Book Description
Welcome to a whole new world of houseplants -- and a whole new generation of plant lovers ready to embrace the joy of indoor gardening! For the nearly 50 percent of U.S. households who spend six billion dollars every year on indoor plants to decorate, purify the air, and generally boost the spirits,
The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual provides practical, hands-on advice for how to care for 160 beautiful houseplants, including many new selections that have entered the retail market in the last ten years.
For new indoor gardeners, Pleasant offers basic information on how to identify their plants, as well as where to place them and how to keep them healthy. In-depth plant profiles provide troubleshooting guidelines to quickly identify symptoms, causes, and remedies to common problems for each species. Information about how to repot, propagate, and display each plant, as well as advice on the very best varieties, makes this an indispensable reference for every houseplant lover.
A more general “Guide to Houseplant Care” addresses every aspect of plant care in an A-to-Z format, from choosing the proper containers and soil mixtures, to coping with pests and diseases, as well as watering, pruning, and staking. With
The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual, no green thumb is required to be successful at keeping, not killing, indoor plants.
Customer Reviews:
A great resource for beginners.......2007-06-24
Until recently my houseplant experience was limited to two spider plants and a ficus, both of which I managed to kill in about a year. I actually credit the plants for holding on so long, since they got horrible light, no fertilizer, and a little water every other month.
I recently decided to give it another go, but I was fairly nervous because I didn't know anything about how to take care of houseplants in general, let alone the special requirements of the commonly available varieties. I checked out several books before settling on this one, which is a good compromise between encyclopedic coverage of different plants and practical advice about plant care. Each of the 160+ plants in the book has at least one page of information and at least one full-color photo (sometimes more). The entry for each plant gives some basic information, specific requirements and things to watch out for, and a short troubleshooting FAQ. The book is divided into three parts, on flowering houseplants, non-flowering houseplants, and houseplant care. The final section on houseplant care goes into a lot more depth on just about every topic under the sun, including soil, light, water, fertilizer, seasons, training, propagation, leaching, repotting (and potting up, and top-dressing), and has a lot of helpful illustrations to get you through. At the end of the book there is a big list of resources, including plant clubs and sources for more in-depth information.
Right now I have 17 houseplants, all chosen without benefit of this book, just because they looked nice. But they're all in here. The book is NOT comprehensive, though--160 species is a lot but it is hardly exhaustive, and your local garden center or home supply warehouse probably has plants that aren't covered here. Still, almost all the common species and varieties are in here, and it is very nice to have instructions and tips that are specific to each plant. If you have some plants that aren't in here, you might want to pair this with a more taxonomically comprehensive book, such as The House Plant Expert or one of the houseplant encyclopedias.
I should add that the book is very well written, interesting, engaging, and accessible. I find myself picking it up to look up one thing and an hour later I'm still reading.
Oh, and all my new plants are doing great. Mostly thanks to this book.
Perfect for environment and care demands........2007-01-07
So many houseplant guides glut the market that it may initially seem difficult to see the need for yet another - but here's something different, offering color photos, a plant ID guide to help those who receive 'mystery houseplants' as gifts, details on low-maintenance plants, and an A-Z of care basics for quick and easy access. Brighter and more detailed than most, THE COMPLETE HOUSEPLANT SURVIVAL GUIDE helps buyers choose the plant which is perfect for environment and care demands.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
The Complete Houseplant Survival manual: Essential Gardening Know -How for keeping (Not Killing) More than 160 Indoor Plants`.......2006-12-08
Excellent resource manual. Specific details on the care of individual plants as well as sections pest management with recipes for non-toxic sprays for pests, potting, watering, etc. One probably does not need another resource for houseplants.
Excellent House Plant Reference.......2006-12-03
Very intelligent and user-friendly layout, from the botanical pronunciation, vivid photos, color-coded divisions and species charts, to the concise, easy care instructions for a wide variety of houseplants. Very useful to novice gardeners as well as experienced horticulturists. One of the best and clearest houseplant guides currently available.
Bought because of a review, and I'm glad I did.......2006-03-24
I purchased this book after seeing it reviewed positively in another publication, and I'm glad I did. It offers simple, straight-forward, and clear information on caring for numerous plants found in houses. The pictures are also great, making it easy for you to recognize those plants you just can't name.
