Reviews (18)

Great Book--benefits of science
This is a wonderful and charming book.The information about plants rated for travel to Mars AND for making our homes better places to live is the best and most usable I've seen.The ratings are very helpful and I find very believable given the research behind them.I am looking for the plants--some are available widely, others will take more hunting, but I've already acquired plants I would not have known to choose before this book.Don't miss this very practical guide to improving your indoor environment.

No home should be without one!
I love this little book!In fact, I've purchased a half-dozen copies for friends and relatives.Our small 1300 square-foot home is now populated with the perfect plant(s) for each room in the house.As a result of "How to Grow Fresh Air" I feel like each plant has a personality.And I treat them like members of the family.Great stuff.Get one!

Great book
This book is everything I expected... great pictures, plants for all conditions, and everything you need to know about keeping the plant in your house.It even touches on using hydro-culture to grow the plants which I'm trying out. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Air pollution    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. General    6. Home Gardening    7. House Plants & Indoor    8. House plants    9. Household ecology    10. Indoor air pollution    11. Indoor pollution    12. Pollution (Health Aspects)    13. Gardening / House Plants   

Reviews (10)

Good book for setting up grow area
5 different gardens, from small to large, are profiled here.Many great ideas.Highly recommended.

Small book with some garden designs
Five easy gardens is what you are buying here and is exactly what you get to see. This book is suitable for anyone who wants to see how some other growers do it. Cervantes goes to Europe to interview and photograph growers. He then uses the information they give him to write a book about how they grow. Interesting.

Great for the small timer
Jorge Cervantes, Mel Frank and Ed Rosenthal to the literate (not quite stoned out of thier head smoker) these names should mean something, these three guys have not only writen books that have recieved international recognition but have grown crops that have won yearly at the Cannibis Cups, all you people who say you read and review High Times, please take a break from your swag stuff and do some reading.This book is full of info for the first timer and those who want to start and stay on a small scale, if you just want to know how to start this will get you there, but if you are going to hang with the big boys get off the porch and start studying. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. House Plants & Indoor    5. Plants - General    6. Techniques    7. Drugs    8. Marijuana   

Reviews (2)

Wow! A COMPLETE textbook on Carnivorous Plants...
As a child I was fascinated by these plants, and found relatively little reading on the subject, barely able to keep Sarracenia alive. When Adrian Slack's "Carnivorous Plants" came out around 1980 or so, I devoured it! A UK text, this book became my "Bible" and opened a world of even more exotic species that I had not been aware of. As well, it was the first book to include gorgeous full color prints (though only a limited few panels) of these species. Over the years, of course, more books have been published, but all of them have been somewhat lacking.
A Masterpiece
This book is special.I'm familiar with most of the books on carnivorous plants (see my Listmania list; there are PLENTY of great ones), but this new one blew my mind. This is the rare book that can captivate (perhaps the wrong word in this context) readers of all ages and all levels of expertise.Imagine that your favorite National Geographic article has been expanded into a first-rate book, complete with phenomenal pictures, engaging science writing, environmental awareness, humor, and a sense of adventure.Rice's book explores the habitat, science, history, popular culture and mass murder that make Carnivorous plants so fascinating.
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Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. House Plants & Indoor    5. Ornamental Plants    6. Gardening / Ornamental Plants    7. Gardening: plants   

Reviews (4)

Understanding Orchids
A good, general reference for the advanced beginner.The inclusion of the writer's personal experiences with growing are encouraging and appreciated. Excellent photography.
One of the best orchids books I've ever seen
We have eight orchids at home, with no special greenhouse for them. The book is simple and direct, giving exact tips to take care of them. The author show his passion for flowers by writing a book for both rookies -anyone with a window can have an orchid- and professionals. From the best light for a specimen to how to get hybrids. Includes step-by-step pictures.
Great book for novice on up to expert
I've been growing orchids for 20 years and have read dozens of orchid books. This is by far the most clearly written, entertaining and informative general orchid book I've ever come across. It is filled with helpful information on orchid culture as well as anecdotes that capture the mental progression of how one goes from a single plant to a whole collection. If you can feel yourself becoming hooked on orchids this book will come in very handy as your collection expands. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Floriculture    2. Flowers - Orchids    3. Gardening    4. Gardening / Horticulture    5. Gardening/Plants    6. Indoor Gardening    7. Flowers    8. Gardening / Flowers / Orchids   

Reviews (4)

Soon
Certainly one of the better books I have read on this subject.Very descriptive and scientific.One downfall to the book and to the whole idea of tissue culture is the massive costs of lab equipment and growing media.Very well written book though, and a good starter book.

