Foliage book recommendations?

[have posted this @ the Foliage Forum & the Garden Products Forum too in trying to get some answers!]

I found two on my list in the Garden Bookworm listing, but with no reviews! I'm a plant book fanatic........have dozens, and would like to add a good foliage reference to the mix. I found, and am considering one or two of these three:

Ornamental Foliage Plants by Denise Greig
Tropical Foliage Plants: A Grower's Guide by Lynn P. Griffith
Indoor Plants: Flowering and Foliage Varieties for the Home by Halina Heitz

I have found that so many of the reference books give the basic "use well-drained soil" advice, and some nice side tips, but would really like to obtain one that is more in depth. It's so helpful to have a book that lists when a plant needs soft water, higher or lower PH, etc.

Thanks for any reviews you can give me! And, please tell me if there's another book I've missed!
MKJ

I love - Tropical Foliage Plants by Lynn P. Griffith. There is a great review on Amazon that pretty much covers what it's about. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1883052165/qid=1127457233/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/103-2787147-1245425?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Thanks for the tip, Plant_Madness! I read the Amazon review......are the pictures in black & white? Or are they drawings?

There are not pictures for every plant but some have black and white photos and there is a small section of B&W photos called 'Foliage around the world' that could have been left out of the book in my opinion. I have other books full of pictures , this one gives me the information to grow them! There is an 8 page section of color pictures called 'Disease, Pest and Disorder Guide' that is helpful. Mostly it is just full of information on how to grow . For each plant family, such as peperomia, there is a section on Habitat (most helpful), Uses, Varieties, propagation, culture, Nutrition, diseases, insects and pests, disorders , interior care and my favorite -Tricks, about 5-8 pages per plant family. I got a used copy from Amazon,I can't remember which seller but it was way cheaper than new and in great shape.
I also have
'The Tropical Look' Robert Lee Riffle
'Tropicals' Gordon Courtright
'Growing Tropical Plants' John Mason
'Tropical Ornamentals' W. Arthur Whistler
'Paradise Found' Norman Winter
All full of beautiful pictures , some are good for identification ,some have decent information on growing but in my opinion none beat 'Tropical Foliage Plants' for growing guides. I also have 'Aroids: Plants of the Arum family' by Deni Brown but I haven't had much time to get into it yet.


This message was edited Sep 23, 2005 2:07 PM

Wow, thanks! I really appreciate your taking the time to share all of this info with me, AND your review helped alot! I'm a picture junkie, so I most probably would have gone with one of the other books, EXCEPT that you stated, "I have other books full of pictures , this one gives me the information to grow them!" In all honesty, I have a gazillion of pretty picture books too, and really need to stick to my intention of getting the best info!

Thank you so much, and I'm thrilled to share that Amazon has it on sale for $38! I'm going to order it.

=)

I hope it's what you need, it's hard to spend that much on a book and be disappointed, at least for me! I took a yellow highlighter to mine so I can find the most relevant parts quickly and it has bits of paper sticking out all over the top. I probably shouldn't have marked it up I think it's a numbered signed copy.... hard to imagine a big market for signed garden books but you never know! :)

if you haven't got the Southern Living Garden Book, it's a must have. it has every plant a southerner could ever want in this world. so much info. tho not stictly foliage. robert riffle's book was one of my "bibles" when i lived in the keys, since i've moved to central florida the SLGB is with me every minute! LOL
the pictures are colored drawings and small but i absolutely recommend it. i got mine on amazon used for about 8. home depot sells them too. debi