Book Description
Looking to bring some outside greenery indoors? Maybe you already have an indoor garden and are looking to create a botanical jungle. Whatever the case may be, houseplants are an ideal inexpensive way to beautify your dwelling. You’ll be rewarded with purer air and you’re sure to enjoy watching your plant sprout, climb, and even flower.
Of course, before you start working on crafting a greenhouse, you need to know what kinds of plants you can grown in your home and which plants are best suited to your taste and style. Houseplants For Dummies introduces dozens of different foliage plants, flowering plants, cacti, and exotic varieties. Your green thumb is sure to get even greener once you’ve read about:
- Houseplant basics
- Identifying indoor microclimates
- Indoor plant “biographies”
- Differentiating between direct, indirect, and low light
- Watering needs
- Rules of fertilizing
- Temperature and growing cycles
Houseplants For Dummies is packed with houseplant growing techniques, tips, tricks, and even goes the extra mile with a chapter devoted to the various ways you can display houseplants if you’re looking for some bragging rights! Whether you’re new to the world of houseplant basics or you’re a seasoned gardener, you’ll get the “inside dirt” on topics such as:
- Various potting soil mixes
- Preparing plants for indoor life
- Cleaning, pruning, and staking
- Propagating houseplants
- Dealing with pests and diseases
- Building your own controlled climate
- And much more
The material is arranged into six clear and helpful sections: houseplant basics, houseplant profiles, growing essentials, potted plant maintenance, houseplant settings, and valuable ideas – each section helping you create your own indoor forest. Even if you’re convinced you have a black thumb, Houseplants For Dummies will have you living among the green in no time!
Customer Reviews:
Houseplants for Dummies.......2007-06-05
My rating would be higher had I got the book. I traced the book and it says it was delivered but I never got the book.
Who cares about organization!.......2004-04-11
So what if the organization of this book isn't to some peoples likings (as some reviewers have remarked)! This book saved several of my tropical plants lives. I'm a long time plant lover and propagator but was unfamiliar with tropicals and a few other plant families. I primarily raised cacti and spider plants.
I was baffled by the brown bumps on my White Bird of Paradise plant but figured they were a part of the plant since they looked like wood bumps. After reading this book I found out they were bugs called Scale which suck the life from the plant and, when hatched, can jump from plant to plant. I also found out that what I had thought was just a problem with dust was in fact mildew, another potentially devistating disease. My plants are now all very happy.
I have hard water in my area and found out about the need to use vinegar and water to "rinse" the salt from the soil in hard water situations. I've also always suspected that the tags that come with plants are bogus and this book explains exactly why. I was so surprised about this book to tell you the truth. I got it from the library to see if I could figure out the above problems then had to buy the book.
I have other books that have all the "pretty pictures" but they are typically useless. I'd rather have a book that was informative and accurate. If you ant to keep your plant healthy and happy for the length of it's natural life, this book is among the ones to add to your shelf. If you want a book for plant identification then either get a Peterson Guide (all very good) or do a google image search with "tropical plants" or "flowering indoor plants", etc. I do that when looking up new varieties of herbs, medicinal weeds and other plants. Find the name then use a book, not all websites are good information.
Clear and Sound Information.......2002-05-27
This book is well written and provides sound information and guidance. I bought the book because I know little about houseplants. After a few minutes of reading I went to the nursery as an informed consumer. The salesman in the store where I bought my plants confirmed that the book is excellent. You can look up a topic in the index and find out what you need to know in a few minutes. There is a description of the care required for many, many plants and the advantages and disadvantages of each. This book gives the uninitiated the inside scoop.
Informative.......2002-02-28
This book is informative and very easy to understand! I love all the information about each type of houseplant. Plus, now I know how to propagate and make my houseplants look the best they can.
Good content, so-so organization.......1999-03-02
The content of this book is very good - from the time you walk out the door to the garden store, to the time you finish enclosing your own greenhouse (yikes), this book will have you covered. Pictures & "insider tips" are particularly useful & clear. The book's overall organization, on the other hand, wasn't so hot. Chapter 3 (Buying a plant) and Chapter 14 (preparing plants for domestic life) are separated by the photo index, pruning tips, and instructions for hydroponic growing. Are we supposed to do all that on the car ride home? My guess is Hodgson's expertise had to be "reordered" to fit the Dummies format. All the same, if you can navigate the format, you'll find some great information
Customer Reviews:
A VERY USEFUL BOOK........2007-04-16
I am not a great fan of Reader's Digest (a personal thing), but I do feel they have a very good product with this book. I have had it for a number of years and there have been very few times that, when I had a question concerning house plants, this work could not provide the answer. Like anything else, this work in not by any means all inclusive, but it is quite a valuable resource when used with some of the other excellent books addressing this subject on the market. Information here is concise. The illustrations are quite good and the book is easy to use. This is certainly one you will want to add to your gardening library.
