With their refined beauty and elegant flower form, moth orchids (members of the genus Phalaenopsis are the basic black of the orchid world. In fact, moth orchids are the most popular orchids in the world, accounting for a staggering 75 percent of all orchid plant sales. More than merely beautiful, they are also among the easiest orchids to grow, whether in greenhouses, on windowsills, or under artificial lights. Professional horticulturalist and orchid expert Steven A. Frowine, author of Miniature Orchids, focuses on the new orchid stars while also providing a detailed look at the classic hybrids and species. Readers will be enticed by the book's lavish color photographs and gratified by the wealth of practical advice on selecting and buying moth orchids. Most importantly, Frowine shares his secrets on how these glorious plants can be grown to perfection, with recommendations about light levels, potting media, watering, and feeding.

Build a natural pond for wildlife, beauty, and quiet contemplation Typical backyard ponds are a complicated mess of pipes, pumps, filters, and nasty chemicals designed to adjust pH and keep algae at bay. Hardly the bucolic, natural ecosystem beloved by dragonflies, frogs, and songbirds. The antidote is a natural pond, free of hassle, cost, and complexity and designed as a fully functional ecosystem, ideal for biodiversity, swimming, irrigation, and quiet contemplation. Building Natural Ponds is the first step-by-step guide to designing and building natural ponds that use no pumps, filters, chemicals, or electricity and mimic native ponds in both aesthetics and functionality. Highly illustrated with how-to drawings and photographs, coverage includes: Understanding pond ecosystems and natural algae control Planning, design, siting, and pond aesthetics Step-by-step guidance for construction, plants and fish, and maintenance and trouble shooting Scaling up to large ponds, pools, bogs, and rain gardens. Whether you're a backyard gardener looking to add a small serene natural water feature or a homesteader with visions of a large pond for fish, swimming, and irrigation, Building Natural Ponds is the complete guide to building ponds in tune with nature, where plants, insects, and amphibians thrive in blissful serenity. Robert Pavlis , a Master Gardener with over 40 years of gardening experience, is owner and developer of Aspen Grove Gardens, a six-acre botanical garden featuring over 2,500 varieties of plants. A well-respected speaker and teacher, Robert has published articles in Mother Earth News , Ontario Gardening magazine, the widely read blog GardenMyths.com, which explodes common gardening myths and gardening information site GardenFundamentals.com.

Garden Myths examines over 120 horticultural urban legends. Turning wisdom on its head, Robert Pavlis dives deep into traditional garden advice and debunks the myths and misconceptions that abound. He asks critical questions and uses science-based information to understand plants and their environment. Armed with the truth, Robert then turns this knowledge into easy-to-follow advice. - Is fall the best time to clean the garden? - Do bloom boosters work?- Will citronella plants reduce mosquitoes in the garden?- Do pine needles acidify soil?- Should tomatoes be suckered?- Should trees be staked at planting time? - Can burlap keep your trees warm in winter?- Will a pebble tray increase humidity for houseplants? "Garden Myths is a must-read for anyone who wants to use environmentally sound practices. This fascinating and informative book will help you understand plants better, reduce unnecessary work, convince you to buy fewer products and help you enjoy gardening more."

Build healthy soil and grow better plants Robert Pavlis, a gardener for over four decades, debunks common soil myths, explores the rhizosphere, and provides a personalized soil fertility improvement program in this three-part popular science guidebook. Healthy soil means thriving plants. Yet untangling the soil food web and optimizing your soil health is beyond most gardeners, many of whom lack an in-depth knowledge of the soil ecosystem. Soil Science for Gardeners is an accessible, science-based guide to understanding soil fertility and, in particular, the rhizosphere – the thin layer of liquid and soil surrounding plant roots, so vital to plant health. Coverage includes: Soil biology and chemistry and how plants and soil interact Common soil health problems, including analyzing soil's fertility and plant nutrients The creation of a personalized plan for improving your soil fertility, including setting priorities and goals in a cost-effective, realistic time frame. Creating the optimal conditions for nature to do the heavy lifting of building soil fertility Written for the home gardener, market gardener, and micro-farmer, Soil Science for Gardeners is packed with information to help you grow thriving plants.

