This highly regarded encyclopedia contains all the expert advice the indoor gardener needs, from purchase and placement to controlling pests and diseases. Any indoor gardener can achieve success, even with exotic plants and rare varieties, by using this book.

At the book's core is a 250-page A-Z listing by botanical name of 1,000 houseplants for the home, from interior rooms to the balcony, patio, and sunroom. Each entry includes a full-color photo of the plant, a detailed description, and straightforward advice on placement, care, and propagation. Cleverly designed at-a-glance symbols indicate the plant's light, watering, and feeding needs.

Frequent boxed features and sidebars provide additional data about the particular care requirements of a wide range of plants. Hundreds of helpful hints and tips offer sound advice on getting the most from indoor plants. A tiny sampling of the many items discussed includes: - The most common mistakes - Watering during vacations - When a plant gets too big - Aromatic plants - Pruning and training - Why to avoid peat moss.

With an extensive glossary, a practical index, and a list of useful addresses for ordering plants and tools, The Houseplant Encyclopedia has something for everyone -- from the casual windowsill gardener to the expert horticulturist alike.

Of course, before you start working on crafting a greenhouse, you need to know what kinds of plants you can grown in your home and which plants are best suited to your taste and style. Houseplants For Dummies introduces dozens of different foliage plants, flowering plants, cacti, and exotic varieties. Your green thumb is sure to get even greener once you’ve read about:

• Houseplant basics
• Identifying indoor microclimates
• Indoor plant “biographies”
• Differentiating between direct, indirect, and low light
• Watering needs
• Rules of fertilizing
• Temperature and growing cycles

Houseplants For Dummies is packed with houseplant growing techniques, tips, tricks, and even goes the extra mile with a chapter devoted to the various ways you can display houseplants if you’re looking for some bragging rights! Whether you’re new to the world of houseplant basics or you’re a seasoned gardener, you’ll get the “inside dirt” on topics such as:

• Various potting soil mixes
• Preparing plants for indoor life
• Cleaning, pruning, and staking
• Propagating houseplants
• Dealing with pests and diseases
• Building your own controlled climate
• And much more

The material is arranged into six clear and helpful sections: houseplant basics, houseplant profiles, growing essentials, potted plant maintenance, houseplant settings, and valuable ideas – each section helping you create your own indoor forest. Even if you’re convinced you have a black thumb, Houseplants For Dummies will have you living among the green in no time!

• Includes an encyclopedia showcasing the most beautiful and easiest-to-grow houseplants.

• Inspiration and design ideas for decorating interior spaces with plants.

• Step-by-step information on houseplant culture, care, and propagation

• Inspiration and design ideas for decorating tastefully with plants

• A special section addresses seasonal plants for patio and deck containers

• Gives readers thorough, top quality advice they can use immediately