How to plant a room and grow a happy home

Ceramicist Doane and Cleverbloom blogger Harding follow up their How to Raise a Plant with this fun effort to grow the "house plant club." The authors aim their advice at plant collectors looking to take "things a step further" with "fun and easy projects that will take your plant collection to the next level." A section on water propagation features instructions for forcing bulbs in a mason jar, while the instructions for hanging plants cover kokedama (a Japanese "sphere-shaped, moss-wrapped plant") and air plants (which are "gorgeous" and "low-maintenance"), plus a DIY beaded plant hanger. There are ideas for terrariums, as well as wall art designs: a mounted wall garden brings the forest indoors, while a framed one looks great hung with chains. All the projects come together in a final chapter on how to create a "well-planted" room, which requires using one's imagination while grouping "pieces with similar care needs," using furniture that can "double as an oversized plant stand," and centering a display around one's favorite plant type. The authors make growing and maintenance feel doable, and their projects are infused with creativity. Interior decorators with a green thumb will appreciate this sage plant advice. (Aug.)

Doane and Harding (How To Raise a Plant and Make It Love You) are the founders of the popular House Plant Club on Instagram. Here, they've taken that focus and turned it into a book about decorating rooms with plants. This title takes growing, propagating, and displaying house plants a step further. The text is filled with colorful instructional photos. Chapters cover an array of topics, such as working with water, hanging plants, growing items in glass containers, and living wall art. Once readers assess their own situation by matching the right plants with the right room, these ideas can result in striking indoor gardens, or "planted rooms," as the authors call it. Basic skills such as propagation, care of plants, types of containers, choosing correct plants, and caring for specimens are also covered. VERDICT This useful work will appeal to a wide range of indoor gardeners, who are looking to revive or elevate their indoor collection. Instructions are clear and easy to follow. There are fresh ideas for readers to explore and expand upon, irrespective of the size of their space.--Deborah A. Broocker