A Must-Have Book

Growing up, I always saw this book in our den, alongside some rare, really old, and interesting books my parents had. I never took a second look at it, it never piqued my curiosity. It's even older than me! It was originally published in 1952, and my parents acquired it in May of 1974.

22 years later as I discovered my love and fondness for plants, especially flowers of all kinds, I've been so hungry for information. My dad directed me to this old book, his favorite plant book. Its pages are almost yellow, and its hard-bound cover rugged in the edges, which I think adds to its character.

I have to say it was quite "lucky" among the other books here at home because it was spared my vandals as a kid. I used to color on encyclopedia sets and my parents' other precious books!! :P

Philippine Ornamental Plants and Their Care by Dr. Mona Lisa Steiner is a must-have for plant lovers, amateur and professional gardeners alike.


It's more of a treasure chest for me than a book! It's complete with pictures (which greatly helped me in plant identification), information on propagation, soil types, there's even a part that tells you how to create hybrids! And, as the title says, Philippine ornamental plants... it's got everything (shrubs, poisonous plants, vines, ornamental trees, odd plants... you get the point:) here. Even if it was published decades ago, it provides timeless information.

It's considered a rare book, but you can purchase the used versions online (although a seller in Amazon's selling it for $75!). I have yet to check the local bookstores for brand new versions, which I'm not sure are available anymore.

If you're interested in buying it, there are other more affordable options you can check out, just click on the links below:

Tamarind Books

Ebay

AntiqBook

Happy reading :)