Customer Reviews

The Indoor Garden Book: The Complete Guide to the Creative Use of Plants and Flowers in the Home

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

 

 

This book has a lot of style and substance. It's mainly geared for someone who wants to decorate with house plants and the advice on leaf coloring and size of plant is really helpful if you want to know how to display your plants aesthetically. The book is organized by house location (living room, bathroom, etc.) then the kinds of plant (bulbs, bushy plants, upright plants, winter flowers, etc.). There's also a section in caring for dried flowers. The section in artificial lights and hydroculture is a bit scanty, but that doesn't seem to be the main focus of the book. The care and regulation of plants is shunted in the back section of the book.

This book is wonderful for quick reference. Beautiful pictures help guide plant selection. The "plant finder's guide" is useful because it uses symbols to define the care needed for each plant. This guide is categorized by the physical characteristics of the plants (ie, trailing plants, climbing plants, etc.). What is lacking is a more comprehensive selection of plants, especially the more unusual ones.

I purchased this book used. It is absolutely wonderful including a multitude of projects with easy to understand directions, recommendations and suggestions. The entire 'manual' is chock-full with beautiful color photos. Projects range from arranging to terrariums to bonsai to optimal placement, to plant care. This book is indispensable to someone looking for a few fun projects or someone who just wants to add a gem of a plant book to their shelf. Happy Reading!

Whether you want to learn a little about hydroculture or terrariums to just your everyday houseplant or hanging basket, it's a very good overlook at different types and styles of indoor gardening.This is a great book that not only provides information on growing plants and caring for them, but also gives tips on where and how to place them in various environments. Also, there are interesting craft ideas thrown in for those who want to get creative with their plants and flowers.

This is an excellent choice for someone who wants to learn about plants. It includes a good number of plants and their care and also has excellent information about forcing bulbs, propogating by air layering, etc. The directions for the care of specific plants are easy to understand--no mention is made of the number candlelight whatevers you need to grow them. Overall I think this is an excellent book for anyone interested in indoor gardening. The pictures are nice too.

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.

This book is just not what I need but it shouldn't be faulted for that! What it does it does very nicely. Some really gorgeous photography. And its organized to appeal to those indoor gardeners who want similar types of plants grouped together, rather than separately-alphabetically. Photos are a bit small for the individual specimens. There are large sections devoted to how to dry flowers, how to decorate bathrooms, etc. I am still looking for a really good book just on the plants.

This book tries hard. It tries to be cool, hip, attractive, fashionable - in short, coffee table worthy. To some degree it succeeds, but it's not a very good book on Indoor Gardening. In fact, it wastes the reader's time with large sections on arranging plants in the home, illuminating plants for maximum dramatic effect and arranging dried flowers. It does get around to plants here and there, but they seem to be thought of - as a bit of an inconvieance.

It is an attractive book and those looking for a cheap, small, coffee table book can add a star or two to this review. For those looking for a really good book on indoor gardening and/or indoor plants - keep on looking.