Converts to the indoor plant trend as well as seasoned houseplant growers will find both inspiration and information.
Houseplants are cool; I never thought I would write those words. I was once a geeky teenager with a bedroom full of peperomias and palms, but now the plants I have long treasured are everywhere.
Fowler’s love for houseplants is genuine, as is her candour about the difficulties of getting them to thrive. Few other writers would be brave enough to begin an introduction with these words: ‘Let it be said, clearly and simply, your plants do not want to live with you.’
The opening chapters explain each plant’s native habitat as an aid to keeping them alive indoors. I doubt you’ll read about Crassulacean acid metabolism in many other mainstream books about houseplants, but knowing that cacti use this method to photosynthesise offers an insight into why they crave the sunny conditions that would kill many other plants.
Fowler also addresses an environmental issue that few writers in this field bother to cover, namely that the houseplant industry lags behind the rest of horticulture when it comes to use of peat and systemic pesticides. This serves as a timely warning to source plants carefully.
There is an extensive and helpful section of plant profiles, arranged according to light requirements, from sun to shade. The accompanying photographs avoid the usual clichés of the modern houseplant book, where plants are artfully but thoughtlessly shoved in the wrong pots. Simon Wheeler’s beautiful photographs have a homely feel, showing houseplants in settings that readers could realistically recreate.
Whether you are looking to start a collection, or trying to work out what killed your favourite fern, this is a rich and rewarding read.