Succulents (Idiot's Guides) Paperback – December 1, 2015

Bought 3 books. This is the only one that has the information I need. Others read like a blog and I don't want another's personal opinion or love of houseplants; I just want information that I can use. I refer to this book often.

I have recently become interested in succulents and I needed a book to tell me how to care for them, and all the different ways they can be displayed. Found this used book, and although it was listed in excellent condition (which it was!), even with the shipping charges, it was still MUCH cheaper that a new book. The pictures are clear and show details. Just a very interesting book. I am tickled to have found it!

good starting book

This is a nice book with great pictures and lot's of step by step instructions via print and picture for arrangements. This book does not go into detail about each succulent, so if that is what you are looking for, this is not the book for you. Each page on chapter 5 covers one succulent. You get one to two sentences describing the succulent and bullet points on size, water, sun, hardiness, and pairing. I truly appreciate the pairing section. For me, this book would have received 5 stars if chapter 5 would have covered more succulents.

This book pretty much covers everything you'll need to know if you're getting started in the "succulent world". For years I resisted buying succulents but, when it became apparent that I couldn't grow what I wanted in pots on my front deck, I capitulated and bought a bunch of succulents. Of course, I knew NOTHING about them so bought this book. Now I'm propagating my own plants, have learned to identify Echeveria from a Haworthia, and have learned that most succulents grow well in the sun -- something I should have known before I bought all those sun-loving succulents for my shady deck. This book is well laid out, very well written and has a great "encyclopedia" of many types of succulents. If you only buy one book when you're starting out, make it this one.

I recently got in to the succulent hobby and I’ve been looking for a book that talks about everything a beginner would need to know from watering, light, propagation, has 100’s of plants for beginners and tells how to take care of the plant. It has different stuff you can do with succulent and cacti. It literally explains everything and in lamins terms. Very to understand but it isn’t “kiddy” like. Beautiful pictures and very nice book. I have several books on succulents (been trying to find a good book) and this one is for sure the best out there!! And I would say it’s not just for beginners. It’s for anyone that loves succulents and cacti. It has info everyone needs to know and how to do things and explains so well.

Excellent book for a beginner succulent lover. The identification section is great. It gives you a clear, gorgeous photo of each type along with a brief description. What I found most helpful though is that for each variety, the author gives you a list telling the mature size, water & sun needs, hardiness zone, & also what other variety it pairs well with. There is a lot of easy to follow guidance for choosing arrangement types and how to make them, best ways to propogate and general care. Although a lot of this info could be found online, it is so much easier to have it all in one place. Also, I read so many online articles that just left me confused. Not so with this book. It is very informative and easy to understand.

I *really* like this book. The first half is filled with generic information--repotting, propagating through cuttings/leaves, seed germination, home-made soil recipes, pest control and a handful of cute DIY projects. It gives a good well-rounded education and is perfect for a beginner looking for a little bit of guidance.The Second half is a succulent/aloe/cactus identification. There are a *lot* of succulents, some aloes and just a few cacti, each with pictures and care instructions. I find that I spend most of my time in this section of the book. Of the handful of gardening/plant books that I have, this one is definitely the most well-used.