The Orchid Garden

Home Orchid Growing – how to get

Question:

I wrote to this group in December asking for advice on what comprehensive book I could give my husband – a relative newbie to orchid growing – for Christmas. Several replies suggested Pridgeon’s Encyclopaedia (which I bought), and Northern’s Home Orchid Growing, which I ordered from the Internet Book Shop.  Now after a wait of 4 months, IBS inform me that the latter is unavailable, out of print.  Does anyone know if it has moved to another publisher?  It seems strange that such a well-regarded book has ceased to be.  Or are there any likely second-hand possibilities?  Please bear in mind that we live in the UK.  Any helpful suggestions very gratefully received Corinne haynes

Response:

bought), and Northern’s Home Orchid Growing, which I ordered from the Internet Book Shop.  Now after a wait of 4 months, IBS inform me that the latter is unavailable, out of print.  Does anyone know if it has moved to another publisher?

        Nope. Only one publisher. Bob Goebel, at Botana, bemoans his sudden surge in requests for the text as it suddenly went out-of-print. To be honest, third edition is pretty much the same as fourth edition (my third edition was purchased around 1986 or 1987, IIRC, and advocated the use of certain chemicals that were illegal even THEN- fourth edition, I note with no little discontent, still suggests the use of stuff you can’t even BUY anymore, and haven’t been able to for over a decade!). Or are there any likely second-hand possibilities?  Please

        Sometimes copies of valuable texts like this become available from time to time. Find a good book-hound who will search one out; put in an         -AJHicks         OSP         Socorro, NM

Response:

I just attended a workshop on orchids at Longwood Gardens in Penna.  They recomended two books. One by Rebecca Northen called Home Orchid Growing. The other is Taylors Guide to Orchids. I can’t help you in where to buy in England but perhaps online at Amazon.com may help. Bonnie Kinsley www.geocities.com/rainforest/vines/6219

Response:

Hi Corinne,      One source that has not been suggested is the AOS (American Orchid Society) Bookstore.  I just received the Spring 1998 AOS catalog and they have Rebecca T. Northen’s book "Home Orchid Growing" listed, so they must have a supply of them.  You can access their website via < http://www.orchidweb.org , go to the bookstore pages and order the book or you can try calling them at the phone number listed, place your order (have your credit card number handy) and they will mail it to you.   Book 206   Home Orchid Growing   R.T. Northen   4th Edition      By the way, I had the pleasure of meeting Rebecca Northen during the annual orchid show in Santa Barbara this year.   She was at Stewart Orchids signing her books people either bought there or brought in from home.  She signed 2 of her books I brought from home, one of which was published in 1955 (I bought it at a Flea Market) that the original owner had listed well over 300 orchid species with all culture and growing information on just about every blank space available. She remarked that whoever this person was must have had a very good collection plus very knowledgeable to have detailed so much information.   Although 87 years young, she is still very much alert and I thoroughly enjoyed talking with her, brief as it was.      Excuse me for running on and on like this.   I do hope you are able to order the book, it is the one book I refer to most frequently and I consider my Orchid bible.  

Response:

I am also enjoying reading "Your First Orchids and How to Grow Them" by the Oregon Orchid Society.  You might try to obtain this from the American Orchid Society also (not sure if they have it — I’ll check and get back to the group). This book gives information on specific types of orchids (e.g., "Phaleonopsis Culture" and "The Culture of Odontoglossums" among others). It is all written in plain English with different authors tackling different subjects.  I often go back to this and R. Northen’s book after reading things on this group.  Take care:) Mary – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I wrote to this group in December asking for advice on what comprehensive book I could give my husband – a relative newbie to orchid growing – for Christmas. Several replies suggested Pridgeon’s Encyclopaedia (which I bought), and Northern’s Home Orchid Growing, which I ordered from the Internet Book Shop.  Now after a wait of 4 months, IBS inform me that the latter is unavailable, out of print.  Does anyone know if it has moved to another publisher?  It seems strange that such a well-regarded book has ceased to be.  Or are there any likely second-hand possibilities?  Please bear in mind that we live in the UK.  Any helpful suggestions very gratefully received Corinne haynes

Response:

Well, the book is listed on the AOS 1995-96 winter booklist and it is item number BK209.  I have written to them to see if it is still available and what it would cost + shipping to the UK.  I’ll let you know what I find out:) Mary – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I am also enjoying reading "Your First Orchids and How to Grow Them" by the Oregon Orchid Society.  You might try to obtain this from the American Orchid Society also (not sure if they have it — I’ll check and get back to the group). This book gives information on specific types of orchids (e.g., "Phaleonopsis Culture" and "The Culture of Odontoglossums" among others). It is all written in plain English with different authors tackling different subjects.  I often go back to this and R. Northen’s book after reading things on this group.  Take care:) Mary I wrote to this group in December asking for advice on what comprehensive book I could give my husband – a relative newbie to orchid growing – for Christmas. Several replies suggested Pridgeon’s Encyclopaedia (which I bought), and Northern’s Home Orchid Growing, which I ordered from the Internet Book Shop.  Now after a wait of 4 months, IBS inform me that the latter is unavailable, out of print.  Does anyone know if it has moved to another publisher?  It seems strange that such a well-regarded book has ceased to be.  Or are there any likely second-hand possibilities?  Please bear in mind that we live in the UK.  Any helpful suggestions very gratefully received Corinne haynes

Response:

I just attended a workshop on orchids at Longwood Gardens in Penna.  They recomended two books. One by Rebecca Northen called Home Orchid Growing. The other is Taylors Guide to Orchids. I can’t help you in where to buy in England but perhaps online at Amazon.com may help.

I use both Taylor’s Guide and The New RHS Dictionary – Manual of Orchids.  The latter doesn’t generally have cultural information on each species except for those which are significantly different from the genus (and it just has drawings, no pretty color pictures), but it as the title might suggest it is comprehensive.  If I can’t find a species (or even the genus) in Taylor’s Guide, odds are good I’ll find it in the RHS manual.  Editor is Joyce Stewart; series editor is Mark Griffiths. Mine is the North American edition, published by Timber Press (Portland, Oregon), but it’s published in the UK by Macmillan.  Coming from the RHS I assume it wouldn’t be too hard to find in England. —                 |WWW    http://www.chicago.com/~kls/ "The average dog is a nicer person than the average person." – Andrew A. Rooney

Response:

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