The Complete Guide to Conservatory Plants

A guide to garden-room plants offers advice on the selection and care of over seven hundred conservatory species

This profusely illustrated book is a guide to growing 142 species of plants (and about 700 hybrids and cultivars), giving information on light, temperature, moisture, feeding, propagation, specific problems, and special needs. Each listing includes a color photograph of the plant. These are plants that can be grown in conservatories and garden rooms year-round. Bonar explains light and space needs in general and discusses the types of plants most suited for growing indoors. She offers tips on color considerations and plant accessories, such as hanging containers, pots, troughs, and tubs. Under the broad heading of conservatory management, Bonar explains how to deal with temperature, light, and humidity throughout the seasons; discusses watering, feeding, planting, and pruning in detail; analyzes the common ailments affecting conservatory plants; and tells how to propagate plants from cuttings and seeds. This is an invaluable guide, to be sure, but many gardeners would have neither the room nor the money to construct some of the large conservatories shown here. The book includes 191 full-color illustrations. George Cohen