Demystifies house plant care.......2003-08-14
I've had this book for about ten years, and have used it more than any of my many other plant reference books. Tons of plants, great illustrations, concise, well organized. Any time a new plant enters my household I use this book to get better acquainted. Just came to Amazon thinking it would be a great gift for my friend and was disappointed to see that its out of stock (or out of print?). I hope I can track down a copy somewhere else...
Invaluable.......2000-02-27
The best resource book I've found. Concise, excellent pictures, easy to use. Many of my fellow house plant owners wish they had this book on their shelves. Hope a reprint is coming soon.
The bast book for house plant hobbyists I have ever seen........1999-08-27
I have used this book for at least fifteen years as a guide to my greenhouse management and have found it indespensible. My son has just built a small greenhouse. I'd like to give him a copy, so I hope the publisher will reprint it. It is invaluable.
Great plant reference book.......1998-12-03
This is a wonderful plant reference book for the beginner or for the expert. It covers everything you would want to know about any specific houseplant, a picture of the plant, its common name as well as its "plant" name, pest problems, etc. It is terrific!!! I wish it was still available as I need another copy for a gift.
Book Description
Expert advice, practical shortcuts, inspiration and time-tested tips for house plant lovers everywhere--Even the recipe for Grandma Putts' Homemade Plant Food! Jerry Baker has included everything the house planter needs to know including fool-proof tips on growing seeds and young plantings, 14 drinks plants prefer to tap water, the perfect light to grow by, savvy advice on container, herb, and organic gardening, and sure-fire cures for bugs and blotches.
Customer Reviews:
Good in therory, not in practice........2002-08-18
Well the book seems to give great advice on paper, but after using his tonics and potions, all my plants took sick and most got bugs and died.
I used to do very little for my plants. I fed them plain old tap water and ignored them much of the time and they looked great.
I think my plants got bugs because he suggests that you use food items in your potions such at tea and cola. The sugar attracted
affids or something and they ate all the roots. So very sad 'cause I had had these plants for years and I was attached to them.
JERRY BAKER'S HAPPY, HEALTHY HOUSEPLANTS.......2002-01-20
THIS IS MY FIRST EXPERIENCE AT BUYING A USED BOOK, BUT IT WON'T BE MY LAST. THE BOOK WAS IN PERFECT CONDITION AND WAS WRAPPED VERY SECURELY. I AM A BEGINNING GARDENER AND THE BOOK WAS VERY HELPFUL TO ME. I'M LEARNING PLANT NAMES, POTTING CONDITIONS AND AND GETTING AN OVERALL COURSE IN THE BEAUTY OF PLANTS.
Good information; definitely not for everyone.......2001-01-28
It is important to note that this is not a reference for plant varieties, but rather a "...for Dummies" style guide to houseplant selection, maintenance, and propagation. The information is general, rather than plant-specific, and there are no specimen pictures in this book. Chapters are organized by subject, such as lighting considerations, warning sign recognition, & interior decorating, with cartoon pictures to illustrate specific points.
The most interesting thing about this book for me is its focus on compatibility issues: Jerry Baker genuinely wants you to have succees with your houseplants, and that requires a little bit of time spent thinking about what the PLANT will need, versus what you are willing and able to give it. He includes quite a few tables to help you find the most compatible plant for you and your home, accompanied by informative, easy to read explanations of how things like drafts, humidity, lighting, and watering contribute to the success or failure of your plant.
Bottom line: I happily recommend this book to beginning plant fanatics looking for insight! The information in this book is solid & engagingly presented, and sometimes even good for a laugh. If you are looking for an objective presentation, however, or if you are a person who equates "maintenance care" with bi-monthly trips to the florist, this book is not for you: There is a definite underlying flavor of "plants are people too."
Happy, Healthy Houseplants by Jerry Baker.......2000-04-13
The ultimate guide to the living with plants in your home. There is an interesting section on how to select plants, based on your personality and taste in home furnishings. Thorough advice is offered on plant growing and maintenance. The section on trouble shooting plant problems is well organized and easy to use. Full of good humor and practical information.
