Houseplant Party

by Lisa Eldred Steinkopf

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Houseplant Party is a fun upbeat style guide with tutorials for using houseplants as decor and helping them thrive. Due out 4th August 2020 from Quarto on their Cool Springs Press imprint, it's 112 pages and will be available in hardcover format.

This is an accessible guide full of attractive projects using houseplants. It's split into three sections. There's a primer full of common (easy to culture) houseplants with general info about size, habits, botanical (Latin) names, and a clear color photo for each. The second section contains a very general culture overview with tips on pots, crockery, tools, and placement for best results. Finally, the tutorial projects are varied and attractive; everything from a mini zen garden to the requisite macrame plant hangers. I really liked that there were projects and recommendations for tillandsia (air plants) - they're such cool little plants and don't get enough use in most indoor home garden situations. Many of the projects use found objects and upcycling to prevent waste. The aesthetic is very 'green' and will fit with most modern decor.

Each of the tutorials contain an introduction, tools and materials in a bullet list sidebar, step-by-step directions, and multiple color photographs. The photos are very well done, clear and easy to understand. There's also a nice reference included which shows a number of different propagation methods (leaf cuttings, air layering, etc).

This is a useful and attractive guide with easy to follow and understandable instructions. The author/publisher have also included an index for easy reference.

Four stars. Lots to love here.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes