Introduction
Whether you have one tiny succulent on your desk at work or a massive collection of tropical plants in your home, it's impossible to ignore the impact that caring for houseplants brings to our lives. We admire them for their beauty and uniqueness and the ways they decorate and define our living and working spaces.
The psychological benefits of houseplants cannot be understated either. As gardeners, we all know that warm, fuzzy feeling we get from nurturing plants. The act of caring for them-from watering to repotting-is deeply satisfying and can even reduce our stress levels. And horticultural therapists will tell you about the ways that having plants in a room will help with healing.
It's even more than that! Making more plants through propagation is extremely rewarding-especially when we can share the new plants with others. And if you're a dedicated houseplant collector, the thrill of finding a new cultivar you don't yet have can't be measured.
Should you get seriously bitten by the houseplant bug, like we are, then you have a lot of plants all happily competing for space in your place! Looking after them takes a bunch of know-how, the right equipment, and your enthusiasm. We are here to supply the know-how. You supply the rest!
-Sheryl Normandeau and Janet Melrose
A handy Q&A guide by the authors of the Prairie Gardener series, Staying Alive: The Go-To Guide for Houseplants provides expert advice to ensure your houseplants thrive, wherever you call home.
Whether you have one tiny succulent on your desk at work or a massive collection of tropical plants in your home, caring for houseplants can be a real source of joy-and the occasional moment of wild frustration.
In this Q&A guide to happy, healthy houseplants, lifelong gardeners Sheryl Normandeau and Janet Melrose are here with the insight you need to take you from perusing the plant shop to the dreaded repotting to splitting your mama spider into little spidies to share with friends. Learn:
• How to choose the right plants for your space (from aloe to ZZ)
• How to train vines
• How to create and care for a terrarium
• When to repot your plants
• All about tap water, rainwater, distilled water, too much water, and not enough
• Perfecting your potting soil
• Dividing, repotting, and growing plants from seed
• How to tackle problems like flies, fungus, spots, and even general malaise
Opening with a chapter on setting up a houseplant-friendly home, the pair talk containers, lighting, watering, soil and nutrients, propagation, pests and other problems, and offer a final grab bag of tips to help you satisfy some of those trickier plant pals in your midst (calling all orchids).
Introduction
Rooms to Grow: Designing with Houseplants
Home, Sweet Home: Choosing the Right Containers
Light, Water, Action!
Hold Me, Feed Me, Love Me: Growing Mediums and Nutrients
Propagation Preparation
Righting the Wrongs: Dealing with Pests, Diseases, and Environmental Problems
Let's Get Down to Specifics: More Tips for Success
Acknowledgements
Notes
Sources
Index
