Understanding Orchids: An Uncomplicated Guide to Growing the World's Most Exotic Plants

This is a beautiful book and a perfect gift for my granddaughter who has just discovered the joys of having orchids. She loved it!

Lovely photos as others have mentioned. I am new to caring for orchids and I needed a book with the basics. I got the basics plus much more! My plants are indoor only, but I plan on hanging them outside soon enough. I like that this book gives an overview of viruses and pests. I had a very sad looking orchid about a month ago, with severely limp leaves, and wasn’t too sure why since I’m a novice. From reading the book, I figured it was either my using tap water, the light source and amount, or I was over or under watering. I switched up my watering method after reading the book and watching some videos. My orchids (all 9 phalenopsis ) are thriving with one watering/a good soak under the tap per week. I do spritz them with a fertilizer and water combo every now and then, but they’re doing great. Two have new budding aerial roots like the pics lol. I’m just surprised and elated that I haven’t killed one of them in the last 8 months! My next goal is to have the plants flower next year. I recommend the book to those interested as there’s a wealth of info to get you going on the right track!

Very thorough book. Included flasking which many orchids books do not cover.

Very comprehensive. Covered lots of information about care and growth of orchids also the varities of orchids. It is a book to keep returning to for information.

The book is very nice. Not exactly what I was hoping for but nice just the same

I've read many, many books about orchid culture over the years and this is truly one of the best. It gives accurate and fairly comprehensive information about growing a large range of orchid species. It is full of high quality images of orchids, which are accurately identified. It covers a range of information about growing orchids, from how to repot and care for orchids to how to grow them from seed, which is likely beyond what most readers are after but which I appreciated nonetheless. Like many orchid culture guidebooks, much of this book is divided into a discussion of different genera. Many books unfortunately give such generalized culture information as to be nearly useless. This is not one of those books. It provides information about the genus in general but also talks about exceptions, species within the genus that benefit from different care. The cultural advice is nearly if not always spot on. The list of good starter species within each genus is helpful for growers who want to try a new genus but aren't sure which species to try. I appreciate the discussion of the conservation implications of using tree fern as a potting medium. I have never been fond of the harvest of one endangered species to grow another and personally avoid using it. So whether you've just brought home your first Phalaenopsis from the grocery or are an experienced grower, this book is an excellent resource.

Nice book

I bought an orchid on impulse & then got this book to figure out how to care for it. Should have bought the book beforehand, but that would have made sense. :) This book is an awesome intro into orchid care & varieties. The 1st 1/2 of the book has chapters (well balanced between helpful pictures & text) discussing elements of orchid care. The 2nd 1/2 describes many orchid families in decent detail. The family descriptions inform about the natural habitat of the family, the optimal care for the family and its subtypes, and even include recommendations as to the experience needed to properly care for members of the described families. The family descriptions range from a couple of paragraphs about some of the less commonly encountered families to a couple of pages about the most commonly enountered families such as the Phaleanopis family. The text is highly readable and quite engaging. When purchasing the book, I anticipated scanning the relevant parts and being bored by the rest - not the case at all! I read the book essentially cover-to-cover within a few hours. I can't speak to the usefulness of the book for experienced orchid growers but, as a novice, I found the book to provide both an easily absorbed overview (if skimming) of orchid care as well as plenty of detail to read closely when desired. I'm so glad I chose this book!

A lovely book. Probably not everything you might want to know, but lots to discover if you are beginning to get interested in collecting and/or cultivating orchids.

Splendido testo, sotto ogni aspetto. Scrittura brillante e personale, molto piacevole. I pregi maggiori sono l'autorevolezza, la sicurezza e l'esperienza concreta che risaltano in ogni tema trattato. Tutti i temi che chiedono attenzione da parte di un orchidofilo sono molto ben trattati, naturalmente nei limiti di un testo che vuole introdurre chi vuole accostarsi a questa bella disciplina naturalistica. C'è tutto quello che serve, e molto di più. Grafica e fotografie sono di qualità, ed aiutano efficacemente la miglior comprensione del testo. Ottimo, davvero.

Es más de lo que imaginé, si eres aficionado o investigar si te ayuda mucho

Technical information, descriptions and photos, all very quality. In the specific information of each listed species, everything you need to know to offer the best care and environment possible for the development of the plant. I really liked.

very happy with this book!