Linda's Orchid Page -- http://lgcy.com/orchids
WELCOME TO MY PRIVATE LIBRARY
"What is a good orchid book to buy?" This is the most frequent
question visitors have asked me since I published my Orchid Page.
In an attempt to answer this question, here is a selected list of
my books I have personally purchased and used during my "addiction"
Another great source of information is orchid magazines which I
subscribe and have listed at the end of this page.
All of these books may be purchased from the American Orchid Society,
or you should be able to find a lot of them in most large book stores
like Barnes and Noble. Your local orchid suppliers and garden shops
are another place to look. You might also consider a trip to your
local public library to see what is available. I recommend, however,
that you purchase your own personal copy of the books you find useful.
I have divided this list into 3 sections: recommended books for the
Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced orchid growers.
My Recommended Books for the Beginner
GROWING ORCHIDS
by The American Orchid Society 1993
AOS Book # 100 Price $8.95
This is a great little starter book which covers the most common
grown orchids. In this book, you will find chapters on cultivation,
pests, diseases, and growing techniques. It has 136 pages and 120
color photos.
ORCHIDS AS HOUSE PLANTS
by Rebecca Northern 1976
AOS Book # 208 Price $3.95
In the beginning, I used this book more than any other book I owned
when I started growing orchids in my home. This handy book covers
nearly everything you need to know. Although there are no color
photos, there are black and white pictures and drawings. It is a
softcover book with 148 pages.
ORCHIDS SIMPLIFIED
by Henry Jaworski 1992
AOS Book #238 Price $24.95
This is a fantastic book. The author has really simplified the methods
used to grow orchids. I call this book my "grade school primer." It
is very easy to understand and is full of very beautiful color
photographs. The author writes about everything from growing areas,
supplies, potting, indoor and outdoor growing methods and propagation
techniques. The book is hardbound, 143 pages and quite big.
YOU CAN GROW ORCHIDS
by Mary Noble 1987
AOS Book #203 Price $12.95
This is a nice, very basic all-around book. This is a good one for
beginners to start with, very easy to understand. The book contains
mostly black and white photos, but it does have a few in color. It
is soft-cover with 128 pages.
YOU CAN GROW CATTLEYA ORCHIDS
by Mary Noble 1991
AOS Book #204 Price $12.95
This is a companion to Mary's other books in this series. This book
is primarily limited to growing the genera Cattleya. If this is the
type of orchid you want to grow, this is the book for you. It is
soft-cover and has 100 pages, some black and white photos, and a
sprinkle of color pictures.
YOU CAN GROW PHALAENOPSIS ORCHIDS
by Mary Nobel 1991
AOS Book #205 Price $12.95
This is another book in Mary's series. This one focuses on growing
the genera Phalaenopsis. This is a very good beginners book. As in
all her books, she gives advise on watering, temperatures, potting,
light, fertilizing, and propagation. This is also a soft-cover book
a few color photos but mostly black and white with 102 pages.
ORCHIDS
by Sunset Books 1977
AOS Book #223 Price $10.00
A nice book for the price. It covers 250 varieties of orchids and
how to grow them in the garden or greenhouse. A lot of good tips
and lots of color photographs. This is a soft-cover book with 64
pages. You should be able to buy this book anywhere they sell Sunset
books.
ALL ABOUT GROWING ORCHIDS
by Ortho Books 1988
AOS Book #215 Price $9.95
A complete guide to growing orchids as a house plant. The book
includes descriptions of over 120 popular orchids and has lots of
color photos. This book also lists source information for buying
orchids and equipment. Soft-cover with 96 pages. You should be able
to buy this book anywhere they sell Ortho Books.
My Recommended Books for the Intermediate Grower
HOME ORCHID GROWING
by Rebecca Northern 1976
AOS Book #206 Price $50.00
I call this the "Orchid Bible." If there is anything you want to know
about growing orchids in the home, this book will tell you. It has
been praised by orchid growers for many years. This book you may say,
is the "Mother" to Rebecca's little book `Orchids as House Plants.'
This is a hard cover book of good size with 114 color photos and
numerous black and white photos. It is 384 pages and a must for any
orchid grower.
ORCHID PESTS AND DISEASES
by the A.O.S. 1995
AOS Book #103 Price $12.00
Those dreaded words that all orchid growers hate to hear. But when
the time comes and you find those little crawly things on your plants
this is the book to have around! Insects, pests, bacterial and fungal
diseases, and viruses are all discussed in this little handbook. It
is a 118 page soft- cover book that includes over 100 color and black
and white photos.
A GOLDEN GUIDE TO ORCHIDS
by Shuttleworth, Zim, Dillon 1989
AOS Book #418 Price $6.00
I am sure you have all seen the little guide books that you carry in
your pocket during field trips to identify birds or wild flowers. Now
there is one for orchids too! This is a nice reference book to carry
with you. Every orchid listed includes a color picture and a general
description. Soft-cover with 160 pages.
