BOOKreviews
Houseplant Warrior: 7 Keys to Unlocking the Mysteries of Houseplant Care Author: Raffaele Di Lallo Publisher: The Countryman Press List Price: $25.00 Order Links: https://amzn.to/3zTQIOw and https://bookshop.org/ a/79479/9781682686751 Reviewer: Dorvall Bedford If you’re an aspiring plant person who is looking for guidance on taking care of an indoor plant, then Houseplant Warrior by Raffaele Di Lallo is the perfect place to start. Whether you’re confused about proper lighting or watering, this book has all the information you need to begin. The book is split into five parts that are each about what you need to do before and after you acquire your houseplants. Some of the topics that it covers include lighting, watering, potting, and common problems to look out for. Although a quick read, the book goes in depth about these subjects and prepares you for almost everything involved in taking care of a houseplant. What makes this book unique compared to all the other plant books out there are all the useful tips throughout. Many books go over the basics of lighting, but Di Lallo’s book is well worth picking up because it goes into more detail about why the proximity of a plant to a window is important and how a plant indoors will never receive the amount of sunlight it would outdoors. The book also describes how the fear of overwatering plants has led to a lot 18
WASHINGTON GARDENER
JUNE 2022
of plant parents being too scared to water their houseplants properly. Di Lallo provides many useful tips and clarifies many misconceptions that I haven’t seen addressed in other books. By reading this book, you can tell that Di Lallo knows all of this information based on prior experiences and interactions with plant parents who needed help. In Part 3, Di Lallo provides case studies based on actual situations that readers have experienced to show how you can avoid incorrect assumptions and diagnose problems your plants are facing. I highly recommend this book. Houseplant Warrior is perfect for anyone who is just starting out as a plant parent and looking for quality advice. It will give you the necessary essentials and more so you are prepared to adopt your new houseplant. o Dorvall Bedford is a journalism major at the University of Maryland, College Park, and an intern this semester with Washington Gardener. He is a native of Frederick, MD.
The Garden Refresh: How to Give Your Yard Big Impact on a Small Budget Author: Kier Holmes Publisher: Timber Press List Price: $27.95 Order Link: https://amzn.to/3HHCphV and https://bookshop.org/ a/79479/9781643260815 Reviewer: Jamie Oberg In The Garden Refresh, Kier Holmes outlines how to both design a beautiful garden and keep it alive. Holmes’ father was a craftsperson and her mother a home gardener, making her uniquely equipped to write about garden design. Through her experiences with creating and maintaining landscapes, first from her parents but eventually as her profession, Holmes helps transform your backyard into a work of art. Initially, I thought this book would be largely unusable for me, given an apartment balcony is the only space I have for designing a garden and my thumb is more yellow than green. But Holmes makes gardening and garden design accessible to those at all budgets and experience levels. The Garden Refresh includes a multitude of money-saving tips that often
double as tips for working in small spaces. The book provides advice on multiplying plants, repurposing and upcycling household items, collecting seeds, growing groceries, shopping for plants on a budget, efficient garden chores (because time is money), and more. Holmes, while giving incredibly insightful advice, ensures that beginners aren’t left behind. The book is full of “pro tips,” like speeding up germination of larger seeds with sandpaper, and lists of suggested plants for a wide variety of conditions. Holmes explains every step of gardening, from mulch to transplanting and frost patterns to microclimates. Still, Holmes goes in depth and covers a lot of ground, ensuring even the most seasoned gardeners learn something new. And Holmes’ knowledge isn’t relegated to outside alone. Much of the information in The Garden Refresh— like how to make small spaces look big, using focal points and frames, and color use—can double as general room design insight. There are also a variety of DIY projects, like homemade rose hip tea and hummingbird nectar. Throughout the book, Holmes emphasizes working with the environment, not against it. She explains how to minimize the negative environmental impact of lawns, environmentally friendly ways to source garden water, composting, the best ways to attract and support wildlife, and multiple homemade pesticide alternatives. The Garden Refresh is filled with beautiful pictures that elevate Holmes’ writing. The photographs serve as inspirations with beautiful and creative full garden layouts, plant arrangements, upcycling projects, and more. Without
