Until the past few years, foreign entries into North America’s buoyant garden book market were almost exclusively British. Germany, which has a long and storied history of horticulture and plant breeding, was not well represented on publishers’ lists. But a recent spate of English translations of German titles (last fall, Portland-based Timber Press offered six translations of German books) has shifted the balance a little.

In producing this English version of The Houseplant Encyclopedia, Key Porter Books has used two Canadian translators: Swiss-born Maya Anyas, and Joan Campbell, a houseplant enthusiast and former professor of German history. Sam Benvie, a Toronto landscape designer who teaches university courses in horticulture, was the North American consultant.
The first 120 pages (approximately one-third) of the book is a general houseplant primer. We learn how to buy and place them, then how to cultivate, water, and propagate them. There are also well-researched facts on recognizing and combating specific pests and diseases. The section finishes with esthetics: containers, bonsai, miniature gardens, climbers, and (moving outdoors) window boxes and tub plants for the patio or balcony.

The rest of the book contains an alphabetic listing, from Abutilon to Zebrina, of over 500 genera – including more than 1,000 species – of “the most beautiful plants” commonly grown in homes and cool or tropical conservatories. A final brief section includes short listings for 166 specialties and rarities.

The photography is outstanding, with each page displaying two or three full-colour in situ and studio shots. Plant listings feature icons for light, water, fertilizing, and humidity requirements, followed by detailed information on habitat, flowering time, location, care, propagation, and pests. But what makes the book truly valuable are the authors’ suggestions on how to use the plant (“trouble-free plant for hot south windows”) and numerous boldly displayed tips (“underwatering will not hurt Sansevieria but overwatering can kill it”).

There are two minor faults. One is that many of the cultivars listed are European and thus commercially unavailable here. The other is that the authors are inconsistent in providing plant heights. How tall might allamanda or callistemon grow in our solariums? Alas, we have to turn to another source to find out.

But on the whole, The Houseplant Encyclopedia contains a wealth of information for everyone from the windowsill begonia enthusiast to the accomplished glasshouse grower, and will be a welcome addition to the garden bookshelf.