AT HOME WITH PLANTS

An exhaustive guide to indoor gardening with enough information and helpful tips to reassure even the timid owners of dying philodendron. With a tactful nudge to the amateur, Miss Lee discusses best plant buys for the novice and what to start off with. The section on ""Basic Factors of Plant Care in the Home"" seems to cover everything--light and air, temperature, watering (tepid water, please!), pot soil, fertilizer, etc. There is a stimulating section on decorating with plants, including fun things like window gardens, terrariums, child's gardens, and so on. There is an alphabetically listed collection of plant profiles with care suggestions. Some favorites may have been by-passed, but in general this is a competent round-up of some of the more appealing plants. The author's style may be a bit pedestrian, but she knows her ornithogalum and is very kind to newcomers. Reliable.