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How to Raise a Plant and Make it Love You Back

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A perfect guide for anyone eager to see their plant offspring thrive.

This attractive little book is ideal for the novice 'plant parent', providing tips on how to choose plants, where to keep them in your home, and above all else how to care for them and keep them thriving. 

Indoor plant experts from the popular account @houseplantclub, Erin Harding and Morgan Doane, bring the trendy and timeless subject to life alongside their beautiful photographs of happy plants in the home.

Ways to Make Your New Plant Love You:
• Discover the best houseplants to green up your space
• Learn how to maintain your collection by propagating and repotting
• Finding the right tools and materials, and how to tackle pest control
• Building terrariums and other DIY projects for happy plants
• Interior stylings suggestions from boho to modern to classic, there design inspiration for everyone!

112 pages, Paperback

First published October 23, 2018

42 people are currently reading
1056 people want to read

About the author

Morgan Doane

3 books1 follower

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5 stars
165 (22%)
4 stars
288 (38%)
3 stars
244 (32%)
2 stars
44 (5%)
1 star
6 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
Profile Image for Merel.
140 reviews84 followers
February 7, 2019
While this is a lovely book - well written, clear and beautiful to look at - it lacks some true in-depth explanations compared to the other three books I've now read on plants. It's by far the quickest to read, which might be nice for the occassional reader who just wants to learn about plants, but also might not be detailed enough for the true beginner who needs a book to explain things fully, from start to finish.
It's hard to say if it's complete enough to do what it promises (learn the beginner how to care for house plants), as I've just read a few in a month that do something similar, each in slightly different ways, but I think a slightly more in-depth book will serve a new plant lover better.
Profile Image for David.
790 reviews381 followers
June 21, 2020
A bit of a cliché really, everyone under quarantine and suddenly dogs are being adopted en masse while folks find a renewed urge to twiddle their green thumbs. Not wholly immune to the impulse, I've been filling up the new work-from-home space with plants. And of course there's an abundance of online love with Reddit groups, YouTube channels, and Instagram accounts to stoke those chlorophyll cravings - not to mention a new batch of houseplant reads that are a far cry from the fusty hardback how-tos found at church book sales and second hand bookshops.

Beautifully shot and lovingly designed, this is a pretty primer for the starting home horticulturalist. By far the most basic of the plant books I've snagged from the library, but no less lovely to look at.
Profile Image for Mayke ☕️ .
265 reviews132 followers
June 22, 2019
Full review on my blog (link in bio)

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A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by NetGalley and Laurence King Publishing.

I didn't really know what to expect from a book like this, since I've never read a book about plants before. I did feel a little underwhelmed when I finished the book, expecting more from it. The information in this book is so basic that I thought anyone would already know that.

Even thougt the level of information could be better, the pictures in this book are adorable. I love looking at plants and this book definitely didn't disappoint in that area.
Profile Image for Rachel Y.
401 reviews24 followers
December 31, 2021
2.5 This was fine. I read it in the home of someone with an incredible plant collection, so I will NOT knock it. OK all I'll say is it felt oddly low on content and for some reason the only thing I've hung onto is the fact 'focussed' made it to print and nothing is sacred. Does not deliver on the title (or ever reference the title again) but that's fine. It's cute! It's pink! Plants rule!
Profile Image for Natalie Kral.
69 reviews4 followers
May 7, 2024
Cute! Inspired me to get creative again with where I house my plants in my next living space!
Profile Image for GONZA.
7,453 reviews126 followers
May 27, 2019
This is a book for absolute beginners, and so it was ok for me, but I am pretty sure that people that love gardening and plants do not need this total lovely book with nice picture and clear explanations. But maybe I am wrong.

Questo non é un libro per professionisti, ma per chi ama le piante ma non se le sa gestire, anche perché vengono trattati proprio gli argomenti basilari, ma indubbiamente l'impaginazione e le foto lo rendono un volume veramente molto carino.

THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!
Profile Image for Julia.
38 reviews1 follower
July 21, 2022
To be honest this was very helpful for me. I got this as a birthday gift from a friend. I try as much as I can to take care of plants but at some point something goes wrong and it dies. I can never figure it out. So to me this was helpful and hopefully on the future any and all plants that I have and take care of won't die. 😂
Profile Image for Leilani Fairweather.
94 reviews
May 7, 2019
This book is cute but the information is very, very basic. It's well suited to someone with a beginning interest in plants that probably stemmed from browsing Instagram
Profile Image for Lisa Funderburg.
356 reviews6 followers
September 16, 2019
absolutely learned new things from this book. Thanks!

Format was great. Layout was great. Loved how the sections were divided so I could easily reference the plants I wanted to learn more about
Profile Image for Randy.
911 reviews5 followers
August 1, 2022
A quick guide to give plant life 101...basically the message is do your research about your plant. Nothing special, but gives some very basic 101 information.
Profile Image for Jen Okulanis.
69 reviews1 follower
May 15, 2024
My friend gifted this to me and it was super cute!
Profile Image for RJ.
56 reviews1 follower
July 12, 2024
Makes me want to go out and buy an indoor plant.
Profile Image for Ionarr.
328 reviews
January 17, 2019
This book is quite social media friendly, which I wasn't expecting because I had no idea of the authors beforehand. It isn't bad, necessarily, and for some people the nods to an online community and photo tips are probably very helpful, but it's not so much my thing - my Instagram is shit and I have every intention of keeping it that way.

Overall this is a nice little book. It's neither quite what I was looking for or what I expected, though. It is picture heavy, short, has a lot of chapters, a very specific #aesthetic, and no long blocks of text. All the plant names are in Latin (which I like but would prefer more colloquial names too), and although almost every plant pictured is helpfully labelled nowhere does it tell you which name in the list goes with which plant. As someone with zero knowledge of plants (very much the audience for this book) this was supremely unhelpful and confusing.

I did learn a lot from reading this, certainly more than I would have thought from the length and picture-heavy nature of it, and the star rating (3.5) is almost entirely down to that. It answered questions I didn't even know I had, and the favourite plants chapter had factsheets that were so helpful I took a picture of a couple of them, even though most of the plants mentioned are not at all my thing (again, very focused on the Instagram, modern, minimalist aesthetic; I'm more about florals, herbs and weird gothy plants.)

I actually think this book would have been better as two parts, or even two books: the first all the chapters except for the plant factsheets, incorporating the decor side of things, as well as propagation, repotting, light and other general tips; and the second a greatly extended series of the plant fact sheets, with more detail, precision, and a far larger selection of plants. Apart from anything else, I feel the first bit is great to read once as an absolute beginner and the second is something I might consider owning for reference.

Overall, I am glad I read this and I think it's a great basic primer on houseplants. I recommend getting it from your local library - it's not worth buying and you can probably find everything online, even if its nice to have the information in one place, clear, concise and illustrated. It might make a nice present for the absolute plant beginner - someone who, like me, has expressed interest in keeping plants but hasn't gone any further than being sad any plant they've owned dies. Given the approachable tone of the book, I'd like to see a second expanded edition of this, or to have the authors bring out another book - something more bookish and less of a quick read, illustrated guide.
Profile Image for Rae.
315 reviews2 followers
January 13, 2021
This book was the perfect gift for the person who manages to kill all plants (even a cactus). — that’s me! Easy to read, fun headers, aesthetically pleasing graphics and definitely shelf appealing as a reference book.

I was so intrigued by the DIY project section that I plan to do them all! I can’t wait to gather supplies for my plant shelfies. 🍃

I now know I would like to have a Pilea Peperomioides. “Pilea Peperomiodes is easy to care for and produces so prolifically it’s a joy to share.” (p.56) 💚

I also plan to propagate part of my Philodendron for Reilly since she bought me this book. 🌱
Profile Image for Claire.
Author 15 books46 followers
August 11, 2021
This is such a cute book and I love how the authors are plant friends from across the country. Also, Pistils Nursery is the best and I'm delighted they mentioned it. This book probably won't have lots of new information for seasoned plant parents, but it was great for a beginner like me. Plus, the photography is gorgeous.
854 reviews2 followers
December 2, 2018
Very cute book but not much here for anyone but beginners with the exception of some really adorable DIY projects. Would make a nice gift with a small plant for someone just starting out with their first plant. Otherwise get from the library.
Profile Image for Allison McDonald.
20 reviews1 follower
July 29, 2023
A short and sweet read that was really helpful in learning how to take care of my plants!
Profile Image for Cheryl.
212 reviews2 followers
March 29, 2020
Rounding to a 3.5. This is a really cute introductory book for a new plant parent or anyone wanting to learn the basics. Very appealing and practical. I like the last section on display options and styling which Hilton Carters’ book Wild at Home and insta showcases. My only suggestion would be for this book to cover more plants than just ones that all do well in good indirect or bright light. It would be nice to have some plants thrown into the mix that can handle medium and low light conditions and ones that can do well in a windowless situation like an office plant. The one plant I’d like to now have after reading this book is the Tradeacantia Fluminesis ‘tricolor.’ I also already want a fiddle fig and a Monstera Deliciosa but our rented house doesn’t have the lighting conditions for these plants to do well much less thrive—so like any good plant lover, I must wait! These authors have great instagram accounts found at @cleverbloom and @plantingpink
Profile Image for Jessica.
56 reviews1 follower
August 11, 2021
This book had very little information on how to care for plants, except for the brief section that lists specific plant care instructions. Everything else was a brief overview that honestly, the reader probably already knew. The DIY projects were possibly the best part of the book, information wise. The book is nicely designed (except for the minuscule dictionary print- evidently they wanted the limited information to take up as little space as possible) and has lovely photographs- unfortunately not all of the photos have a caption letting you know the type of plant pictured, and for some of those that do, it’s hard for someone not familiar with the plants to match which name goes with which plant on the page.
49 reviews
December 5, 2021
Honestly there are much better books out there with more detailed explanations on how to take care of your plants. But can we take a hot second to just think about how beautiful the book is? This book is aesthetically pleasing in every sense of the word.

