The New Plant Parent: Develop Your Green Thumb and Care for Your House-Plant Family

By Darryl Cheng

Book Overview

Bring science, observation, and confidence to your houseplant care with this modern classic from plant expert and creator of House Plant Journal Darryl Cheng.

Rather than relying on rigid rules, Cheng teaches readers how to understand what plants need and how to create the right balance of light, water, nutrients, and care for long-term success. The book's core approach is built around learning to see your plants the way nature does, helping you grow healthier, happier indoor plants with less frustration.

Perfect for both beginners and experienced plant owners, The New Plant Parent covers the essentials of indoor gardening, including lighting, watering, fertilizing, containers, pruning, propagation, plant selection, common pests, and troubleshooting. Whether you're caring for a pothos on a bookshelf, a monstera in your living room, or a growing collection of tropical houseplants, Cheng provides practical guidance grounded in observation and understanding.

With accessible full-color photography, personal anecdotes, and clear explanations, this bestselling guide helps readers move beyond guesswork and develop the skills to become attentive, successful plant parents. By learning how plants grow in nature and how they respond to their environment, you'll gain the confidence to nurture a thriving indoor garden for years to come.

Cheng writes, "My goal in writing this book is to empower you to understand your home's growing conditions, to be observant, and to accept what nature has in store. . . . I want to help you break away from old habits and ways of thinking that hinder you from truly enjoying plant parenthood."

"By learning to care for a plant holistically, and tapping into how each plant would grow in nature, you'll be able to raise happier, healthier plants." --Growfully

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1419732390
• ISBN13: 9781419732393
• Release Date: March 2019
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 1.22 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 7.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Honest Review

This book is GREAT. Its perfect for people like me who are indeed new plant parents lol. I love that its split in parts. Where you are learning about the all around care and nuturing of the plant in part 1. And part 2 are detailed info and care plan for a list of plants. However i found the plant selections he talked about a little limited. For example, yes he talked about Monsteras but it was only the monstera deliciosa. I wish he had shown more of the different kind like my fav (monstera adonsonii) And sure maybe the info is applicable to all monstera plants but I just wanted to see more variations like he did for pothos. But idk Im just being picky. It was still helpful because I have two pothos plants. It does the job of being great for a beginner!