Product Description
Easy Care Guide To Houseplants Book, Featuring More Than 200 Plants, This Book Explains How To Place Plants & Care For Them Like An Expert, Also How To Decorate With Plants & Propagate Them, Over 400 Color Photos.
Book Description
Some would-be gardeners simply have the opposite of a green thumb: everything they touch seems to wilt. But perhaps the problem lies not with the person but with the plant! These 37 varieties of flowers, foliage, and cacti will hold their own in the face of minimal TLC—which is absolutely perfect for anyone who wants lush greenery but hasn’t the time to spare. Best of all, there’s no need to sacrifice beauty: the selection includes the delicate Baby’s Tears, a Chinese Evergreen, a Lacy-Tree Philodendron, African Violets, a Peace Lily, and Christmas Cactus. In addition to an easy-to-follow basics section, the entries include photos, information on caring for each plant, and tips for growing them like a pro.
Customer Reviews:
Be your own Horticulturist!.......2007-08-23
I enjoy this very good informative read, I love the glossy bold pictures, I love the way the author made you feel like she was talking to you in person, I have over twenty five different plants and after reading this book I could go into the floral business,just kidding, this is one really great detail informative book, She tells you about the plant in three areas: Detail about plant, Caring for the plants and making new plants, what more could you want,just buy the book!
Very Informative.......2007-05-12
Great pictures of plants and good specific information on each one in regard to care and rooting plant.
Over three hundred color photos to compliment plant lists and tips.......2006-07-27
If you are seeking a single volume guide to houseplants, take a look at Valerie Bradley's The Complete Guide to Houseplants: it packs in details on all kinds of plants, including over three hundred color photos to compliment plant lists and tips. Care instructions include details on humidity, soil, watering and sun while ideas for propagation and descriptions of attributes help homeowners chose the right houseplant.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Book Description
Extensive encyclopedia features 275 houseplants, including new plant introductions.Step-by-step information on houseplant culture, care, and propagation.Inspiration and design ideas for decorating tastefully with plants.A special section addresses seasonal plants for patio and deck containers.Gives readers thorough, top quality advice they can use immediately.
Customer Reviews:
great for novice plant lovers.......2007-05-15
I bought the book in hopes of learning how to properly maintain my houseplants. There was a wealth of information and simple easy to understand language!
Great beginner's book.......2005-06-20
As a very novice gardener, I needed a book that covered the basic of houseplant care. Well, this is it. I especially like the fact that it is full of color photos.
The first third of this book is dedicated to plant care: light, water, temperature, air, humidiry, potting, propagation, etc.
The last two third is the Galery of Houseplants, which lists lots of plants, how to care for them. I was able to find all the plants I already had in my house, and even found ones that I had no idea what they were.
Great overview book!.......2005-01-10
As a novice gardener I've perused a lot of books and usually they're either really wordy, use terms that a college professor might, or just don't quite have what I need. This book is a really nice overview of everything related to indoor gardening, with lots of photos to explain what they're talking about or doing. I especially love a photographic section on plant problems, diseases and bugs - a lot of the books out there 'explain' what to look for while this one actually shows an afflicted plant. I recommend this book for anyone who's looking to get further into the indoor plants (without actually looking for a degree...).
Amazon.com
What's a dyed-in-the-wool gardener to do when faced with stubborn Old Man Winter's downright refusal to let much of anything grow? Force it, that's what. Forcing is the art of convincing a bulb, branch, houseplant, or cutting to flower when it would otherwise be dormant. So when the drabness of winter and its attendant exorbitant price for cut flowers hits you, try forcing.
It's not difficult, but it does take some planning and foresight. If you want to force bulbs to flower in February, for instance, you have to order them in late summer so that you can pot them up in the fall. Twigs, on the other hand, are much easier to force: just cut them after six weeks of cold weather, put them in some water, and watch the virtual spring of your warm rooms transform them into leggy, flowering spirea, corylopsis, forsythia, or catkins, for instance. Author Katherine Whiteside explores associated topics such as choosing the best container and presentation within the home, as well as topics only an expert could love ("the narcissus question").
