Houseplant Care Books: Three Reading Room Finds

With their lush foliage and sculptural beauty, houseplants have the transformative power to turn your home into an entrancing oasis. However, the one complication that we as houseplant-lovers often face is ensuring that our indoor garden remains fresh, healthy, and pleasing to the eye.

On the whole, every plant requires five main factors of care, detailed in our beginner's guide to Houseplant care, including watering, light and fertilising. However, how much of these factors are required can significantly differ from plant to plant, so we have selected three books from our Reading Room that will can help with thorough individual plant advice, be it searching for specific knowledge about a particular plant, to learning more forensically about their biology and striking structures.

Expert Jane Perrone explores how these magnificent plants grow in the wild in 'Legends of the Leaf', in turn unearthing their hidden histories and the journeys they’ve taken to become prized possessions in our homes: from the Kentia palms which stood either side of Queen Victoria’s coffin as she lay in state, to English ivy, which provided fishers with a source of bait. Each houseplant’s history is accompanied by a detailed care guide and practical advice, but it is only by understanding their roots that we can truly unlock the secrets to helping plants thrive.

Fostering a connection to plants has many positive implications for us and our environment by strengthening our relationship with the natural world. In ‘Plantopedia’, Lauren Camilleri and Sophia Kaplan present the definitive guide to keeping happy, healthy houseplants in any space. Featuring more than 130 plant profiles including foliage plants, succulents, and cacti, as well as rarer gems of the plant world, detailed care information is provided, including troubleshooting tips and tricks to ensure that your houseplants thrive. This thorough, impressive book contains plants for all levels of indoor gardeners, from budding novices to green thumbs and beyond.

Ideal for first-time indoor gardeners, ‘Grow: Houseplants’ contains an introductory, step-by-step perspective on how to nurture your indoor garden for optimal health and growth. Through accessible, practical guidance, Tamsin Westhorpe takes you on a tour of indispensable knowledge to consider from selecting a houseplant, to its placement within your home, and most importantly, its needs and requirements. Containing over 90 houseplant varieties, the eager reader will gain confidence and an additional boost of knowledge as they commence their journey as a houseplant enthusiast.