excellent photos and with a personal touch by having a real gardener share his/her knowledge in growing these plants. And really, there were so many species in various genera that were not included. In the Peperomias, for example, there are TWO species covered! TWO. However, the section on Fuchsias is extraordinary! I was particularly intrigued by his inclusion of peyote! Obviously not a book conceived for the American market, in which country this cactus is (ludicrously) illegal to own.

Lastly I see that the hardbacks, of which I have one, are outrageously overpriced, whereas if you go into the paperbacks they're cheap. There is no point in having the hardcover given this situation.

So, my search continues for the Ultimate Indoor Plant Book.