The Plant Book: The ultimate guide to thriving houseplants by Tammy Huynh

Having recently moved house and seeing some of my plants struggling in their new environment, this book was a most welcome read.

Author Tammy Huynh is an Australian horticulturalist, who has appeared on TV there and has also worked for Better Homes and Gardens magazine. Her interest in plants started when she was a child working alongside her grandmother in the garden. This love of plants led her to be named Horticulturalist of the Year by the Australian Institute of Horticulture in 2021.

In this book, she looks at 50 popular house plants and how to care for them.

The first part of the book covers all the important fundamentals for growing and caring for indoor plants, from selecting the right potting mix and the level of light required, to watering, fertilizing and dealing with various pests and diseases. The information is very clear and presented in an easy-to-understand way, with some great flowcharts to help explain the cause of different common issues: browning leaves, wilting plants, dropping leaves (I seem to have all of those issues!). There are practical suggestions for dealing with each of these problems. The big message that I took away was all about light and humidity levels – think about the natural environment your plant comes from and try to replicate it (it’s just as easy to overwater your plants as to underwater them).

The second section of the book looks at 50 different plants and profiles them in detail. Each one considers the care of the plants, how much light they need, and, importantly, if they are pet-friendly. There is advice on the right potting mix to use and the fertilizer to feed each plant with, depending on its particular needs. Common problems are demonstrated, with solutions on how to deal with them.

The photos throughout the book are lovely and very stylishly presented.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in indoor plants (‘plant parents’ as Huynh refers to them). Understanding what your plants need to thrive will save a lot of heartache in the future when you feel you’ve let them down through having them in the wrong place or not giving them the right level of care.

Reviewer: Rachel White

Murdoch Books