Member Reviews

This book was fun! I really enjoyed all the information about house plants although the illustrations did leave a little bit to be desired. This would be a great gift!

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Let's face it, my house is an aspiring jungle, and I use "aspiring" very loosely. I have several houseplants, but commit a cardinal plant sin and treat them all the same. They normally look okay, but last winter my seasonal depression came in HARD and I forgot to water them for well... all of winter. Enter What is My Plant Telling Me?, which gives me hope that the few survivors might actually make it through this next winter!

First off, this book is ADORABLE and would look perfect on a coffee table or in a book stack underneath a plant (easy access, too). This is more of a reference book than a sit-down-with-a-warm-drink read, which fits the purpose beautifully. As Hinsdale walks through 50 of the most common houseplants, illustrator Loni Harris perfectly depicts each of them beautifully, occasionally even through helpful infographics. Each houseplant starts with a quick breakdown of the conditions each plant prefers, including pot size, type, and re-potting needs. I didn't realize this was an important consideration, either. I typically just get the cutest pot I can find that looks like it will give the roots an equal or slightly larger amount of space compared to whatever they're already in. After a quick bio where each plant is given so much personality and insight into its care, Hinsdale chunks out some of the typical struggles that each one faces and quick prevention tips and solutions.

I can't lie, I'm absolutely obsessed with this book and after flipping through the pages I feel more plants in my future! Thankfully I can say that I might be able to keep them alive this time. Hinsdale and Harris make it so easy to understand what each plant needs. This book helped me identify the plants I already have and figure out how to treat and prevent issues I didn't know they could have. As someone who loves nature, I'm so excited to bring it indoors with a little more success and a lot more adorable illustrations.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Element for an advanced copy.

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This was a fun book to read. I learned many new things about taking care of plants that I had overlooked in my many long years as a plant person. I think this would be a fun book to give your plant-obsessed friend as a gift.

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This book is adorable! The author has a light tone and good sense of humor as they explain plant health.

I found this really helpful as I've been trying to figure out why my lavender isn't growing. Not enough sun it sounds like! I also learned some great information on my Island Fir, Philodendrons, and garden herbs.

I really enjoyed the illustrations of the plants throughout.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon Element for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review!

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This is a great introductory book for basic plant care. Emily begins her book by diving into details about where to face plants for direct versus indirect light, the soil best suited for various needs, and the best way to check for how much to water. She then details how to care for 50 plants with specific light, water, soil, food, and pot needs for each. In addition, helpful suggestions are included on common condition and pests.

I am currently struggling with controlling white flies on my gerbera daisies and did not find any mention of fly control. I would have liked to see a section on controlling black or white flies.

Thank you to Emily L. Hay Hinsdale, the publisher, and NetGalley for this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

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This book covers the basic needs of a variety of house plants. While a lot of the information can be found in other sources the illustrations really set this book apart.

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For years I held it up like a badge of honor, "I don't have a brown thumb, I have a black thumb!" No matter what I did I couldn't keep a house plant alive. As a kid, my grandmother had a wonderful collection of African Violets. She'd gift me a plant of my own and inside two weeks the poor thing had passed. I wish I had a book like this back then.

A quick introduction offers general tips to plant care, watering, soil and light needs for all your house plants; the conclusion like a pep talk before the second half. The remainder of the book is devoted to a listing of popular plants and their needs. From Begonia' and Bromeliad's to Cactus and Coleus to Venus Flytrap and the Weeping Fig, this book offers the specifics of caring for each of them. And for those plants that come in many different varieties beyond just differences in color, Ms. Hinsdale offers tips on how to choose the perfect variant for your home environment and your personality.

Whether you're buying your first house plant of your hundredth, this book is a helpful tool to have on hand. Written in simple, precise language with a touch of humor and sarcasm, this is a great reference for anyone who wants to add some greenery to their home.

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This is a great book with tips and tricks on keeping your houseplants alive and happy. I really enjoyed this and will be buying my own copy for home!

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I hope this book looks better than what the Adobe version gave me: a cute little plant picture and some block text. If it looks like that, this book gets a 1/5 for me. Otherwise, the information was sound and helpful. While I found myself not relating to some of the author's quips (i.e. basic needs are coffee, tacos, and Netflix) I could get over that, because of the information. Though, I think this book has the potential to amuse the Millennial Plant Moms, who I feel this book is targeted to. Either way, if the inside of this book looks anything like the front cover, you'll have a popular seller.

