Garden Book Review: Bloom-Again Orchids
by Colleen Vanderlinden • February 10, 2010 • Miscellaneous, Reviews • 3 Comments
Bloom-Again Orchids: 50 Easy-Care Orchids that Flower Again and Again and Again
By judywhite
Timber Press, 2009
ISBN 978-1-60469-055-2
Several of you have probably seen me write (many times….) about how bad I am with house plants, so you may be having a good chuckle at the idea that I’m reviewing a book about orchids. But orchids are not nearly as fragile as they seem, and, therefore, may be worth another try.
At least, that’s the premise of judywhite’s new book, Bloom-Again Orchids. She profiles 50 orchids that are not too difficult for the home gardener to both grow and get to rebloom (which was an issue for me. I never could figure out how to get them going again!) Filled with stunning photos of each orchid profiled, it will definitely want to make you go out and get an orchid or two, or five (as Kylee mentioned on Twitter when we discussed this book. Read her review of Bloom-Again Orchids.)
What I liked about this book was that it went beyond the standard “this is how you grow the plant” information that you’d expect from a book like this. What I didn’t realize is that there is a whole vocabulary surrounding orchids, almost a language all its own. I enjoy learning this type of information, and it makes me appreciate these beautiful plants even more. Besides, the language of orchids is a rather beautiful one, if a bit tongue-twisting.
As an inexperienced orchid grower, I most appreciated the section 10 Best Tips For Growing Orchids. The tips given are straightforward and take a lot of the mystery out of growing these beautiful plants.
Highly recommended for anyone who has stared wistfully at the orchids at their local nursery but walked away empty-handed, thinking “I can’t grow those….”
About the Author:
judywhite is author and photographer of the award-winning Taylor’s Guide to Orchids (Houghton Mifflin 1996). Her photography has graced many books and publications, and has been exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution. A former research biologist and past editor-in-chief of one of the world’s first mega-gardening Web sites, Time Life’s Virtual Garden, judywhite is married to British garden writer Graham Rice. She is proud to say she has killed orchids on both sides of the Atlantic.
Disclaimer: I was provided with an advanced review copy of this book by the publisher with the understanding that the decision to review the book, and the contents of that review, were solely my own. This review encompasses my own opinion of the book, and has been influenced in no way by the publisher or the fact that they provided a copy for review.
Looks cool. I haven’t grown orchids in a long time, but have been having the hardest time resisting them and the cheapo prices at HD lately.
Thank you, Colleen, for a wonderful review of this wonderfully helpful book. (And thanks very much for the link love!) I know I’ve referred to this book several times since I first got it. What I said about buying a few more orchids after reading it? I did.
Colleen – I’m positive that I suck worse than you at houseplants. BUT, I purchased a purple Orchid from Trader Joe’s right before Thanksgiving. I needed something for my bathroom and that seemed perfect, so simple, yet packing such a punch. I’m ashamed to say I left it in it’s (obviously temporary) plastic container until this past sunday when I finally mustered up the courage to re-pot it. I’m amazed how much better it looks after just a few days in normal soil! And much to my surprise, I only lost one bloom during the neglect.
I think I might be hooked. I’m thinking of trying some others and maybe I’ll check out this book for some tips. My garden buddy’s father-in-law is an Orchid collector. He has a giant greenhouse attached to his living room with nothing but exotic Orchids in it. Hoping to get some tips from him, too.