Decorating with Plants

March 4, 2019
Chapman (The Plant Recipe Book), founder of San Francisco’s Lila B. plant design studio, offers an easily followed roadmap to horticultural success with this well-appointed guide, supplemented with attractive images from photographer Aubrie Pick. After declaring that everyone can learn to garden, she sets out to communicate the basics of indoor plant use—settling on a style and budget, matching plants with the right soil, repotting plants, knowing how often to water—before moving onto her go-to plant list, which includes orchids, spider plants, and air plants. For each, Chapman gives the basics—care level, required lighting, soil, watering, fertilizing, temperature, and size—accompanied by a full-page color photo. Part II discusses which species to use in which rooms, from the bedroom (chrysanthemums, English ivy), to the dining room (hydrangeas, hellebore), to one’s home office (neon cactus, earth star). As a San Franciscan, Chapman is also attentive to space constraints, a point she drives home with “small space, big impact” ideas, such as “Standouts for the Coffee Table,” “Clear Your Countertops,” and “Repurposed Accessories.” Chapman’s inviting tone mixed with the gorgeous photography makes for an ideal volume for the brown- and green-thumbed alike.

Starred review from April 1, 2019
No black-thumb talk allowed here. Instead, horticulturist Chapman (The Plant Recipe Book, 2014) encourages readers to add a green thing (or two or three) to every room in the house?for mood, tone, fragrance, clean air, and just plain good looks. The initial homework's already complete: a list of 28 can't-kill-'em, hardy plants, from air plants to ZZs (aka Zanzibar gems), each with good notes about care level, light, soil, watering, fertilizer, temperature, and size, and a good color photograph. Preceding these profiles is an array of information, such as SOS tips (ever heard of guttation or tiny water drops on leaves?); guidelines for carrying, potting, and repotting; and other educational topics. Her room-by-room ideas follow, led by a primer about plant attributes, vessels, and design basics. Best yet are the inspiring photographs: page after page of looks for coffee tables, kitchen herbs, dresser treatments, office bookshelfs, all with enough useful description to take to the garden center. Six specific do-it-yourself projects complete her gentle lessons: a Victorian pot-et-fleur (fakes with real plants) or a kokedama (a living vase), complete with materials, instructions, and photographs. An always-growing reference for any room, any lifestyle.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)