Orchids for Dummies

by Steven A. Frowine, The National Gardening Association

Packed with photos, including 8 pages in full color
Color your world with orchids
Orchids are beautiful, fragrant, wonderfully varied, and surprisingly affordable. But aren't they hard to grow at home? No! says orchid grower extraordinaire Steve Frowine. In this handy guide, he shows you step by step how to select the right orchids, keep them healthy, encourage blooms, and even propagate your own plants.
Discover how to:
* Select orchids that will thrive in your home
* Water, fertilize, repot, and propagate orchids
* Decipher complicated orchid names
* Get familiar with favorite orchid varieties
* Create spectacular orchid displays

Genres: Gardening, Nonfiction, Reference, Plants, How To

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2005

Reviews

[~☆~Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent advice for caring for your orchids.

[Sher · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 I found a few helpful gems in this book, but the layout is packed with lists of hybrids for every type of orchid. These lists were not terribly helpful, and just seemed to take up space.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've avoided reading this book for a long time, only because of the name. I can't get behind anything with "for dummies" in the title. The other issue that kept me from this book is its b&w paperback nature--only very few full-color pictures in an insert. Although it seemed pretty pointless for the author & publisher to include any b&w pictures at all (they really are just filler--you can't make out details from most of them), on the positive and useful side, not having color pictures forced the author to describe orchid colors and scents and forms in ways that most other books don't, and I really liked that. There's also good information here for the intermediate grower in terms of lists of orchids to expand your collection with. In all, a great book!

[Kat McGrath · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read an actual book!
Very good “bible” for the neophyte orchid grower.

[Garrett Nicolai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative look at some of the key concerns you might have when you first start growing orchids. I'm a bit disappointed that the photos didn't show up on my e-reader, though. : (

[Li · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read about half of this book or probably more, but not from beginning page by page. It's more of a reference book for specific needs. The writer is very qualified to write about orchids, but is he a compelling enough writer with the organizational skills to make this a book to recommend to very novice orchid growers like myself? Maybe. I'm a novice so it's hard for me to say. But also, as a novice, I felt it lacked some of the vital ingredients that need to be learned to keep orchids alive and healthy.

[Rev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of all the books I've read on orchids so far, this is definitely the most comprehensive one. I've never read a For Dummies book and was worried about how the writing style would end up reading, but the author of this one is well versed in the subject matter and explained himself very well. I understood everything he was saying and I loved the inclusion of pictures. I wish more were in color, but the inserts in the center fulfilled what I wanted to see. Definitely going to be buying my own copy of this one.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is terrible on Kobo it is overwritten on many many pages so unable to read it I have phoned Kobo about the problem and told them I wanted my money back if it could not be fixed but all I got was a credit of $5.00. which to me is not good enough either my money back or fix the problem!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Melinda]

Gift from my good friend to help me take care of my 6 buddies. I'm excited to read this cover to cover!?

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good reference and great trouble-shooting guide...my orchids may just recover from my inadvertent abuse!

[Kathy Cuthbertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

very helpful

[Mary Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read, helpful ideas.

[Lorene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe they're not blooming because I haven't finished reading this instruction book either!!