It's okay but fell short of my expectations
The book was okay but fell short of my expectations.The author attempted to proceed by taking the reader from no background on microbiology, botany, or tissue culture to explaining to what cloning is all about.It fell short in several areas.The author needed to expand the discussion on plant hormones and the issue of thermal stability during sterilization procedures.The author didn't discuss at all modern methods of cold-filter sterilization methods.The author discusses the topic about making stock solutions but didn't discuss issues of shelf life of hydrated hormones.

The Best curently available
This book contains everything that you need to know to start cloneing plants.Some of the material is geared more towards comericial operations but there is a lot for the hobbiest too.I thought that it could have beenorganized a little better.The authors talk about equipment and mediabefore they go through the cloning process.Parts of it will be boringunless you are planing to actually culture plants.For example there areseveral step by step lists on how to preform transfers etc. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. Laboratory manuals    5. Life Sciences - Botany    6. Plant micropropagation    7. Plant tissue culture    8. Reference    9. Gardening / Trees    10. House plants    11. Plant reproduction & propagation   

Reviews (20)

Ed is the man
I have been useing Ed's books for years. I follow his column in heads magazine and Cannabis Culture magazine. He knows what he is talking about. This book is the ultimate handbook. It tells you everything you need to know to get a garden started. I think this book is very easy to follow and is a great buy. Theinformation is priceless. I trust Ed and this book.

One of the better ones
I read 90% of this book front to back when I first recieved it. It could have been organized better, and yes it did seem to jump around a bit, but it had some quality information that are the building blocks for the best techniques available.

great handbook
This is a great starter book for any grower. I still refer to this book many times. The information is great and useful. A book for people who are starting to grow. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cannabis    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. House Plants & Indoor    6. Marijuana    7. Reference    8. Techniques    9. Popular culture   

Reviews (13)

EXCELLENT CHOICE FOR YOUR LIBRARY
I grow and collect orchids strictly as a hobby.I first purchased this particular work at the time of it's publication and have been using it ever since.The photographs are wonderful and I have found that the 300 + orchids covered in this book are truely that...covered and covered quite well.The author's text, as to discriptions and "how to grow," are extremely useful.The grower/collector must realize though, that as the title of the book states, this covers more than 300 orchids.Needless to say, there are many, many more out there and If one wishes to own just one book that lists all of them, then be aware this one does not.That being said, I have yet to find a book that does list all of the hundreds and hundreds of varities and thousands of hybrids.I shoud think that this would be an impossible undertaking as each year these numbers increase many fold.I personally own several dozen books on the subject and am constantly adding to them. This is a good book, one that should be added to the many others you will no doubt purchase if you pursue this wonderful hobby.I recommend this one highly.

Not very practical
Depending on what you're looking for, this book is not for everyone, definitely not for the beginners. There're very little instructions on how to cultivate orchids. I find the binding of the book awkward. The pictures are of great quality though.

The best Orchid book around
If you just got your first Orchid and want to learn how to care for it or you've been collecting for years, this is a "MUST HAVE" book. I have many Orchid books and none come close to this one for readability and useful information. The photos are also wonderful. The person I bought many of my Orchids from carries this book in her back pocket and despite being incredibly knowledgeable, refers to it several times ever day. You can't go wrong buying this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Flower gardening    2. Flowers - Orchids    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Orchid culture    6. Orchids    7. Ornamental Plants    8. Gardening / Flowers / Orchids    9. House plants   

Features

• Unabridged

Reviews (41)

Setting the Record Straight
I just wanted to reply to J. Schachter's "The Critic" review of this book, which is spotlighted above.Not only did he omit some crucial info about Jorge's book, but his own statements have been proven false this year.
it's an OK guide BUT
okay all the typos and grammatical errors got to me too. this book has a lot of good information BUT I too, found incorrect information.Cervantes also contradicts himself a lot because in his articles in high times grow magazine, he says things that are total opposites from the book. i prefer his articles to this book BUT it did have some information that i found helpful. there has to be better stuff out there though.

