5 comments about Houseplants for Dummies.

1. 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



2. 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.



3. 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.



4. 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.




5. 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.

5 comments about Indoor Plants: The Essential Guide to Choosing and Caring for Houseplants.

1. The photography and text of this beautiful book are well-done and easy to follow. The authors cover most aspects of plant care, from basic watering and lighting to reproduction and pest control to extensive entries on houseplant varieties. Every plant entry seems unique, breaking from the dull template of information that the more encyclopedia-like plant books have. This engaging style is a strength of the book, but it is also a weakness because the style lends itself to inconsistency. For example, the entry on Saintpaulias (African Violets) specifies the height at which artificial lights should be placed above the plants, but many of the other entries do not give such information. Another complaint is that the secondary plant list in the back does not feature a photograph of every plant. For the price I paid, I would have willingly give up a few of the extra photos in the front if it would result in a more comprehensive photo collection in the back. Identifying p! lants without pictures is very difficult. Nonetheless, no plant book is perfect, and this one comes very close. It combines two types of books -- the coffee-table book and the reference text. All too often plant books do one at the expense of the other.



2. 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.



3. 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.



4. This is amazing beautiful book.
   We have got lot's of flowers in our office and
   now finally we can identify all of them and
   what's more important, we now know how to care about them.
   If you enjoy indoor flowers you must have this book!



5. Good photos of plants and great information on care with pest and health issues of plants included.

3 comments about Complete Guide to Houseplants.

1. 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...).



2. 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.



3. 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!

5 comments about Marijuana Success Indoors: Garden Tours and Tips (Best of the Crop).

1. How fun it was to take a full-color tour of forbidden places with Ed. I've thought for years how great it must be as a well known marijuana author...the things they must see.
   Each garden in the book has an interesting story and it's own unique circumstances making it packed with grow tips. There's lots of pictures and the whole design is cool
   I would tell my friends to buy this book and because of the reasonable price of 13 bucks they can.



2. 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.



3. 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.



4. 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.



5. I was quite disappointed when I recieved this book. I purchased it thinking it would be the first book of a great cannabis growers library and it turned out that it was inadequate for my purposes. It was a fluff book (more like a heads magazine) full of information that turned out to be incomplete and not that useful especially for a beginner. This is not a book to be used on its own. I would rather suggest the Marijuana Growers Handbook by the same author which has more complete info and I really liked Somas grow book as well.

No comments about Step-by-Step Yard & Garden Projects (Step-By-Step).

5 comments about Marijuana Grower's Handbook: The Indoor High Yield Cultivation Grow Guide.

1. This is an okay reference book. I found this book easier to navigate than Indoor marijuana Horticulture by Jorge Cervantes which is packed with information but not well presented. Between both of these guides I was able to improve on my cultivation techniques but there are gaps still not covered by both works. If you find yourself in this kind of a situation then I recommend that you look for normal botany books on growing. I have a collection of other readings which helped. You might have to go down that route too.

   Well worth the read but you will need much more than just these two books.




2. 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.



3. 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.



4. 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.



5. A good all purpose book, very useful but nothing new to an experienced reader.

3 comments about Tropical Colors: The Art of Living with Tropical Flowers.

1. This book is a feast for the eyes. I stumbled on this book in a bookstore and was just mesmerized by the pictures. Beautiful exotic flowers in vivrant colors are arranged artfully in creative settings. Photography is brilliant.



2. I own hundreds of books on all types of design. This book on design with tropical flowers is the absolute most beautiful I have. The ideas depicted in this book are very simple for the most part and easy to do. And yet, the designs create a spectacular effect.



3. I bought this book off of the two other ladies reviews. I was looking for a book that someone like me-buys a handful of flowers then doesn't know how to arrange them-would use. If your creative this book will definitely get you salivating to try and recreate some of these arrangements. The arrangements are for the most part very simple and quietly appealing. If you are not fond of contemporary or modern this book probably isn't for you. The book is a different perspective to just a handful of flowers in a vase, it uses a variety of glass, metal and other containers all with tropical flowers. I'm going to go thumb through it again!

5 comments about Indoor Marijuana Horticulture - The Indoor Bible (Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible).

1. This is a two star read for a few reasons. You might not know that it is from the eighties when this book first came out with some updates. The author does not cover any fluorescent lights at all which I think is crazy because these are important for young seedlings and clones. The hydroponics designs are from old nineteen seventies systems that no one uses any more and neither do I. The author says that clones degrade the more you take clones from a clone and then builds a breeding section around this mistake. The nutrient feeding techniques are sometimes untested. The author actually reprints the same mistake that marijuana book author Ed Rosenthal made for solving Mg problems. Do not use the Mg solver. It usually causes lock out and also over feeds them. Only one harvesting method is given out of a possible three or four that you could do. The problem solving plant nutrient problem pictures are interesting to look at in the book and probably the reason to get this book, but do not solve the problem just by identification using these illustrations. You would do better to pay attention to your feeding schedule and nutrient content. Mistakes can be forgiven but this update is not an improvement on the previous book. The shabby design gives the impression that it was done quickly and cheaply. The photographs are not bad but far from quality. There are frequent spelling mistakes and a lot of noise between the pages that brings down the quality of this read considerably. You would do better to make sure that you read up on other books if you decide to try this one out. It will be interesting to keep a copy of this one around just to compare it to the next update because this author needs to change quite an awful lot of the material here. This is a poor update that strongly needs revision.



