Taylor's Guide to Orchids: More Than 300 Orchids, ... (ISBN 0395677262)

EXCELLENT CHOICE FOR YOUR LIBRARY:
I grow and collect orchids strictly as a hobby. I first purchased this particular work at the time of it's publication and have been using it ever since. The photographs are wonderful and I have found that the 300 + orchids covered in this book are truely that...covered and covered quite well. The author's text, as to discriptions and "how to grow," are extremely useful. The grower/collector must realize though, that as the title of the book states, this covers more than 300 orchids. Needless to say, there are many, many more out there and If one wishes to own just one book that lists all of them, then be aware this one does not. That being said, I have yet to find a book that does list all of the hundreds and hundreds of varities and thousands of hybrids. I shoud think that this would be an impossible undertaking as each year these numbers increase many fold. I personally own several dozen books on the subject and am constantly adding to them. This is a good book, one that should be added to the many others you will no doubt purchase if you pursue this wonderful hobby. I recommend this one highly.

A Gem of a Book:
An excellent book with cultural information that goes well beyond what's in most beginner books, yet is accessible and easy to understand. The 300 gorgeous color plates, if overly saturated with color,at times, are restricted to a satisfying mix of genera, both species and hybrids. This book is compact and impossible to keep open and would benefit from a much deserved larger format. Highly recommended.

beginner orchidist:
I originally bought this book for the descriptions of the orchids, but found a lot of basic orchid care information. I have several orchid books, and this is one of three I use the most.

Still can't identify my orchid:
My girl friend left me with four orchids when she departed to take care of her sick parents. These were definitley the dregs of her 20+ collection. Surprisingly, I've been able to get two of them to bloom, but even all these pictures can't help me identify the blomming orchid. Excellent for instructions on how to take care of the plants; however, I will have to report back later if their procedures worked for me!

Taylor's Guide to Orchids: More Than 300 Orchids, Photographed and Described, for Beginning to Expert Gardeners (Taylor's Garden:
This is an awesome book. It has been very helpful in learning about and identifying my quickly growing collection of orchids. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants an in-depth education of these beautiful plants and how the grow them.