Features
- Cover Type: Hard Cover with 272 pages
- Published by: Houghton Mifflin November 9, 2004
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 0618263268
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-0618263264
-
Book Dimensions:
11 x 8.6 x 1.1 inches
- Weighs: 2.5 pounds
From Publishers Weekly
Cullina has maintained a personal collection of orchids for decades, and still gets "that spine tingling, toe-tickling feeling of WOW" from an unfamiliar or outstanding specimen. It's a feeling he's eager to share with "orchid lovers at every level of expertise, from absolute beginner to experienced grower to expert." He succeeds in addressing such a broad audience by organizing his work into independent modules that can be consulted as needed. The first portion covers basic orchid information: detailed guides to growing them on a windowsill, under lights, in a greenhouse or outdoors, and practical advice on meeting their requirements for light, temperature, humidity and air movement in each of those settings. Cullina then systematically looks at orchid culture, with in-depth discussions of watering, fertilization, potting and mounting, and pests and diseases. A brief but fascinating overview of orchid reproduction follows, with directions for hand pollinating, propagating and hybridizing. Finally, Cullina meticulously looks at more than 100 of the most popular genera. Happily, a good number of these seductively described plants are rated for beginners (the other skill level ratings are experienced and expert). Cullina, who directs the New England Wild Flower Society, is extremely well versed in his subject and a skilled writer. His lively text, with its clear instructions, will make orchid growing as irresistible to readers as it is to Cullina. 300 color photos.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
With 30,000 species, orchids compose the largest plant family in the world. Cullina's informative guide, with 300 color photographs, tells what to look for in buying your first orchid. Much of the book is devoted to a list of common orchid genera, detailing more than 100 of the most popular ones. Each entry contains information on where the plant can be grown (at a window, under lights, or in a greenhouse), the level of skill it requires to grow the plant (beginner, experienced, or expert), and lists a good introductory species that would be easy to grow. Cullina, the author of
Wildflowers (2000) and
Native Trees, Shrubs, and Vines (2002), also gives instructions on watering, light, potting, and fertilizing. This extensive guide includes a section on taxonomy and nomenclature and a glossary.
George CohenCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Reader Reviews
This is an excellent book on orchid growing, much more detailed and text oriented than others on the market, yet easy to read and the author's conversational writing style will be most comforting to beginner's. The book is divided into four parts: Part 1 - "Setting up the Orchid Environment" talks about buying your first orchid, the anatomy of the orchid, where to grow them, light, temperature, humidity and air movement, and quite detailed information about artificial lights. Part 2 - "Care and Feeding" covers the basics of watering, fertilization, potting and repotting, types of mixtures, mounting orchids on trees and branches, pests and diseases, and a troubleshooting guide. Part 3 - "Orchid Reproduction" is about hand pollination and the care of seedlings, and hybridization. Part 4 - "Common Orchid Genera from A to Z" features a gallery of orchids with photos and cultural advice as well as skill levels (beginner, expert, experienced). This is a book for both beginners and advanced orchid growers.
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