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How Not To Kill Your Plants
Hands up if you've killed a plant?
Yep, me too.
It's no secret that we've all become plant obsessed, but do we really understand how to look after them?
I am not a Professor of Botany, but having run my florist and plant shop, Grace & Thorn, since 2011 I've learnt a few things along the way. HOW NOT TO KILL YOUR PLANTS is about taking the hocus-pocus out of plants and flowers and enabling you to understand a plant's needs in order to know where to place and how to style them, but most importantly how to keep them alive.
I get asked every type of question you can imagine and I have written this book to answer them.
Watering can down, it's time to go back to the roots.
Keep it green.
Nik x
(AKA The Agony Plant)
- GenresNonfictionNature
256 pages, Hardcover
First published June 15, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 14, 2017
I don't usually write reviews on Goodreads, but as I seem to be the first person to have rated this book, I thought I'd try to explain the 3-star rating.
If my review were for the look of the book alone, this would definitely be 5 stars. It's elegantly laid out, and for an Instagram addict like myself, the images are inspiring. Hey, if that laundrette can look lush and abundant, maybe my manky kitchen can too! But sadly the text is unhelpful and often infuriating. Those inspiring photos aren't captioned, so you're left to guess if that's the plant referred to on the opposite page. (Often it's not.) I had to read this book with my iPad beside me to look up many of the plants the author mentions. The information provided is somewhat helpful for a complete plant novice like me, but it's repetitive (essentially "sick plant = too much/not enough water/light" and "think about where your plant originally came from" spread out over 250 pages).
The text starts off well, giving the author's history with plants and how she came to love them, but then descends into a patronising chatty style that reads as if it was written by a committee trying to figure out how to appeal to twenty-somethings. (Nobody ever lives in a house or flat, it's their "gaff"; the history of the houseplant is "wicked".) Any book that uses the phrase "now for the science bit" is going to have me slamming it shut in disgust.
Oh, I don't know, maybe I'm not the target audience for this book. Perhaps if I were 20 years younger I wouldn't feel talked down to by this book, but I could do without the author trying to sound like my best mate - I just want to know how not to kill my plants. (And that also means I really don't need four pages of filler on her mate in Hackney who puts aloe into smoothies!)
That said, the photos ARE lovely, and I've added a few plants to my shopping list, so it wasn't a complete waste of time. Read the book, but be prepared to grind your teeth.
If my review were for the look of the book alone, this would definitely be 5 stars. It's elegantly laid out, and for an Instagram addict like myself, the images are inspiring. Hey, if that laundrette can look lush and abundant, maybe my manky kitchen can too! But sadly the text is unhelpful and often infuriating. Those inspiring photos aren't captioned, so you're left to guess if that's the plant referred to on the opposite page. (Often it's not.) I had to read this book with my iPad beside me to look up many of the plants the author mentions. The information provided is somewhat helpful for a complete plant novice like me, but it's repetitive (essentially "sick plant = too much/not enough water/light" and "think about where your plant originally came from" spread out over 250 pages).
The text starts off well, giving the author's history with plants and how she came to love them, but then descends into a patronising chatty style that reads as if it was written by a committee trying to figure out how to appeal to twenty-somethings. (Nobody ever lives in a house or flat, it's their "gaff"; the history of the houseplant is "wicked".) Any book that uses the phrase "now for the science bit" is going to have me slamming it shut in disgust.
Oh, I don't know, maybe I'm not the target audience for this book. Perhaps if I were 20 years younger I wouldn't feel talked down to by this book, but I could do without the author trying to sound like my best mate - I just want to know how not to kill my plants. (And that also means I really don't need four pages of filler on her mate in Hackney who puts aloe into smoothies!)
That said, the photos ARE lovely, and I've added a few plants to my shopping list, so it wasn't a complete waste of time. Read the book, but be prepared to grind your teeth.
November 22, 2024
Mega spoko, czegoś się dowiedziałam, a zabijam wszystkie kwiatki XD
April 22, 2019
This book is great if, like me, you want to develop green fingers but haven’t a clue where to start. It will give you good, practical tips on not to kill your plants and what you will need to get started.
May 4, 2019
Uważam, że to fantastyczna lektura dla laików. Jeśli siedzisz już trochę w roślinnym świecie, pewnie wiele informacji Cię nie zaskoczy, ale jeśli tak jak ja byłeś do tej pory seryjnym zabójcą roślin, ta książka da Ci nadzieję, że można nad tym jakoś zapanować, wystarczy trochę się przyłożyć i poznać potrzeby Twoich roślinnych podopiecznych. Dużo praktycznych informacji, w dodatku książka super wydana i napisana na wesoło. Bardzo przyjemna lektura!
June 2, 2020
Książka została mi polecona jako niezbędnik młodego botanika, który chce poznać zasady dbania o rosliny w domu. Niestety książka mocno mnie rozczarowała, bo jest bardzo ogólnikowa i powierzchowna. Dużo, DUŻO więcej dowiedziałam się z pierwszych lepszych wyszukanych w internecie artykułów. Czytałam na kindlu, ale domyślam się, ze wersja papierowa jest ładnie wydana i udekorowana licznymi ilustracjami. Stad to raczej ładna pozycja na mało praktyczny prezent dla kogoś niż skarbnica wiedzy.
January 14, 2019
A beautiful and useful book which I will keep for reference. I wish the pictures were annotated, and I wish all of the plants mentioned has pictures, as that would really make this book perfect.
February 2, 2021
Un ottimo libro per iniziare a muoversi nel mondo delle piante d’appartamento, con anche tanti “trucchi” e aneddoti interessanti.
Utile da tenere sempre con se e riguardare come un piccolo manuale.
Utile da tenere sempre con se e riguardare come un piccolo manuale.
September 30, 2018
If you love houseplants you’ll love this book! It’s quirky, it’s fun and it’s an idiots guide without being patronising. The images and photos are inspirational, and I love the way that the different chapters are spread out, with easy references to look back on. This book has inspired me to expand my plant collection and get creative with my home displays!!
May 21, 2021
Finalmente un libro carino e utile sulle piante da appartamento. Non solo fotografie ma anche illustrazioni. Non solo consigli (realmente) utili sulle piante ma anche storie e esperienze personali, raccontate con leggerezza e british humor.
L'autrice ha un negozio di piante e fiori in UK ed è specializzata in composizioni floreali contemporanee.
L'autrice ha un negozio di piante e fiori in UK ed è specializzata in composizioni floreali contemporanee.
January 2, 2019
Przyjemna i bardzo przydatna książka. Chętnie do niej wracam jeśli potrzebuje odpowiedzi na pytania.
August 25, 2019
An amazing, playful book on keeping your plants alive.
March 4, 2021
It started so well, but there is a lot of repetition which bores me. It looks pretty but content could be more concise and more informative on plants that are recommended.
March 30, 2021
I liked the author's set up when detailing the different plans. Quick, fun read. I did skip some of the "extra" stuff in the book because it didn't interest me but I bet it does for others.
July 14, 2024
Really useful for basic plant care like placement and watering.
May 5, 2019
Great read, beautiful photos. Wish there would have been captions to help identify the plants.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews