Come non uccidere le tue piante

by Nik Southern

Illustrato, pratico, facilissimo da consultare e divertente: IN PLANTS WE TRUST!

«Il mio scopo è mostrare quanto sia facile coltivare con successo e ovunque una serie pressoché infinita di piante. Di insegnarvi a riconoscerle e soprattutto a farle vivere felici senza far loro soffrire la sete e senza annegarle. Non sono una botanica: sono una fiorista, e tutto quel che so l’ho imparato lavorando nel mio negozio. Di fatto sono pochi accorgimenti, ma fondamentali: il mio libro non è destinato a far bella mostra di sé sul tavolino del soggiorno, ma a essere consultato, portato con sé in autobus e in metropolitana, usato e innaffiato…»
Come non uccidere le tue piante insegna che possiamo crescere il nostro piccolo giardino personale con successo seguendo alcuni accorgimenti. Nik Southern ci indica con chiarezza come scegliere le nostre piante, dove metterle, come e quanto innaffiarle per ottenere un risultato sorprendente.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature

437 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 15, 2017

Reviews

[Dolly Dimple · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Natalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mega spoko, czegoś się dowiedziałam, a zabijam wszystkie kwiatki XD

[Jessica Wilkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Katarzyna Cieplińska · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[toolie · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Stefania · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!!

[Claudia Vannucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Magda Stanczew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Przyjemna i bardzo przydatna książka. Chętnie do niej wracam jeśli potrzebuje odpowiedzi na pytania.

[Szymon · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing, playful book on keeping your plants alive.

[Teodora · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Heidi Gass · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Katie Cat Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really useful for basic plant care like placement and watering.

[Brenda Smoak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read, beautiful photos. Wish there would have been captions to help identify the plants.