Little Greenery Help For The Newbie Plant Lover? Reviewing "How to Raise a Plant: and Make It Love You Back"

When I read that "How to Raise A Plant And Make It Love You Back" was available for request on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance. Why this? While I love nature, tiny little plants, and cute pots, they do not love me. Thus, I have a tendency to kill them. This has gone so far, that not only do I joke that I have a brown thumb - opposite of a green one - but when I killed a plant due to dehydration, I decided to water the next accordingly: this turned out to be a cactus, so I killed it with too much love instead. For half of the summer, I favoured the Crowley Method TM by placing a dead plant on the balcony in sight line of my jade tree. I was aware that this could not continue.

Thus, I was very excited to read all about plant tips and tricks, so imagine the icy coldness that spread across my body when I discovered that I missed the archive date and couldn't get a review copy anymore. Instead, I decided to use my own money and buy a copy for the love of my plants.

"How to Raise A Plant And Make It Love You Back" is split into 5 chapters: Green Up Your Space, Maintaining Your Collection, Tools, Materials and Troubleshooting, Our Favorite Plants and How To Care For Them, DIY Projects, and Living With Plants

Each of those chapters provides a sweet little overview about the dos and don't of plant-care and helps you find a suitable place for your greenery. It is also a reminder that the greenery can't adjust to a different life in a flat that is not suited for it.



While this may crush many greenery dreams, the chapter "Our Favorite Plants and How To Care For Them" is your saviour. It offers you the choice of 13 plants to choose from. In doing so, the book provides stunning photographs along with vital information such as the soil it needs, how much water, care, and light.

For a beginner, this gives a good over-view of what is possible and to your liking. However, as a cat owner, I am aware that almost any greenery is poisonous to some degree for cats. Since I am not alone with pet owning, it would have been helpful to add if animals could end up at the vet should they nibble on a plant.

A lovely plus was the photography. Each plant photo was incredibly aesthetic and calming, just the type of plant lifestyle one imagines from a tiny flat filled with greenery. It felt a bit like scrolling through an instagram page with added info.

My favourite section had been the DIY Projects because it contained new ideas. One had been a plant terrarium and I am tempted to give this a try myself.

However, while that part was brimming with information, I had preferred for the book to have a few more handy tips, such as when to repot or which pot size to choose next. While there was a lot of superficial knowledge, it did not contain information that might help to make your garden in a pot thrive more.

In the end, "How to Raise A Plant And Make It Love You Back" is a good introduction for plant lovers who have never held a plant in their hands before and need to know the basic principle of plant care. It also contains new ideas what to do. Nevertheless, the information does not go very deep, and I wish that it would be more informative.

How to Raise a Plant: and Make It Love You Back	by Morgan Doane	and Erin Harding
Published	2018	by Laurence King Publishing
Pages:	112
ISBN 13:	9781786273024
Goodreads:	Add to shelf

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