Step by step to success with more than 1,000 indoor plant varieties.

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.