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Summary
Summary
"Tovah Martin has weeded through the world of indoor plants to find over 200 options tough enough for anyone to grow."-- The American Gardener
Brown thumb? No problem. The Indestructible Houseplant is packed with indoor plants that are tough, beautiful, reliable, and virtually impossible to kill. In addition to plant profiles with concise information on water, light, and blooming times, this gorgeous book includes tips on care, maintenance, and ideas for combining houseplants in eye-catching indoor displays. Follow Martin's sage advice and you'll have a thriving urban jungle in no time.
Author Notes
Tovah Martin is the author of "Garden Whimsy," "Tasha Tudor's Garden," & "Indoor Gardens," among other garden books. She is a popular lecturer & lives in Roxbury, Connecticut.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Excerpts
Excerpts
Growing Houseplants in an Imperfect, Time-Challenged World And here I thought I was all alone. I had no idea you were into houseplants too. All these years I've been quietly hoarding my houseful of plants without the faintest idea that, if given half a chance, you would be right alongside me growing up a storm in your windowsills. Like me, you crave green. With the same fervor, you would crowd every surface in your life with plants. You lust after wending vines tickling your legs as you bustle around the house. You share my passion for lush and verdant. You have always wanted an intimate relationship with something that photosynthesizes. This book is for all the windowsill-gardener wannabes. When I realized how many of you are out there, and when I fielded the umpteenth request to recommend plants that would survive tough love, I knew what my next assignment was. For all the folks who hankered for houseplants but didn't know where to start, and for all the people who picked up the wrong houseplant and thought its hasty demise was their fault, this book is for you. We are going to make houseplants happen, and your life is going to be transformed. We all need nature. Many of us take every possible opportunity to slip outside. I have one foot out the door with the least provocation. But for half the year, going outside is difficult because I dwell in New England, where it can be truly dreadful to be on the far side of the front door. For a couple of months leading in and out of what's officially marked on the calendar as the dormant season, it is mildly painful outside. So I focus inward. With a little peperomia stationed nearby and maybe an aspidistra or two within reach, I get my daily dose of nature. Just like the scenes I see outdoors, my plants are exquisite. They work with my interiorscape, they feed into the ambiance, and they bring each room to another level. I don't have to devote a lot of time to the endeavor. My schedule looks a lot like yours and my to-do list needs to go on a diet, so I want a whole lot of green with minimal time investment. There's never enough time. No matter what you do for a living or how many dependents are living in your home, both human and otherwise, the twenty-four-hour day doesn't begin to cover what you need to accomplish. You stretch the spare moments as far as they can go. But nobody can indulge in a high-maintenance hobby, even if it is going to make your life into nirvana, lower your blood pressure, transform your home office into a park, and give you something to blog about. As much as you share my passion for plants--and even though you agree that even one little houseplant is going to make the difference between a lifeless interior and a perky, uplifting, feel-good kind of place for the entire family (pets included)--nobody can afford to invest a glutton's share of the day in fussing over plants. The biggest stumbling block toward becoming a certifiable houseplant geek is lack of time. No matter how much I wedge houseplant upkeep into a few precious minutes each week, chore reduction is key. I need low maintenance, and so do you. But most of us share another commonality. We are saddled with less-than-ideal growing conditions. I truly wish my home received more light. Most of my sills do not face south. I have only three windows that bask in bright light. These are jammed full of plants--it's standing room only, with a waiting list. Plus, my small lean-to greenhouse faces east, with obstructions on both sides (please note: I didn't build it). I have to curb my appetite for sun-loving plants. Most of the plants-in-residence are limited to individuals who do not gorge on sunrays. Indeed, most of my plants do perfectly well with extremely limited light. Even the succulents are just fine without a lot of wattage. Nothing is worse than watching a plant get spindly, stretch, and beg for more sunbeams, so I host plants that perform well on a strict low-lumen diet. My house has all the typical impediments: no time, low light, an environment that vacillates between chilly and stuffy, and a Maine coon cat who loves to watch a plant plummet to the floor (more about Einstein later). And I hate to see a plant struggle, so I go with the toughies. There are no fussbudgets here. By the same token, plants that are prone to insect infestations need not apply. Plants that must loll in toasty temperatures would be doomed. I bet you have the same set of restrictions barring troublemakers from your happy home. The good news is that after you winnow out all the needy, querulous, and persnickety candidates, there are still plenty of players left on the field. And, even better, they are readily available. You won't have to dig deep into the Sources section at the back of this book to track them down (but please do check out my favorite haunts). You can likely find these plants right in your neighborhood. You might even encounter some adorable adoptees in your local supermarket or big-box store. They probably have been neglected for a while, and they likely haven't seen the light of day for weeks before you wheeled them into the checkout line. But they look fine. Let that be a testimony to their fortitude. No one needs to live without houseplants. This book is designed to enable you to invite plants into your inner sanctum so nature can work its magic for you and your family. Green tuffets of moss will pick up the texture of the sofa upholstery. Graceful lacy fern fronds will play opposites against a sleek marble table. From now on, coming home is going to be like taking a walk in the park. Your kitchen windowsill is going to be a garden. Life will be beautiful. Excerpted from The Indestructible Houseplant: 200 Beautiful, Easy-Care Plants That Everyone Can Grow by Tovah Martin All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
Table of Contents
Growing Houseplants in an Imperfect, Time-Challenged World | p. 8 |
Where IÆM Coming From | p. 13 |
You and Your Home | p. 18 |
Meet the Indestructibles | p. 21 |
Tried and Failed | p. 24 |
Indestructibles in Your Decor | p. 25 |
Work It | p. 30 |
Combining Unkillables | p. 33 |
Gallery of Indestructibles | p. 36 |
African Violet | p. 41 |
Agave | p. 45 |
Aglaonema | p. 50 |
Aloe | p. 54 |
Alternanthera | p. 58 |
Aralia | p. 62 |
Aspidistra | p. 66 |
Begonia | p. 69 |
Bromeliads | p. 74 |
Carex | p. 78 |
Christmas Cactus | p. 82 |
Croton | p. 85 |
Dracaena | p. 88 |
Euphorbia | p. 91 |
EVolvulus | p. 95 |
Ferns | p. 98 |
Ficus | p. 107 |
Geranium | p. 111 |
Haworthia | p. 118 |
Hens and Chicks | p. 121 |
Hoya | p. 124 |
Iresine | p. 129 |
Ivy | p. 132 |
Kalanchoe | p. 138 |
Maidenhair Vine | p. 142 |
Medinilla | p. 145 |
Mirror Plant | p. 148 |
Moss | p. 151 |
Nerve Plant | p. 155 |
Norfolk Island Pine | p. 158 |
Peace Lily | p. 161 |
Peperomia | p. 164 |
Philodendron | p. 170 |
Pilea | p. 174 |
Plectranthus | p. 178 |
Polka Dot Plant | p. 183 |
Ponytail Palm | p. 186 |
Pothos | p. 191 |
Prayer Plant | p. 194 |
Rhipsalis | p. 198 |
Sansevieria | p. 202 |
Schefflera | p. 207 |
Senecio | p. 210 |
Silver Squill | p. 214 |
Slipper Orchid | p. 218 |
Snow Rose | p. 222 |
Spider Plant | p. 226 |
Tradescantia | p. 230 |
The Plant | p. 235 |
The Detars | p. 238 |
Making It Happen | p. 240 |
Mixing and Matching | p. 254 |
Indestructible Basics | p. 260 |
Houseplant Calendar | p. 272 |
Finale | p. 274 |
Sources | p. 276 |
Acknowledgments | p. 277 |
Index | p. 278 |