The New Plant Collector: The Next Adventure in Your House Plant Journey

by Darryl Cheng

Darryl Cheng, bestselling author of New Plant Parent , is back with the first book for indoor gardeners who want to step up from basic plant care to creating rewarding plant collections.

The world of indoor gardening is exploding with desirable new and unusual plants. Thanks to the resources of the internet and social media, finding amazing varieties has never been easier—but knowing how to get maximum enjoyment from this enticing world is not so easy. Darryl Cheng brings his knowledge-based approach to the quest, offering collecting suggestions to suit every level of experience, and describing the riches of twenty-two different plant groups, from anthuriums to tillandsias. As always, he focuses on meeting each plant’s requirements for light and moisture, and he provides practical ways to create optimal growing conditions at home. To inspire readers, there are photographs showing the dazzling variety of colors, forms, and patterns that each group offers.

For Cheng, the happy indoor gardener learns to appreciate plants as living things that undergo stages of growth, decline, and rebirth. He teaches the joys of propagation, so that anyone can produce new life from old, increasing and sharing the world’s wealth of beautiful plants.

Genres: Nonfiction, Plants, Gardening, Self Help, Adult

240 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2024

Reviews

[Max D'onofrio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as useful to me as his first book. This just has more specific on different types of plants, so I think it would be a better book to keep as a reference book.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this on store shelves a few days before the official release date!

Like its predecessor, The New Plant Parent, this book offers helpful information about growing and maintaining a wide variety of houseplants, from the popular to the rare. Reading this made me feel better about my collection and how successful it actually is, despite the small pitfalls that plague every plant person (though they never feel small at the time). Cheng's writing is very down-to-earth, and it was great to see how both his explanations and photographs also included plants that didn't work out, as well as yellow leaves. These details are reassuring and highlight both the natural cycles of plant growth and the fact that some plants just will never like your house - either way, it's okay.

What stood out in this book was Cheng's more in-depth explanation of lighting, especially how a longer use of plant lights, rather than stronger ones, can have an equal effect on the plants. I also enjoyed his study of a wide variety of plants and the ways that he drew photos and information from the wider plant community - it helped to create a fuller picture of houseplant growth and cultivation. Overall, this is a lovely guide to the world of collecting houseplants!

[Brooklyn Swaim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so informative!! I have over 350 houseplants in my collection and sell plants online, and having such an incredible care guide for each plant genus was is so helpful. This is the kind of book that you want to have in your collection if you collect rare houseplants!
Darryl did an excellent job of organizing this book, and it was such a joy to read!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally, a houseplant book with actual numbers!

I'm an engineer. I was therefore absolutely delighted by Cheng's use of actual data when recommending how much light each plant needs. This book would have been great even without that, but his practical, numbers-based approach instantly puts this at the #1 spot out of all the houseplant books I've read/looked through!

[Hollidaisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lot like the first book (the New Plant Parent) so you’re going to get a lot of same/similar info but that is ok. Cheng also expands on it and includes fabulous images and info for those who want to really do plant collecting in a way that supports both you and the plants.

[Kristyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book will be useful resource for me. There's a lot of good information, and I especially liked the information about light. I know these things can be looked up, but I will keep this in my plant cart for easy reference.

[Allison Willey · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's some good light and fertilizer information here for any of us who aren't sure about ratios and such.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative, especially if you are new to plants or even a particular plant listed in this book. If you are an old hat, might not be as useful to you, BUT I enjoyed it.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book. Read a real book. Followed from Sadie.

[Heidi Der · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good information on the care and collecting of different plant varieties.

[Unique Pelletier]

Very helpful for a new plant parent!