There are gardening books for every type of plant out there and it’s especially important when plants have special needs, like indoor plants! Some of the best indoor gardening books get into the specifics to make you a qualified house plant parent. Whether you are looking for the best indoor gardening books for beginners or something a little more advanced, these books will inspire and educate you to care for your jungalow.
While many folks find their love of houseplants BEFORE they start an outdoor garden, I’m a bit of a different bird.
I first began growing plants outdoors as part of a self-directed rehabilitation program for a sudden and severe disability. Sure, I had a few houseplants, but it wasn’t more than a few pots that I managed to keep alive. I found true healing and a deeper connection through plants and that is when the love affair happened. Experiencing the benefits and power of plants first-hand was the gateway to plants adorning all of my outdoor, and soon indoor spaces.
As I adopted indoor plants and used then in creative houseplant projects, I found myself devouring hundreds of resources including blogs, websites, and (more than anything else) books. Over time, I have collected quite a library of gardening books and I don’t want to keep these gems to myself.
This list of the best gardening books includes what is HOT and NEW in indoor plants. Houseplants are not what you remember seeing at your grandmother’s house anymore. Nope, this new decade brings us some pretty fabulous and stylin’ books to grow with.
Modern House Plant Gardening Books to Add to Your Library
If you are looking to start adding house plants to your home, or just want to learn how to actually care for the ones that you have, these 13 house plant books are the perfect place to start. They are cool, creative, and chock-full of great growing information. Plus, each of these can be revered by both the beginner and the more advanced indoor gardener.
1. Wild at Home: How to Style and Care For Beautiful Plants
Wild At Home by Hilton Carter is a terrific introduction to house plants for beginners that includes everything you need to know about growing and caring for house plants. This book helps those with green thumbs too because it gives insightful information about styling your plants to show them off. 
2. The Indestructible Houseplant: 200 Beautiful Plants That Everyone Can Grow
The Indestructible Houseplant by Tovah Martin is a wonderful reference that gives very good tips on various house plants that are easy to grow for people who do not have the most ideal conditions in their homes. It provides plant profiles with succinct information on watering, light, and blooming times. It also includes tips on care and maintenance as well as ideas for how to use plants as indoor decor.
3. How Not to Kill Your Houseplant: Survival Tips for the Horticulturally Challenged
How Not To Kill Your Houseplant by Veronica Peerless covers the main one hundred or so houseplants and gives the basic care information that you need as well as common pests and problems each plant may experience. My favorite part is the photo-index of plants! It makes it very easy to look up a plant even when you don’t know its name.
4. Living Decor: Plants, Potting and DIY Projects – Botanical Styling with Fiddle-Leaf Figs, Monsteras, Air Plants, Succulents, Ferns, and More of Your Favorite Houseplants
Living Decor by Maria Colletti gives a lot of helpful tips around how to style and display your indoor plants. Additionally, she gives great instructions for easy-to-follow DIY projects for your new plant babies as you incorporate plants into your home.
I’m a big fan of Colleti – so much so that I invited her to do a guest post for me! Check out this gorgeous moss terrarium she created, and make one of your own too!
5. Grow in the Dark: How to Choose and Care for Low-Light Houseplants
Grow In The Dark by Lisa Eldred Steinkopf is by far one of the very best plant care books on low-light plants. Its tips are helpful for beginners and experienced green thumbs alike. This book features a directory of houseplants that tolerate low light for anyone who isn’t blessed with south-facing windows or other good sources of light for houseplants.
I put together a great resource recently with nine of my favorite low light indoor plants, and used this book quite a bit to help my plants thrive!
6. Urban Jungle: Living and Styling with Plants
Urban Jungle by Igor Josifovic is a beautiful book about styling with plants. While the book itself focuses on just a few specific breeds of plants, this book is a must-read if you’re looking for styling inspiration! This book is laid out almost like a magazine with tons of gorgeous images and ideas throughout.
7. Plant Parenting: Easy Ways to Make More Houseplants, Vegetables, and Flowers
Plant Parenting by Leslie F. Halleck is a must-have for anyone looking to expand their plant family (isn’t her title so cute?). It covers anything and everything you’ve ever wanted to know about how to make more baby plants. This is an awesome resource for beginners to learn about propagation and how to grow offshoots!
8. Houseplants: The Complete Guide to Choosing, Growing, and Caring for Indoor Plants
The amazing photographs in Houseplants by Lisa Eldred Steinkopf will help you to identify any plants you have, their potential issues and other varieties you may enjoy as well. Each page features one plant and gives a quick rundown of the plant’s basic requirements. This one has a prominent place on my shelf—I reach for it all the time.
9. New Plant Parent: Develop Your Green Thumb and Care for Your House-Plant Family
The New Plant Parent by Darryl Cheng talks about what it means to be a plant “parent”. Its easy-to-follow tips and tricks just make sense, even for experienced plant parents.
If you have plants and can’t figure out why they’re dying, this book will help you figure out why. I like that this book helps build your confidence and instinct as a plant parent—you’ll learn how to listen to your gut when it comes to plant care!
10. Air Plants: The Curious World of Tillandsias
In the past, finding growing information for tillandsias has been difficult and is often overly vague and broad. Not anymore. With Air Plants by Zenaida Sengo, you’ll get helpful information on the different types of air plants and useful guidelines for watering, fertilizing, and displaying your tillandsias.
If you are interested in hearing a bit about air plants to give caring for one a try prior to purchasing an entire book, I have written several helpful resources on the blog. Learn about how to care for an air plant, how to properly water one, and even make your own gorgeous air plant display!
11. The New Terrarium: Creating Beautiful Displays for Plants and Nature
The New Terrarium by Tovah Martin tells you everything that you need to know to start a terrarium or to keep one growing. It covers the soil, rocks, whether or not you should add a cover and so much more. If you’re at all interested in this kind of display, this is the book to reach for! It has everything you need to know about how to create stunning terrariums.
12. Terrarium Craft: Create 50 Magical, Miniature Worlds
Terrarium Craft by Amy Bryant Aiello and Kate Bryant features fifty original designs that you can re-create or use as inspiration for your own design. Each project comes with clear step-by-step directions on how to assemble and care for your terrarium.
13. Plant Craft: 30 Projects that Add Natural Style to Your Home
The projects in Plant Craft by Caitlin Atkinson range from tabletop gardens to hanging sculptures to vertical wall gardens. They vary in difficulty, but most can be made in only an hour or two. Given the right care, they all have the potential to grace your home for a long time.
My Books
Last, but not least, I have written several books, all rooted in a love for nature and plants. If you’re interested in learning more about starting seeds, herbal skincare recipes, projects to beautify your garden and more, check out my own books.
My first book, Garden Made, has some great houseplant projects like this one on making sand art terrariums.
Just stopping by the comments section to say I just came across your site as I’ve been diving deeper into my houseplant collection during quarantine, and this is such a lovely resource! Thanks and happy gardening!
Thank you so much, Mindy. Welcome!