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

by Valerie Bradley

A definitive sourcebook for selecting and cultivating more than 250 different species of indoor plants integrates more than three hundred full-color photographs and step-by-step photosequences that detail the fundamentals of choosing and caring for various types of houseplants, with information on light and soil requirements, temperature, moisture, pest control, propagation, and more. 10,000 first printing.

Genres: Gardening

288 pages, Hardcover

First published March 23, 2006

Reviews

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ignoring some of the information on repotting, this is a solid if uninspiring book. I appreciated the location guide that takes into account not only light and temp, but airflow (drafts) and traffic. I do not feel much more confident that I can keep my newly acquired houseplants alive, but if I want to add more, I feel this gives good guidance on appropriate choices to make. Definitely a beginner guide. Specific care details are not as in-depth as I would like.

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent instructions for beginners in the beginning of this book; nice full-color, large photos for an identification directory. The book is probably most useful for just learning the names of and identifying common houseplants; its recommendations on care and keeping for each specific plant are rather sparse. Nice guide to have around, though.

[Rebekah · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Basic information that only takes up 1/4 of the book. The rest was dedicated as a "plant index," but honestly, most of the plants listed are grown outdoors and not as houseplants. I should have noted the "Reader's Digest" before starting.

[Evie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's good for general information. Some of the photos focus too much on flowers than the foliage, or focus too much on a single leaf rather than what the plant looks like as a whole, but it's still a good resource.