What Is My Plant Telling Me?: An Illustrated Guide to Houseplants and How to Keep Them Alive

Helping out ailing houseplants is no big deal, according to this chatty guide to “bringing your green buddy back to health” from gardener Hinsdale (Never Put a Cactus in the Bathroom). Fifty chapters follow a similar formula: there’s a short description of the plant, a breakdown of its basic needs (including water, light, and soil), and a look at common problems. The author does a great job explaining plants by the lifestyles they best suit: readers who want a “forest of foliage” at home will do well with begonias as they “breed like rabbits,” for example, while those who tend to forget about their plants will get along perfectly with an Aspidistra, aka the cast iron plant, because even breathing coal fire won’t kill them. Hinsdale points out that a “successful plant/person relationship is symbiotic,” so with “a little self-awareness” on behalf of collectors, their plants will “[turn] any space they occupy into a better place to inhale.” The illustrations are fun, as are Hinsdale’s quips: “Don’t panic. And stop crying into your cactus; they don’t like that much moisture anyway.” Budding green thumbs will find these handy tips worth returning to. Agent: Emily Sylvan Kim, Prospect Agency. (Sept.)