Success with Succulents

Beautiful photographs, intriguing history, helpful tips, and a 100-plant guide to some of the most interesting and unique plants on the planet.

The first chapter alone got me - 'What are cactuses and what are succulents?" -- something I had wondered myself (although I thought it was 'cacti'?). There is a great explanation in this beautiful book, and it includes cultural uses which is something I find fascinating. I was happy to see photos of cacti I own(ed), and knew that this book would be for me. I think it would make a great gift to cacti/succulent lovers as well as a great resource.

This a great book for the plant lover. It helps define the differences between cacti and succulents, and outlines some good instructions for pest control and care for these plants as houseplants. The pictures were beautiful, and have given me something to watch out for when I go to a plant store. The back contains some popular succulents that you may see in a store, or already have. I found my Eve's Needle included and was interested to see how large it can grow in a warmer climate. Very informative.

Success with Succulents by John Bagnasco and Robert Reidmuller contains a lot of inspiration for keeping and displaying cactuses and other succulents indoors or incorporating them into an outdoor garden landscape. Even without spectacular flowers those plants are fascinating to look at. They come in various geometric forms, in different sizes, look great solo, as a mass planting, or in mixed arrangements. What I like about this book are the numerous color photographs that not only show the beauty of individual succulents from close up, but also how different plants can be combined indoors and outdoors for a greater visual impact. Living in a climate with temperatures around freezing in the winter I am happy to find a couple of succulent species in this book that can be planted outdoors and tolerate this kind of weather. I love the care instructions with many tips that I did not know about, for example the moisture meter hack. After reading the detailed descriptions on how to propagate succulents I cannot wait trying it myself with the sedums on my windowsill.

As succulent's addicted I learnt a lot from this book, which is not super long but pretty dense, more, there is a 100 list of succulents to learn from, so you have the specific plant explanation. Very good book if you are a plant lover.

Come amante delle succulente, ho imparato molto da questo libro, che era breve, ma "intenso", come dire. Inoltre alla fine ci sono 100 succulente spiegate nel dettaglio e io ho potuto approfondire quelle che posseggo. Volume bello e utile se siete amanti delle piante!

THANKS TO NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

Succulents are very trendy. The success of these plants is their colourful and their adaptability. This is a 101 guide to start cultivating these beautiful plants.

Succulents have always fascinated me, and I’ve always thought it would be fun to cultivate a succulent garden. This books is the perfect introduction to this subject, and I’d definitely recommend it for anyone who is seriously thinking about bring succulents into their garden or home.

Despite their hardiness, succulents can be quite fragile if the proper water and light conditions aren’t adhered to; the light requirement is especially important to take into account when growing succulents inside your house rather than out in the garden. The authors provide many useful tips for optimizing your succulent selection to fit the hardiness and location(s) that you are planning to plant in.

The book starts off with an introduction ot succulents in general, going over the basic families of succulents and their differences, then it delves into methods and tips for growing these plants both outside and inside, and it ends with an extensive mini-encyclopedia of common succulents, complete with frost tolerance, watering recommendations, and a brief history of the species. Vibrant photos throughout create a book that’s not only informative but lovely to look at. The only thing that I felt was “missing” that could have been helpful for beginning succulent growers were some sample garden plots, optimized for different climates. However, the information contained within would likely be enough for a reader to figure out their own selection of plants.

Again, definitely recommended for those who are thinking about succulent gardening for the first time!

Success in Succulents focuses on the more technical aspects of succulent growth and care. Rich in history, each family of succulents is explained in terms of origin, ease of growth and purpose. Indoor and outdoor care to obtain the best from one’s succulents is expressed in easy-to-follow steps covering soil, placement, food and design. I found it highly informative but definitely a reference book! I read it twice to review to be sure I hadn’t misinterpreted it but the wealth of knowledge shared is too extensive to commit to memory and I can tell I’ll need to look at it again as I progress. I have two succulent beds in my garden and an array of small potted ones which have been grown from offcuts so the propagation and identification sections were very helpful. The 100 kinds of succulents at the end just made me long to expand my collection! They are a fascinating and fabulous species of plant. The visuals throughout are gorgeous! I give it a 4 out of 5 on the en-JOY-meant scale and encourage anyone looking to come to understand their succulents better or to create a succulent collection to pick it up and enjoy!

Excellent photography of different succulent species. Very clear tips and directions on propagation from both seed and cuttings. While my initial thoughts reading were “my succulent planter is all going to die” (being as I live where below zero celsius temperatures are a reality for several months of the year), as they are currently languishing in a pot on my kitchen floor with a North facing window, I realized that they haven't died yet, probably because they were on the North side of our home all summer and got acclimatized to lower light.

As well, in reading this, I realized why our jade plants in the past have all died (not enough light ending up gangly and weak and other people suggesting they just needed more water leading to over watering in general by multiple people).

A great overview with photos, growing information of a whole bunch of cactus and succulent varieties - great to flip through if you have a specific shape in mind but don't know the name or if it might be suitable to growing conditions you can provide.

Overall, this is definitely a new favorite of mine. Succulents became a specific interest for me after trying to recreate a turtle succulent topiary I had seen on Pinterest, with some of the plants failing to thrive, some outright rotting and others thriving wildly. Surprisingly, succulents bought at Ikea faired overall than the same varieties bought at a garden centre (and were cheaper to boot).