The definitive indoor grow guide
In 1983 when I first became interested in the subject this book was the definitive indoor grow guide and it still is today and I like Mr. Cervantes style too instead of writing several books and you have too buy them all to find all the information you need he writes one complete book and updates it every few years with new stuff keep up the good work. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gardening / Horticulture    2. Gardening / House Plants    3. Life Sciences - Horticulture    4. Plants - General    5. Popular Culture - Counter Culture    6. Science    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Techniques    9. Cannabis    10. Gardening    11. House Plants & Indoor    12. Marijuana   

Reviews (3)

Bought because of a review, and I'm glad I did
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.

An excellent houseplant reference
This well organized and informative book covers 160 houseplants. Arranged in 3 sections - "Blooming houseplants", "Foliage houseplants" and 'Houseplant Care," the tops of the pages are color-coded for fast access. Plants are listed by their botanical name but you can look up their common names in the index or a Botanical/Common Name Cross Reference chart in the back of the book. Almost all plants are given a 2 page spread which includes a description, a chart with specifications indicating light levels, temperature, fertilizer, water and soil needs, repotting advice, longevity, propagation techniques, selection and display tips. A troubleshooting guide provides characteristics of what to look for if a plant is in trouble and what you should do about it. Plants with various varities, like bromeliads, bulbs, cacti, orchids, ferns and palms are covered inmore expanded sections. The color photos (included for each plant) are outstanding. The final chapter, "Houseplant Care," covers aspects such as containers, fertilizers, insect pests, propagation, plant characteristics and identification tips, terrariums and watering techniques. The semi-hard cover and flexible binding make the book easy to flip through and the attractive lay-out and page colorings make this book a joy to use. A must-have reference for serious houseplant growers!

Great for Beginner or Advanced
Each plant merits a color photo, making them easy to spot the one you want.The care instructions include light temperature, fertilizer, water, soil, repotting, longevity, propagation, selections (varieties), and display tips.The plants that are particularly easy-to-care-for are marked with an icon so beginners can spot them.
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Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. House Plants & Indoor    5. House plants    6. Gardening / House Plants   

Reviews (43)

lThe best house plant book ever!
I now have several copies and use them for gifts.This and a houseplant make a great shower or wedding gift.

Many photos and expert advice
This is a great book for Northerners, in those cold, heater-dry places that many tropical beauties can only limp along.Now that I live in Costa Rica, you throw something in the ground and it's a bush the next day.
an OK reference - not in depth
As a college student I purchased this book just to learn a thing or two about how to keep a plant alive, and it's been an ok reference through the years.However, now that I have more plants, I'm finding I want more information and this book is not doing it.Troubleshooting is difficult because of the limited amount of information - this book makes broad strokes over the many types of houseplants, but gives little in-depth information about each.A fine reference for those who aren't very serious about their plants;if you are serious enough to actually remember the names of your plants, you might want to try something else. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. House Plants & Indoor    6. House plants    7. Indoor Gardening    8. Gardening / House Plants    9. REFERENCE - WEDDING/ETIQ TRD PB   

Reviews (21)

Greenhouse Companion
Being new to the greenhouse world I needed a book to give me lots of "how to" & this book does just that.Full of ideas, suggestions, etc that are giving me a great start.

Great Greenhouse Information for Any Level
I knew nothing about greenhouses at all.I could hardley keep a plant alive.This book takes you from start to finish with lots of problem solving along the way. Loved it!

