In a nutshell, it’s a horticultural book of lists divided into two sections: one for indoor plants, one for those you grow outside. Because the book covers so much, I’ll blog it in two parts—house plants first. And even that is biting off a lot, since the indoor section alone could hold its own with nearly any house-plant book in print.
Instead of being arranged as an encyclopedia, plants are organized by use. One section lists those you grow for flowers, another for foliage plants, and another by where plants grow best (sun, shade, rooms with dry air). There are even sections for plants with special uses—ones for beginners, for purifying air—and a final section that caters to lovers of ferns, orchids, succulents, palms, and bromeliads, for example.
Pictures inside are excellent. Perfect Plant, Perfect Place has only a very general table of contents, but after you've had a few minutes with the book, you won't need one: color bars on page edges help you navigate the parts, and a little exploration will lead you to treasure after treasure. In true DK fashion, the book is laid out in a succession of self-contained spreads, so you can open it anywhere and be looking at a complete package about, say, plant propagation, indoor insect control, or houseplants for narrow spaces. If you're looking for a specific plant, just go to the index (plants often show up in more than one category).
Next week I’ll cover Lancaster’s approach to outdoor plants.