(I received a chance to read a digital copy through Net Galley and then read a physical copy as well later on in the month)

I received a free e-book copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The title of this book is self-explanatory: "Success with Succulents" is a how-to guide to caring for various species of succulents and cacti. The authors provide a general overview of these plants, and write about the basics of caring for them in various climates, both indoors and outdoors. There is a section dedicated to proper potting, followed by tips on how to propagate succulents from stem cuts or leaves. The book is closed by a lengthy overview of the most popular succulent species, complete with specific tips on how to look after them. (And there are some pieces of information I would have never thought of, such as: succulents and cacti are great as a fire barrier in hot Mediterraean climate, because they contain so much water that they effectively quench the fire that goes through them.)

I have to emphasise that the photographs are absolutely gorgeous. Even if I wasn't interested in the subject, I would love to look through this book and all the pictures included. They are stunning, and make you want to run to the nearest florist's to start your own succulent garden. Or five.

Much recommended for both novices and people with some experience in growing succulents.

Success With Succulents is a very colorful, well photographed guide to choosing and successfully growing a broad range of cacti and other succulents. Released 5th Dec, 2017 in paperback format from Quarto - Cool Springs Press, co-authors John Bagnasco and Bob Reidmuller, Jr. have between them many decades of plant and gardening knowledge which they generously share in this easy to read and well presented book.

One of the dangers of gardening books is that there's a temptation to concentrate on only the newest and most popular cultivars, making the info in the book seem outdated quickly. That's not the case here and although there are a number of gorgeous new cultivars highlighted and described, there's a solid basis of good tried-and-true general advice for getting the best performance out of and succeeding with any succulents.

The book has an easily read, accessible format. A short introduction is followed by a botanically correct (worded in layman terms) definition of the terms cactus and succulent, the difference between spines, thorns and prickles, and also covers the ranges, culture and habitats of the various members of the succulent family. All of the text is accompanied by really detailed macro photography which explain and support the text.

The next two chapters (totaling about 50% of the book's content) concern the culture and growing of succulents outdoors and indoors. The book covers choice, placement, uses and culture for a wide variety of different plants. With the emphasis on careful use of water and other precious resources, xeriscaping has a rightful place in garden design and the authors do a masterful job of presenting both the challenges and benefits of choosing the right plant for the desired use.

The table of contents includes a well indexed list of 100 featured plants representing both the classics and newer selections and covering a very broad range of styles. There's a complete alphabetical index at the end of the book which also includes conceptual and gardening terms.

My only gripe, and I do freely admit that it's a trivial one, is that the authors use 'cactuses' instead of 'cacti'. This is clearly a conscious choice (and indeed, even a search of Wikipedia shows that 'cactuses' is a perfectly acceptable plural form along with 'cacti' and 'cactus'). They use the term consistently, so stylistically it isn't a problem. It's just a case of 'po-tay-to' 'po-tah-to' and I'm on the wrong side of the fence.

In all seriousness, it's a very well written, beautifully photographed gardening book, full of good solid advice for succeeding and growing these fascinating plants well.

Four stars

I notice these days we have all become time poor, as a consequence we no longer have time for old fashion cottage gardens, with their heavy water requirements, pruning and digging and separating planting. We tend to go for structure in our planting with low maintenance and water requirements. This is where succulents come into their own.
I like a cottage garden, but we have just moved to a fairly arid part of the state and water and heat are an issue. I inherited a succulent garden, but have very little knowledge on how to grow or what is a succulent or a cacti, this book goes a long way into remedy this.. I am now happily dipping into this book for information of the needs and names of plants growing in my garden and planning future planting.
This is a great book, filled with photos and useful information, I am on my way of becoming a convert.

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely gorgeous pictures and detailed information. Gardening books can become almost clinical with instructions. However, this book manages to skirt the line of information-rich and "coffee table" quality which gardening books seldom do. It makes the reader want to look through it again and again. Additionally, the section that covers featured plants is very useful. There is an entire world out there of plants that gardeners are not exposed to on a daily basis and this section shows you the lovely plants you can get for your garden. It really is an extraordinary book and I think that any succulent lover would benefit from having it in their library. A must-have!

A must book for succulent growers......... Colourful pictures add beauty to the book........

After reading this book, I am hopeful that I will be able to grow succulents without killing them as I inevitably do. I may even try one of the friendlier-looking cacti, but I still think I'll end up sticking myself with the spines.... Wish me luck!

Beautiful guide to growing healthy succulents. I've been raising succulents for quite a few years and am still learning more and more about these hardy little plants. This book had great tips and tricks for watering, trimming, and even propagating new plants from leaves or other pieces of mature succulents. This is a perfect companion for anyone who is interested in succulents and wants them to thrive.

This is a great resource for succulent owners. Tons of color photos, details on various species, and more. If you are new to succulents, pick this one up.

**I received this copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

This is the perfect book for that person who does not have a green thumb but still tries to grow plants. You now have the perfect guide on which plants are better for indoors and which are better for outdoors. The author also explains watering, and which plants can be in full sun and which need to be in partial. Just because most are part of the cactus family not all are good in full sun, why spend the money and watch your plant die. Now you are given a helpful guide in choosing the right cactus for you and once it takes off the author has also given an area in the book for showing the reader on how to separate the plants once they take off without killing them. This book of course is not for everyone some people will think they don’t need it, but just how the aloe Vera cactus has many different varieties there is one that is for healing and you can see the picture of that so when you go to the store to buy one you know you are getting the right one. That is just one example. Overall a very good book with excellent photos and descriptions of every plant.