ORCHID GROWING ILLUSTRATED
by B.&W.; Rittershausen 1985
AOS Book #212 Price $29.95
When the author said "illustrated," he wasn't kidding. The book has
a lot of wonderful photos and great close up shots. This book shows
in detail how to pot and how to propagate orchids. It is quite a
large book with 101 color photographs and 150 black and white photos.
It is hardbound and has 160 pages. A very nice book to own.
ORCHIDS IN COLOR
by Brian & Wilma Rittshausen 1984
AOS Book # 425 Price $16.95
What a wonderful little book to have around. In this book you will
find 105 commonly grown orchid species and hybrids with a color photo
and description of each one. It is soft cover and easy to carry with
you. It is a full 192 pages of information.
Books for the Advanced Orchid Grower
By this stage of the orchid addiction, you should already have quite
a library of your own and have a good idea of which books are the
most useful to you. If you don't already own the following books,
I recommend you give them a look.
THE ORCHID GENUS BOOK
by Patsy Webster 1992
AOS Book #519 Price $30.00
Are you looking for a study guide for the orchid family? This is the
book for you. This book contains the bibliography for 860 orchid
genera. This is the only book I have been able to find long-lost
genera listed. Don't expect a fancy book with lots of pictures. No
pictures but plenty of information. This is a spiral bound soft cover
book with 206 pages.
WILD ORCHIDS OF THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC STATES
by Oscar W. Gupton & Fred C. Swope 1987
AOS Book #606 Price $16.95
A small but informative book about the wild orchids that grow in the
Atlantic States. Nice full color pictures and good descriptions of
52 orchids. A Hardbound book with 112 pages.
THE ORCHID
by Francis Hunt & Takashi Kijima 1978
AOS Book #427 Price $24.50
If you are looking for information this is not the book for you. BUT,
if you want to see very large photographs of orchids then this is the
book. The photos are most useful for identification. There are 170
photographs and I am not kidding when I say this book is big.
10" x 13". It contains 207 pages.
THE MANUAL OF CULTIVATED ORCHID SPECIES
by Bechtel, Helmut, Phillip Cribb and Edmund Launert 1992
AOS Book #400 Price $85.00
Fantastic is the word for this book. A must for the serious orchid
grower. It has 864 color photographs, and 62 line illustrations. The
book also includes detailed analysis of 217 genera and 1200 species
suitable for cultivation. It is hard cover with 528 pages. A big
hefty book, so don't plan on packing it around in your back pocket.
ORCHID PHOTOGRAPHY
by Fitch, Charles Marden 1995
AOS Book #102 Price $16.00
So now you have orchids growing and blooming and you want to take
that very special picture. This book will tell you how to get the
best results. It includes lots of tips on how to capture your
favorite beauty on film. The author also includes a section on video
taping and of course, close up photography. A handy little softcover
book with 96 pages.
THE ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ORCHIDS
Edited by Alec Pridgeon 1992
AOS Book #438 Price $39.95
Order from Timber Press
The book you have been waiting for. Yes, this is the grand daddy of
the orchid books. This wonderful encyclopedia includes information
on 1100 species; each one illustrated and identified. Lots of
beautiful color photos, 1000 in all! It also includes information
on hybridization, cultivation, pests, diseases, and conservation.
Hardbound with 300 pages. Excellent book for all orchid growers.
This book is an excellent value at the asking price.
ORCHID MAGAZINES
Are you looking for an excellent Orchid magazine? I have listed three
publications that I think you would enjoy.
THE ORCHID DIGEST MAGAZINE
The Orchid Digest Magazine is a very beautiful publication. It is
appealing to both beginners and advanced growers. All genera are
covered, both taxonomically and as hybrids. The photography is
excellent and is of the highest quality. This Magazine is published
quarterly. To receive this publication you must be a member of the
Orchid Digest. Membership is $20.00 a year. For more information
visit their web site at: http://www.prysm.net/~orchidigest/
ORCHID MAGAZINE
The magazine Orchids is the monthly publication of the American
Orchid Society. This publication covers has a lot of information
on different genera and hybrids. There are always plenty of
photographs to look at. The articles are very easy to understand
so if you are new to orchids you won't be left out. It also has a
large listing of orchid growers and suppliers. You must be a member
of A OS to receive this magazine. Membership is $36.00 a year. For
more information you can visit their web site at:
http://pathfinder.com/@@Zq84aCG5kwMAQO19/vg/Gardens/AOS/
THE ORCHADIAN
The Orchadian is the magazine of the Australasian Native Orchid
Society Inc. It is issued quarterly and contains information about the
native orchids of Australasia. All issues include many coloured
photographs and drawings. You must be a member to receive this
publication. Visit their web page for membership information at:
http://www.ozemail.aust.com/~graemebr/
Linda's Orchid Page -- http://lgcy.com/orchids
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