The Kew Gardener’s Guide to Growing House Plants

Contents INTRODUCTION to the book: Why have houseplants (good for mental health, phsychologically, for beauty, health, clean air. Finding a plant for your home and finding a home for your plant, using the book to ensure success. DISPLAY, staging, modern use: solo, sequence, habitat, negative space, feature, vertical, stands, hanging, privacy. Considering shape, texture, form, size, scale. WHAT can we grow and WHERE: What are houseplants? EIGHT GROUPS. Where they come from, how to look after them, the rooms where you can display them. Native habitat dictates our care. Eight groups are: Ferns; Palms; Cactus; Succulents; Bromeliads including Air plants; Flowering house plants (possibly shorter or longer); Foliage; Carnivorous. HOW TO GROW in general: consider situation, right plant right place, temperature, light, humidity including: Kit and bit on containers to grow them in. This practical section includes the key care points: watering; heating; choosing compost; changing humidity; feeding; repotting; cleaning; holiday care. MAKING MORE PLANTS Propagating in five ways: leaf cuttings using begonia or sanseveria; bulbil babies using sedum; division of palm roots; suckers/offshoots and runners using chlorophytum; adventitious roots using hoya HOUSE PLANT PORTRAITS PROJECTS 12 projects including Kokedama; Plant leaf in a clear glass frame; A series of Sanseveria pots on a windowsill for privacy; Cactus grafting for impressive results; Macrame hanging planter; Air plant mobile; Desert Plant stand; Tray of succulents with strong pattern and landscape feel; Air fresheners collection; Touch me, touch me not. PROBLEMS: trouble shooting, preventative and curative  endmatter (index and acknowledgments)