Am I an orchid person? [The Kew Gardener's Guide to Growing Orchids by Philip Seaton]

I am a plant lover and I love my green thumb. When I got back into plants a few years ago, but specifically in the early stages of the succulent hype, I told myself I'd likely never get into succulents. They didn't appeal to me. Because I'd long equated them with death I'd said the same thing with roses but now, as I've aged, every time I see mini-roses sold for cheap at Shop-Rite I do a little pro/con balancing act, contemplating whether to buy. Orchids had been a family of plants I had also written off. I'm not a big fan of flowers, I'm a foliage person, so orchids never really did it for me. But in recent years I've come around to appreciate their beauty.

By default, because of my plant love, when somebody buys plants I'm the caretaker. A few years ago my mother bought herself an orchid. With north-facing windows (slightly northeast) that plant was doomed. But somehow I kept it going. It saw new leaves, new roots, new spikes. One day - maybe it couldn't suffer with a bare minimum reception of light, maybe I erroneously changed its environment, who knows - it gave up. The struggle was fun, I won't lie. Because of that experience I learned a lot about orchids and plants and I have since felt willing and ready to tackle the orchid care struggle again. Had I had this book that struggle would have probably been a lot easier.

Philip Seaton's The Kew Gardener's Guide to Growing Orchids showcases a handful (I'd estimate less than 100) of individual orchids, with year-long care tips and classification details for each. There being more than 20,000 species of plant in the Orchidaceae family, this is a slim offering. But something too extensive wouldn't make sense, only so many are grown as houseplants or collected. Overcultivation of orchid species has been a conservation issue for many years. Too much spotlight might add fuel to the fire. Personally, I took note of several specimens I'd like to add to my personal houseplant collection or try my hand at growing once I have a yard.

Concise, yet detailed informational blurbs are interrupted with orchid project instructions that inspire orchid appreciation. Hanging orchids in baskets, mounting orchids, orchid - all projects I'm unlikely to ever do, but if I ever did I'd feel comfortable following the clear instructions presented here. 

Because I'm not yet an orchid person I won't be buying this book anytime soon, but I would definitely recommended it and refer back to it as a resource once I do fall into that hole. 4 stars.

The Kew Gardener's Guide to Growing Orchids is set for publication January 21st, 2020.