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Going into this book I was hoping for a workable solution to improve humidity for a few of my houseplants. I live in Ohio and the air is very dry. I find myself watering my plants more frequently. It's a challenge to keep my water-loving plants happy. Luckily, I found solutions other than putting them in my bathroom. I'll be giving her suggestions a try.

What Is My Plant Telling Me? is a very informative book without being too overwhelming. It explains the basic plant care, feeding, and lighting for the 50 most popular houseplants. I love the author's work, including some basic troubleshooting and common pests for each plant, to keep our houseplants thriving. The author's frank approach of openly stating if a houseplant is beginner friendly is refreshing.

What didn't work for me were the super-tiny illustrations. I couldn't clearly see the images or writing. I would have preferred pictures of the "real" plant. That said, I'd recommend this book to any plant parents out there. I plan on adding this book to my personal library. (I'm guessing the illustrations are large paperback books)

Thank you, NetGalley and Simon Element, for providing me with a digital eARC for an honest review.

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If you are a plant mom, like me, you need this book! Emily Hinsdale walks you through successful plant ownership with practical tips and a sarcastic sense of humor. This is no ordinary plant manual or dry science textbook. Hinsdale's book has chapters on each common house plant, and the illustrations in this book are adorable as well!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

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I'm still fairly new to plant parenting, and this book was a perfect guide. Great advice in a comfortable, easy tone, with plenty of "plant puns" along the way, and adorable plant sketches to brighten the pages.

The books begins with a few pages of general advice, and then offers more specialized advice on about 50 specific plants. Expect info on soil, watering, lighting, pests, and trouble shooting (brown tips, yellow leaves, etc), all shared in an empowering and fun way. Definitely recommend!

My thanks to the author, publisher, and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.

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Very informative book on common houseplants. There are details, but succinctly written; you won’t get “deluged” by an overpoweringly amount of information. Illustrations are well done I’ve been growing houseplants for decades and there’s always something new to learn. Especially why my plants thrive or not. Definitely a book that needs to go on your bookshelf as it’ll be a great reference tool. It’ll certainly be on mine!
I received an advanced reader copy for free from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

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Thanks to NetGalley and Simon Element for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

4+ stars

Great book for plant owners. Easy to read and well laid out. Illustrations help to diagnose and tend to lots of houseplants. I will be referencing this book tons in the future.

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Every plant-parent needs a copy of this book. What Is My Plant Telling Me is an easy to read, beautifully illustrated guide for a wide range of house plants. I've tried many different plant-care books before, and this one takes the cake. I love the quick facts at the start of each section -- now I know that my Aloe Vera should be in a more shallow pot and that I need to remove those pups quicker!

This is now my go-to for house plant questions and I'll be recommending it to everyone.

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What is My Plant Telling Me?
by Emily L. Hay Hinsdale
Pub Date: September 20, 2022
Simon/Simon Element
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. Keep your house plants alive and thriving with this illustrated, accessible guide to popular house plants for new and experienced plant-parents alike.
Valuable info on how to care for plants that is beautifully illustrated and easy to read! I love plants but am not the best at growing them. Highly recommend to anyone who loves and wants to keep their plants alive!
5 stars

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A well thought-out and well structured book on caring for your houseplants. The author includes many types of common houseplants in alphabetical chapters that explain the care, feeding and troubleshooting needed to keep the plant thriving. The illustrator crafted delicate visuals of each plant often showing the healthy version, the over-watered version and the too much or too little light version. The plants were easy to identify from the excellent artwork. The information the author shared on each plant was concise, informative and very helpful. She also covered the type of soil and fertilizer each needed. I thoroughly enjoyed reading through this book and found help for many of the plants I own and learned about a few I may add to my indoor garden.

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This book is sooo cute! I am a huge houseplant enthusiast so this is right up my alley. I know a lot of plant care just from reading forums online and don't my own research, but its really nice to have a book that puts it all together for me in such an adorable format. This is a book every plant enthusiast could use in their home. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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This seems like the perfect gift book for the new gardener! I finally figured out why my healthy cactus looks the way it does! :) Can't wait to see how the illustrations play out in the print copy.

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I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a handy plant guide.

The book is broken down by different houseplants with drawings of each and information about them including common problems and how to fix them. The book also covers things like potting, repotting, and fertilizing. There's a bit of information on each plant.

Some of the most common houseplants are in this book to help you take care of them.

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