2. This book reads like it was written by a 4th grader. I threw this in the garbage after the first few chapters. There is information in it that I know to be completely wrong, so how could I trust the rest of the information?
   
   The book gets basic facts wrong, things that are easily verifiable to anyone who has an Internet connection. The first part of the book, for some reason, gives you a short history on the Internet, but almost everything in that section is completely wrong.
   
   For example, the author says that the Internet was designed by the government to track your every click, and you can make yourself anonymous by getting a firewall and a hotmail account. Rediculous!
   
   Every paragraph has basic spelling and grammatical errors, making this book difficult to read. The author jumps around topics incoherently, and makes references to things that aren't fully explained.
   
   Save your money and get a better book. This one is a JOKE.



3. 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.



4. 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.



5. 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.
   
   We now know the US government IS tracking "our every click" on the Internet. He also omitted Jorge's good suggestion that all marijuana growers using the Internet to post about their grows should use a PROXY SERVER. That is how he says to avoid big brother looking over your shoulder, not just getting a hotmail account.
   
   So Jorge was NOT wrong in his statements, but it is indeed this "critic" (who has never reviewed anything else on Amazon.com), who is wrong.
   
   I am an IT professional as well and can say that Jorge's statements regarding the Internet DO BELONG in his book (since so many growers use the Internet to exchange information), and are good tips. It seems the "critic" has an axe to grind since he couldn't be bothered to discuss the main content of the book which is about growing marijuana.

3 comments about You Can Grow African Violets: The Official Guide Authorized by the African Violet Society of America, Inc..

1. An African Violet book that is all meat. The authors are professional growers who know their stuff and who remember what it was like to kill off a few violets when they were beginners. They expertly guide a beginner through the pitfalls of growing their first plants, then offer tips to experts grooming their plants for entry into an African Violet convention. This book doesn't stop with African Violet horticulture-the authors also discuss the judging of violets at a show, using them in dish gardens and terrariums, ordering quality violets through the mail and online, etc. which was a lot more than I was expecting. I am an experienced grower and found their advice spot on.



2. I have been reading the columns of Joyce and Kent Stork in African Violet Magazine ever since they began writing them over ten years ago. They have done a mammoth job assembling all the knowledge that they have shared with their readers into this book that is a "must-have" addition to any African violet aficionado's and connoisseur's library. It contains a treasury of knowledge on every aspect of growing our most popular houseplant. I own a number of books about the love and care of this plant - from Helen van Pelt to Melvin Robey to Pauline Bartholomew. This delightfully written, easy to read book moves way up to the top of my list.



3. The book was helpful and reinforced the things I did know about; however the book was also slightly difficult to 'search and find' certain issues.

5 comments about The Houseplant Encyclopedia.

1. 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!!



2. This book is absolutely the most comprehensive house plant book out there. It covers almost every topic I can conceive of and then some.
   
   There are pages devoted to not only propagating plants, but also watering (quality, temperature method), repotting and caring for your plants. Not only is there a detailed section on pests and diseases, the book also contains recipes on how to rid your plants of these maladies. If you are a serious gardener, you will appreciate the descriptions of soil types for different plants and the recipes for a variety of potting soils.
   
   Besides the plant basics, the authors cover how to create beautiful plant groupings. There are suggestions for how to plant baskets and containers with a variety of plants. Lots of useful ideas!
   
   The best part of the book is the plant listing section. Literally hundreds of plants have detailed information about care, light requirements and propagation. Each listing has color photos and many have special tips out in the margins (for quick reference). The authors have also included watering, light and fertilization symbols so you can see the plant's requirements at a glance.
   
   I love houseplants, and I really love this book. It has just about everything in it. I have been known to just sit and page through it. I highly recommend this book!



3. This book provides me with little more information about its plants than would be provided upon a visit to the nursery, i.e. low light, moderate water, watch out for this or that pest...
   Not what I was hoping for. However, it does give a picture of every plant it lists (awesome). Also, I expected to find a book that strictly regards houseplants. Maybe I missed it in the description, but the "Houseplant Encyclopedia" includes plants like calla lillies- a plant that could be grown indoors, I'm sure, but isn't likely.
   Includes a good range of plants, including most of the houseplants I have cared for, and will occasionally offer some short description of natural history, which is also fun and interesting.
   
   3 stars pretty much because it wasn't what I expected/hoped for. Otherwise, decent, but not amazing book.



4. I checked this book out of the library. About one third of the book is general information that is only so-so. There are supposed to be 1000 different plants described. There may be if you count every plant named in the descriptions, but there are probably not 500 actual different plants. I counted about half of the plant and there were only 200 different plants.
   
   The care instructions are so general that they are almost the same for all of the plants. "Keep moderately moist, drier in the winter." I read the instructions for several houseplants that I have and know; I didn't think their information was very accurate.
   
   This book appears to be a good book at first glance. The pictures are nice, but a lot of books have good pictures. It is a large book, but it doesn't have specific information on growing houseplant. There are so many aspects to growing houseplants, sun, water, temperature, soil, summer and winter care and much more. It says the same things over and over again, that you would think you can grow all houseplants the same. I have seen a lot of books for beginners that are more accurate than this book. I would not recommend this book. If you really want this book, check it out of the library first.



5. I bought this book to use as a reference on houseplants for a project concerning ease of maintenance for the most beneficial plants. I find it missing over half of the plants that I needed for the project.