“This beautiful book is useful for all of us, novice and experienced orchid lovers alike.” —Martha Stewart, author, entrepreneur, founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Add the vibrant colors and exotic blooms of orchids to your houseplant haven! It’s easier than you think with the help of Orchid Modern. Marc Hachadourian, the curator of the orchid collection at the New York Botanical Garden, shares his secrets to successfully growing these sometimes finicky houseplants. Besides the basics, you’ll learn his top 120 orchid picks for green and not-so-green thumbs. Ten inspirational, step-by-step projects, including terrariums, a wreath, and a kokedama, provide the confidence to make orchids a thriving, vivid part of your home’s signature style.

What if getting your orchids to rebloom was as easy as following a simple instruction manual?! IT IS THAT EASY! There are three easy steps to happy reblooming orchids: 1) If you know what kind of orchids you have, 2) and you know what the native habitat is like for that orchid, 3) and you reproduce the conditions found your orchid's native habitat, YOUR ORCHID MUST REBLOOM!!!

Have you miserably failed at growing Moth Orchids or Phalaenopsis? Can't get them to rebloom? LOOK NO FURTHER! As the sensationally popular founder of Ohio Tropics, Raffaele has created this easy to understand eBook that covers all the critical topics for the complete novice to successfully grow Moth Orchids: purchasing your first orchid, light, watering, fertilizing, temperature, humidity, flowering, repotting and pests. It will completely demystify how to grow these plants, and is written in a language that EVERYONE can understand! Even if you know nothing about houseplants or have a black thumb, you can read this book in about an hour and have a newfound confidence in easily growing Phalaenopsis orchids! Please note that this is NOT a picture book. There are links however to the author's blog site at www.ohiotropics.com that illustrate many concepts visually and provide further reference. The author stands behind this book so much that you can contact Raffaele at any time after you read the book and he will answer all of your questions. Raffaele firmly believes that anyone can learn how to easily grow these plants after reading this easy to understand eBook. As the creator of www.ohiotropics.com, and founder and curator of the wildly popular @ohiotropics account on Instagram, Raffaele has taught houseplant care to tens of thousands of people. Take a look at some testimonials: "I have never been able to rebloom an orchid by simply following the tag on my store purchased orchids. A friend recommended Raffaele, and I immediately began scanning his blog for info on orchids. I now realize why my orchids were not reblooming. I ditched the ice cube watering system that is somehow still all over the web and began following Raffaele's instructions. Within weeks, I had a new flower spike! My plants are thriving, and I am a happy camper. Thank you, Ohio Tropics!" Jackie in Winchester, Virginia"Not only do I have a black thumb but I travel frequently and have a cat. I didn't think it was possible to grow anything in my house. Raffaele helped me to understand that orchids are not intimidating. In fact, they are quite robust and require very little attention. I would highly recommend his advice and this eBook. If I can get an orchid to re-bloom you can too!" Meredith in Cleveland, Ohio "As a Horticulturalist, I am truly inspired and impressed with Raffaele's remarkable plant blog at www.ohiotropics.com. Ohio Tropics has enriched the plant community through factual information, knowledge, and understanding of plant care, as well as providing a place they can go to learn something new." Marisa Reyes in Wisconsin"Ohio Tropics changed the way I water all of my plants, and they're happier for it! He's so helpful, positive, and fun to follow!"Bethany in Michigan

Packed with photos, including 8 pages in full color Color your world with orchids Orchids are beautiful, fragrant, wonderfully varied, and surprisingly affordable. But aren't they hard to grow at home? No! says orchid grower extraordinaire Steve Frowine. In this handy guide, he shows you step by step how to select the right orchids, keep them healthy, encourage blooms, and even propagate your own plants. Discover how to: * Select orchids that will thrive in your home * Water, fertilize, repot, and propagate orchids * Decipher complicated orchid names * Get familiar with favorite orchid varieties * Create spectacular orchid displays