And to be fair, I really like the consistency behind how each plant is organized into five categories, including how to propagate the plant. That’s important to gardeners, because we just end up wanting to multiply our plants over time. So yeah, props for that. And yes, they have a way less selection of plants, but at least they are the most popular cute ones.

I’m okay with this book being not as detailed as it is. It’s something I’d keep on my shelf. Something I’d gift to someone who is just starting to read about plants.
Profile Image for April Gray.
1,389 reviews9 followers
July 24, 2019
A good, comprehensive guide to raising houseplants, perfect for anyone from newbies to more experienced plant enthusiasts. I especially enjoyed all the tips for propagating new plants to keep or share with others! Some information I'd never come across before, such as how and why to quarantine a new plant and how to ship a cutting. There are lots of photos to help you learn how to care for your plants, and to give you inspiration on how to display them, as well as a guide to the authors' favorite plants and DIY projects to make your plants look fabulous! A very helpful book!

#HowToRaiseAplant #NetGalley
Profile Image for April Gray.
1,389 reviews9 followers
July 24, 2019
A good, comprehensive guide to raising houseplants, perfect for anyone from newbies to more experienced plant enthusiasts. I especially enjoyed all the tips for propagating new plants to keep or share with others! Some information I'd never come across before, such as how and why to quarantine a new plant and how to ship a cutting. There are lots of photos to help you learn how to care for your plants, and to give you inspiration on how to display them, as well as a guide to the authors' favorite plants and DIY projects to make your plants look fabulous! A very helpful book!

#HowToRaiseAplant #NetGalley
Profile Image for Alfi.
117 reviews4 followers
April 20, 2020
I want to start planting for decorating my house. I know nothing about plants. So this book gives a glimpse of where to start, and what to choose, or how to take care of each plant. And also it tells you what you can do with your plants. I would say the information is general, not in detail. But I guess it's enough for a newbie to understand it, and for further more information I guess you have to look it up online.

This book offers you a list of plants that you can start with. And each plant has an explanation of how to take care of it. The pictures in this book are pretty, it will motivate you to start your own pots.
Profile Image for Eleanor.
1,199 reviews29 followers
February 10, 2022
4 Raise a Plant Stars

If you’re a beginner and want to learn how to take care of beginner houseplants then this is the book for you. It has so many lovely ideas on how to display your plants and also how to place them regarding light. It gives you step by step guides on how to propagate them as well which I'm terrible at so this was great.

The layout was fun and pictures were bright and lovely to look through. This was a great little book to help you raise your houseplants and I'll definitely be putting some of these ideas in place throughout my home.

https://realtastypages.com
Profile Image for Kris.
480 reviews
March 20, 2019
This adorable book makes plant parenthood attainable for everyone. It's welcoming and readable, with great information to get you started and amazing inspirational photos. I especially love the DIY section. I'm not really a crafty person, but I feel that I could actually make a terrarium or a plant stand. I also loved the decorating with plants section. I live in a very sunny house with many plants that all have names, so I'm aware of the joy that plants can bring to your life. How to Raise a Plant manifests this happy feeling throughout.
Profile Image for Allison.
828 reviews17 followers
July 5, 2019
What a cute little read! This is super fun if you are looking for ways to brighten up your space using indoor plants!The book is bright and uplifting with lots of wonderful pictures and plant styling tips. This would be very fun for someone branching out into keeping more indoor plants or a good idea to give with a plant as well! I don't know how broad of an appeal this book has as it is basic instructions but it is still worth a read!
194 reviews2 followers
March 8, 2023
I read this little educational plant book in two days. It was a birthday present from a friend after I seem to continuedly kill plants. I love them but can't keep them alive sadly.

This book is helpful, and I hope I can now keep plants alive. They give tips to finding right conditions in the home, what plants grow best and how to care for them, and even some cute little DIY plant projects.

This book makes a great gift. It is visually appealing and easy to read.
Profile Image for Jennifer Lynn.
102 reviews
March 19, 2020
This is a beautiful book full of gorgeous pictures. It definitely is meant to be displayed on a shelf in an entertaining space.

That said, the content was good for a beginner plant enthusiast, but did not contain as much detail as I had been expecting. The projects included at the end of the book for displaying plants and making plant related gifts was unexpectedly delightful.
Profile Image for Stef Bevins.
317 reviews9 followers
April 20, 2020
This was a really cute and helpful book. I've had a garden for a few years but decided I wanted to start doing some container plants so when I saw this book, I thought it would be helpful and it was. There are several terms I have not heard of before that were explained very well. This was a nice and easy read and had a lot of cute pictures.

I got this book for free from Netgalley.com
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews

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