This Second's Obsession

Six Books to Grow Your Houseplant Obsession

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A picture of all the books mentioned in this post

Houseplants have been one of my interests since I first moved in with my partner, back in 2014. I was moving into a new build and was concerned about the air quality, and even though I quickly learned that you need a LOT of houseplants to make any real difference to the air quality, I wasn’t put off! I quickly became obsessed.

The intensity of my interest has waned since, but it’s something I’ve kept up with and now my windowsills and bookshelves and various ‘sides’ are overflowing with houseplants, and I regularly give plant babies as gifts.

Along the way, I’ve turned to various books for advice and inspiration. Here are my recommendations if you’re getting into the joy of houseplants or want to take your interest further:

How To Grow Stuff by Alice Vincent

This is probably the first book I read about growing things, and although I don’t own a copy (I borrowed it from the library and took copious notes) it’s definitely the book I would buy for friends and family members who wanted to get into gardening. It’s not exclusively about houseplants, so is best for people who either have a bit of outdoor space, or want to get a bit of outdoor space in the future, and are interested in growing herbs as well as houseplants. If you’re only interested in houseplants, you might prefer my next recommendation.

Buy: Amazon | Bookshop.org (affiliate links)

Living With Plants by Sophie Lee

This is another beginner’s book, but this one is entirely about houseplants. It’s also a beautiful book, so makes a great gift. It has just enough information to get you started without being overwhelming, and plenty of lovely images. What I really like about it is that it includes lots of tutorials for houseplant-related crafts and different types of displays. The author, Sophie Lee, used to run houseplant store geo-fleur, and is now a yarn dyer and the founder of Yorkshire Yarn Fest.

Buy: Amazon | Bookshop.org (affiliate links)

Urban Jungle: Styling and Living with Plants by Igor Josifovic and Judith de Graff

This book is so inspirational! Every page is full of images, showcasing various people’s plant-filled homes, spotlighting particular plants and different ways to style them, and sharing tips and tutorials. This is definitely one for you if you’re excited by the creative potential of houseplants and how they can contribute to interior design.

Buy: Amazon | Bookshop.org (affiliate links)

Tiny Tabletop Gardens by Emma Hardy

This book does what is says on the tin – it’s all about creating groupings of plants that can adorn tables both inside and out (it’s not exclusively a houseplant book). The images and projects are beautiful and it’s one I really want to make the most of in the future. Unfortunately at the moment I’ a little short on tabletop space!

Buy: Amazon (affiliate link)

Root Nurture Grow: The Essential Guide to Propagating and Sharing Houseplants by Caro Langton and Rose Ray

My favourite thing about houseplants is that it’s relatively easy to make more – to propagate them. I love trying different methods and giving plants away to my friends and family. And this book is the propagation bible. It is brilliantly comprehensive and gorgeously designed. This is a must if you want to take your relationship with plants to the next level, or are looking for a gift for an already well-established houseplant lover.

Buy: Amazon | Bookshop.org (affiliate links)

The Houseplant Expert by Dr D.G. Hessayon

This book is out of print and can be highly sought after, and there are lots of different editions floating around dating from as far back as 1960. I was lucky and found the 1996 edition in a charity shop, but there are some copies available on Amazon and it’s worth checking any second-hand bookshops near you. It’s not the prettiest book, the photos are quite dated, but it’s really detailed. Some of the currently-fashionable houseplants aren’t listed, with other plants that are less common now taking their place, however I found this quite interesting as it meant I was reading about plants I’d not seen on a hundred Instagram feeds. I could pore over it for hours!

Buy: Amazon (affiliate link)

Five Ways to Prepare for NaNoWriMo

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It’s nearly what for many writers is the most wonderful time of year – NaNoWriMo!

This will be my fifth go at NaNoWriMo, and hopefully my third win – fourth if you count CampNaNo in April. Thanks to the power of NaNo, I’ve drafted two novels in the last year, so here are my tips for making the event a success:

1. Clear your plate

Prepare to concentrate as fully as you can on your new novel in November. This week, clean your home, book in appointments and chats with your friends, finish or park your other projects, meal plan – whatever it is you can to minimise distractions in November.

I wouldn’t plan to do nothing else but write in November, you are a fully-rounded human who is more than their word count, but if you can plan your other tasks now, you will have to think about them less when you’ll want to be concentrating on your novel (or whatever other form of writing you will be indulging in).

2. Plan your writing routine

The ‘ideal’ daily goal for NaNo is 1,667 words per day, however, that’s not a suitable goal for everyone. Some people set themselves lower targets on weekdays and higher at weekends, or vice versa. Personally, I expect to write more at weekends, but I also like to try and ‘front load’ NaNo and write extra during the first week, so that if there are any slowdowns later on, I don’t need to worry too much about reaching my goal.

It’s also helpful to think about when in the day you’re going to write. Before work, on your lunch break, in the evening, or all three?

Lots of writers also like to take this time to set up their writing space in their home and make sure they’ve stocked up on snacks!

3. Plan what you’re going to read

Yes, read! I am a firm believer in filling the well of words to keep your writing flowing. But what helps you write is very personal. Some authors like to read in the same genre or to work their way through a pile of research books that will directly feed into their writing. Others have to read books that are completely different from what they’re working on.

Whatever approach works for you, make sure your To Be Read pile is stacked!

4. Find your community

On the NaNoWriMo website you can find people near you who are taking part, as well as virtual write-ins for those of us who would rather write from home.

But that’s not the only way to find support for the month – you could reach out on social media to find friends to write with and/or cheer on.

5. Plan your novel…unless you’re a ‘pantser’

I think this one goes without saying, really. If you are someone who benefits from having a plan to fall back on, this is the time to put it together.

Even if you’re a pantser, you might like to jot down some notes about characters and themes and the direction you want the novel to explore.

So those are my top five tips for NaNoWriMo – follow me on social media (Twitter and Instagram) to see how I get on!