[.ca] The Urban Gardener Indoors: How to Grow Things ... (ISBN 1552632318)

Limited:
This book about growing plants indoors follows Sonia Day's highly regarded book The Urban Gardener: How to Grow Things Successfully on Balconies, Terraces, Decks. Growing plants indoors is a much more limited topic and unfortunately this is a much more limited book. The book starts with descriptions of some 20 easy-to-grow indoor plants such as dracaena and croton and some plants that are better avoided. It describes how to grow amaryllis, herbs and African violets, how to treat holiday plants and how to force bulbs. It goes on to discuss the importance of the correct level of light, tips for watering, growing plants from seed and dealing with plant pests and diseases. There is really nothing here that is new or original and there were many common plants - Boston fern and hoya come to mind - that barely rated a mention. On the plus side, Sonia Day's writing is always fresh and light. It's a pleasure to read her prose even about the most mundane of topics. She is knowledgeable, not only growing plants successfully, but also about finding sources for research. But there was so much lacking in this book - what about bromeliads, bonsai, cacti and succulents? What about using plants in specific rooms - the kitchen, dining room, bathroom? What about terrariums and mixed plantings? It was a disappointment to find such a limited and pedestrian approach from a respected and able writer.

Limited:
This book about growing plants indoors follows Sonia Day's highly regarded book The Urban Gardener: How to Grow Things Successfully on Balconies, Terraces, Decks. Growing plants indoors is a much more limited topic and unfortunately this is a much more limited book. The book starts with descriptions of some 20 easy-to-grow indoor plants such as dracaena and croton and some plants that are better avoided. It describes how to grow amaryllis, herbs and African violets, how to treat holiday plants and how to force bulbs. It goes on to discuss the importance of the correct level of light, tips for watering, growing plants from seed and dealing with plant pests and diseases. There is really nothing here that is new or original and there were many common plants - Boston fern and hoya come to mind - that barely rated a mention. On the plus side, Sonia Day's writing is always fresh and light. It's a pleasure to read her prose even about the most mundane of topics. She is knowledgeable, not only growing plants successfully, but also about finding sources for research. But there was so much lacking in this book - what about bromeliads, bonsai, cacti and succulents? What about using plants in specific rooms - the kitchen, dining room, bathroom? What about terrariums and mixed plantings? It was a disappointment to find such a limited and pedestrian approach from a respected and able writer.