Great book!
I loved this book! As a beginner at greenhouses, this book was helpful and understandable. It is easy and fun to read. The many pictures, drawings and charts make the book come alive. It is comprehensive for an advanced gardener as well. If you can only buy one book, this is the one! Enjoy! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. Greenhouse gardening    5. Greenhouses    6. Handbooks, manuals, etc    7. House Plants & Indoor    8. Indoor Gardening    9. Sunspaces   

Reviews (2)

Glorious Writing, Glorious Photography, Glorious Gardens
In an era of compromised writing and substandard visual accents in books, this one stands out as a gem not to be missed.Glorious Indoor Gardens is meticulously researched and beautifully written.It highlights gardens across the United States which are characterized by the fact that they are, well, indoors. A beautiful, well-written book anyone would love!
I am always on the lookout for great books I can give as gifts.One I found recently is Glorious Indoor Gardens by Michele Driscoll Alioto.The book is exceptionally informative, and provides a wealth of practical ideas for anyone interested in gardening, regardless of level of expertise.On top of that, it has some great pictures of spectacular gardens!I put it on my coffee table and all of my guests have commented on how amazing the gardens are.It is a great addition to any household, both as a flip-through picture book and an informative reference guide.I highly recommend it to anyone who appreciates the beautiful things in life! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. House Plants & Indoor    5. Indoor gardening    6. Indoor gardens    7. United States    8. Gardening / Indoor    9. House plants   

Reviews (14)

Most comprehensive house plant book out there!
This book is absolutely the most comprehensive house plant book out there.It covers almost every topic I can conceive of and then some.
Good, but not GREAT!!
Although the book is comprehensive and has many tips on house plants, I only found 3 out of 25 plants in my house in this book. The photo section of this book is lovely, but it is titled "The most beautiful plants from A to Z" and does nothing for people like me with mostly all green house plants. Most of these plants they reference are blooming and floral.Make sure you know what you're looking for before you purchase this book!!

Excellent--"plain speak" good advice
I have a huge assortment of plant/gardening books, and often do alot of cross-referencing w/my hobby.This book is one of the first that I always pick up.It's "plain speak" approach (i.e. author will say, "I have always found..." etc.) is just terrific; I often find myself wondering how "Ingrid can help me with this?!"The tips are a wonderful "sidebar" feature, both highly informative, and just interesting!The descriptions the author provides of each plant is a true DESCRIPTION....detailed, and geared to educate the reader.They're not just a bullet-point listing of a few of the essentials on the plant, with questions left unanswered.Read more

Subjects:  1. Encyclopedias    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. House Plants & Indoor    6. Reference    7. Gardening / Reference    8. House plants    9. House plants - Encyclopedias   

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening/Plants    3. General    4. House Plants & Indoor    5. House plants    6. Indoor Gardening    7. Nature    8. Nature / Field Guide Books    9. Gardening / House Plants   

Reviews (4)

learn techniques and secrets for indoor growing.
I really like this book. It has great pictures and information in it. It really explores the field of indoor growing with some depth. The stories are very informative and helpful to the grower. If you are a fan of Ed Rosenthal and what he's done in this field you will love this book.

Might be just what you're looking for
This book is perfect if you're like me and get a little overwhelmed or intimidated by all the information and choices in a lot of how-to books. So this is what I want and probably what you'd like too- a chance to look at a bunch of real people's gardens and find out how they did, what choices they made and how it turned out. That sounds simple but this is a really nice book to have. These are gardeners sharing with other gardeners and that really appeals to me. Also, this book is beautiful- magazine-sized and so many pictures. It's a great book to sit and flip through.

Its cheap!
It cheap on content and so cheap on the price tag. At 80 pages this does not merit much of a purchase unless you are a hardcore fan of the Ed series of grow books. Its an average book about cannabis grow rooms and be honest nothing that you have not seen before in the Cannabis Culture magazine that Ed now writes for. I would recommend a subscription to CC mag instead or in addition to this. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. Herbs    5. House Plants & Indoor    6. Popular Culture - General    7. Techniques    8. Gardening: plants    9. Mind, Body, Spirit    10. Popular culture   

Reviews (5)

Soma Review
I was pleasantly surprised that a such a small book could deliver so much information.I have yet to discover a better book on Organic Cannibis cultivation.Even if you are not growing in Soil or totally organic it will still give you some great growing ideas.

Nice to have, not must have.
Good book, but not comprehensive.
If I learned anything..
..I learned to respect the plant as a living object.I really enjoyed this book.This is not for the beginner but should greatly improve someone who has a basic understanding.I think it's more for turning the hobby into a form of artwork.He teaches you how to look for body language in your garden and grow the healthiest organic medicine you can. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Agriculture - Crop Science    2. Field Crops    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Herbal Medications    6. House Plants & Indoor    7. Medical Botany    8. Pharmacy    9. Science/Mathematics    10. Technology    11. Gardening / House Plants    12. Organic gardening    13. Popular culture   

Reviews (1)

An informative introduction to creating and maintaining an indoor miniature garden
Tabletop Gardens: 40 Stylish Plantscapes For Counters And Shelves, Desktops And Windowsills by gardening expert Rosemary McCreary is profusely illustrated with photographs by William Holt. Tabletop Gardens is an informative introduction to creating and maintaining an indoor miniature garden. Guiding readers through a all the germane issues for watering, fertilizing, pruning, repotting, and propagating plants suitable for a miniature garden, Tabletop Gardens deftly reveals a remarkable understanding of the exotic flowerings and plants that it contains. A unique and original addition to any personal, professional, or community library Gardening Studies reference collection, Tabletop Gardens is especially recommended for its innovative ideas and sound advice for those wishing to incorporate more serenity and nature into their personal household or business office environment.
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Subjects:  1. Container    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Gardens, Miniature    6. House Plants & Indoor    7. Indoor Gardening    8. Indoor gardens    9. Container gardening    10. GARDENING / Container    11. Gardening / House Plants    12. House plants   

Features

• Illustrated

Reviews (3)

Very pleased!!
I grow hundreds of violets, I'm experienced but always searching for something new and better to learn. I find this little book very informative and well written! The types, history, hybrids (incl. the list & tips for some variants), cultivation, reproduction, tips & tricks, pests - it's all here.
EXCELLENT BOOK TO ADD TO YOUR COLLECTION
Being an enthusiastic hobbyist, I have found this work to be most helpful.In one way or abother, this one work is able to answer the majority of my questions and has certainly enhansed my ability to enjoy by hobby.Of course one book can not do it all, but this one certainly comes very close.I collect books on the subject of African Violets and enjoy them almost as much as actually collecting, raising and enjoying the plants.This work has been a great addition to my collection and I highly recommend it.

The Latest Book on African Violets
This is the latest book on African Violets and it is certainly one of the most updated ones regarding techniques and products available in the market. This book shows how to propagate, cultivate/grow and show your beloved African Violets. Great ideas on type of water, soil, light, humidity to obtain great show plants. Also, it has ideas on how to prevent diseases such as cyclamen mites, crown rot, ... Great book for beginners and even for those wanting to hybridize their African Violets. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. African violets    2. Flowers - Annuals    3. Gardening    4. Gardening / Horticulture    5. Gardening/Plants    6. Flowers    7. Gardening / Flowers / Annuals    8. House plants   

Reviews (4)

Who cares about organization!
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. Clear and Sound Information
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
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. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Flowers - General    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. House Plants & Indoor    6. House plants    7. Indoor gardening    8. Ornamental Plants    9. Flowers    10. Gardening / Flowers / General    11. Horticulture   

Reviews (4)

Indoor Plants
This is amazing beautiful book.
Excellent book
This has been a joy to go through.I am a novice at this.Its hard finding a good first book to start with.This is it.It has great pictures for you to match your plants to and enough detail on how to take care of them without loosing you in a bunch of detail. I would recommend this book to anyone starting out.

Very Reliable Help
As a novice houseplant keeper, I rely heavily on the books I read for information I need to keep my plants healthy. This book helped me identify ALL the plants I own, which was no small feat in that most were given to me by others who didn't know the variety. It has easy to read information on caring for plants, and I am able to understand the language used. Some other encyclopedia type books make it difficult to get the info needed, and are geared toward professional horticulturists, rather than laymen like myself. I found this book to be very useful, and would highly recommend it to others who have "hobby" plants. The pictures are great, too! They provide a good explanation for the written description of problems common to houseplants, and are a great guide to diagnosing ailments. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. House Plants & Indoor    5. House plants    6. Indoor Gardening    7. Gardening / House Plants