Forcing, Etc. is a good read. It's not a reference book in the truest sense of the word; the lack of an index is at fault there. This doesn't mean that there's not an awful lot of good information here for beginners and adepts, well and entertainingly written. But when you want to check on the fertilizer ratio for your calla lilies, you'll have to page through the entire book to find it (in a very small typeface, too). But with Richard Felber's gorgeous photos on every page, maybe that's not such a bad thing to have to do. --Stefanie Durbin
Book Description
Now in paperback, Forcing, etc, with 60,000 copies in print, is the well-received guide to indoor, through-the-winter gardening: As beautiful as it is instructive, writes Michael Pollan. Town & Country calls it: Inspiration for lightening up the bleak days of winter . . . Forcing, etc will open up a whole new world beyond paper-whites. After perusing Forcing, etc, even those with the blackest of thumbs will want to try forcing bulbs and spring branches into bloom on a winter windowsill.-Rebecca's Garden.
Written by award-winning author Katherine Whiteside, here is the complete guide to indoor gardening, filled with 125 exquisite full-color photographs. Covering pre-chilling to potting up, putting away and water-forcing, Forcing, etc combines hands-on how-to with an artist's passion for detail to show how to grow and/or force dozens of common and exotic plants: hardy bulbs-crocus, narcissus, muscari, and iris; tender bulbs-oxalis, calla lily, clivia; branches-from apple and apricot to forsythia, moosewood, and quince; and tender plants-fuchsia, coleus, clematis, and scented geraniums. In addition, the author focuses on presentation and display, choosing unexpected containers, and orchestrating an indoor garden for balance of bloom and color.
Customer Reviews:
Nothing special.......2007-02-17
I was put off by the book's lack of an index and its casual, meandering approach. The photographs are pleasing, but not awesome. If one is to own only one book on the subject, this would not be the best choice.
So fun and easy!.......2006-03-27
Katherine Whiteside makes forcing look really fun and easy, and it turns out it is! This book inspired me to try all sorts of things I've only seen in pictures. Her ideas are simple and wonderful and the way she writes is so down to earth that you feel confident that you can do it!
Get it, try it. You'll really enjoy it.
(It makes a really nice coffee table book too!)
Expert gardening advice blends with floral styling.......2003-10-10
Expert gardening advice blends with floral styling techniques as Katherine Whtieside offers an introduction to the finer art of forcing bulbs, branches, and other flowers in Forcing, Etc. Plant features include the most common flowers which are grown through forcing, offering tips for plant pairing and arranging. With Richard Felber's lush photos throughout, Forcing, Etc. makes an exceptional visual display in addition to a practical guide.
Pretty to look at, but not alot of substance.......2000-08-08
I absolutely agree with the review given by Tom Krischan on 1/28/2000. This book is beautiful to look at, with lots of photographs that are well-taken and gorgeously displayed. That's the good part.... Unfortunately there isn't a lot of information in here that even the most basic gardener wouldn't already know from other sources. Bulbs are the primary area of discussion, with houseplants and cuttings from trees and shrubs also being discussed sparingly. It's not the best book for in-depth answers to your other forcing needs. It is nice to look at, though. A definite fixture for aesthetics on my coffee table at home, if nothing else.
Great photographs, but limited information.......2000-01-29
It's a nice coffee table book. Something you look at once, then never touch again. Clearly not a reference book.
The first 85 pages discuss forcing hardy and tender bulbs. The remaining 68 pages talk about house plants, twigs, and cuttings. About half of the book is pictures, and much of the text from the other half is double spaced. There is not alot of information about forcing in this book.
Another problem, the book has no index. So when you wish to find information on forcing Amaryllis, you must page through it manually. No appendix in the back, no tables, no charts, and no reference section at all (except for a meager list of two dozen garden catalog companies).
There are pockets of detailed and interesting facts. But the poorly organized format makes it a chore to find this info.
On the plus side, the plant photography is great. It is the most worthwhile part of the book. Hundreds of photos of interesting, clear, crisp, and properly identified plants populate this book (unfortunately, since there is no index, you'll never find the picture you want - when you want it).
Nice coffee table book, but not much more.
Book Description
Step-by-step advice on watering, feeding and choosing the right container, as well as instructions on division, layering, cuttings and propagation techniques.
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Indoor plants
Tempting Tropicals: 175 Irresistible Indoor Plants
Houseplants for Dummies
How to Grow Fresh Air: 50 House Plants that Purify Your Home or Office
Complete Guide to Houseplants
