5 Books for the Modern Plant Parent
This book was my gateway into the world of indoor plants. I had just started developing a plant addition in 2020 (like so many others!) when I read “Wild at Home.” After I feasted my eyes on the maximalist plant aesthetic in the pages of Carter’s book, I felt full permission to start to really expand my plant collection. Carter’s love of plants goes beyond just aesthetics; he really cares about the well-being of his living organisms. Hilton Carter was the first example I had seen of someone who decorated their home with an abundance of plants while giving practical tips on how to love each house plant into full health.
Wild Interiors by Hilton Carter
Carter’s second book is a collection of plant parent home tours. The photos are beautiful, inspirational, and intimate. I often flip through this book during stressful times, just to relax a bit. As in his first book, he pays equal attention to the beauty of decorating with plants as he does actual plant care. I learned so much about where to place certain plants around my home just by observing the lighting that works well for different plants in the homes Carter showcases. He also suggests plants that group well together in different rooms of the home.
This book focuses on indoor and outdoor plants, climate, and groups of plants that thrive together. While still a great introductory plant book, it is a bit more technical than the others and I learned some more advanced plant care tips from Chongue. He is one of the founders of Melbourne-based, The Plant Society, whose ceramic planter collection and online shop have me wishing I lived in Australia.
Plantopedia by Lauren Camilleri and Sophia Kaplan
This book is a gorgeous coffee table book that serves as a useful reference guide. It is beautifully displayed on an entry table in my home, and the gold font and forest green cover with a vintage-style botanical drawing easily catch the eye. I often find myself opening the index to find one of my plants that I’m having a particular issue with that needs troubleshooting. One of my friends asked me to come over recently to do a little consultation for her struggling plants, and this was the book I chose to bring with me for easy reference.
Indoor Jungle by Lauren Camilleri and Sophia Kaplan
This is another beautiful book I own by the owners of Leaf Supply in Sydney. Like the aforementioned Hilton Carter books, Indoor Jungle seeks to inspire with plant care tips, styling advice, plant parent interviews, and gorgeous photography. This is another book that I enjoy just looking through for stress relief. The beautifully styled vignettes really do calm the nerves.
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For more book recommendations, I write a monthly email about my family’s favorite books. My most popular article on Medium is “7 Paradigm-Shifting Nonfiction Books to Read This Year.” Thank you for reading!