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Wild at Home: How to style and care for beautiful plants

Wild at Home: How to style and care for beautiful plants – A Review

If you are looking for a book that will inspire you to transform your living space into a green oasis, then Wild at Home: How to style and care for beautiful plants by Hilton Carter might be the perfect choice for you. This book is not only a stunning collection of photos of Carter’s own plant-filled home, but also a practical guide that covers everything from choosing the right plants for your space, to styling them in creative ways, to maintaining them healthy and happy.

Who is Hilton Carter?

Hilton Carter is a plant enthusiast, interior stylist, and author based in Baltimore, Maryland. He has over 200 plants in his apartment, which he lovingly calls his “urban jungle”. He started his plant journey in 2014, when he moved into a new place with a large window that sparked his interest in growing plants. Since then, he has been sharing his passion and knowledge with his followers on Instagram, where he has over 500,000 fans. He has also published two other books, Wild Interiors and Wild Creations, which showcase his plant projects and DIYs.

What is the book about?

Wild at Home is divided into six chapters, each focusing on a different aspect of plant styling and care. The chapters are:

  • The Fundamentals: This chapter covers the basics of plant care, such as watering, lighting, soil, pots, fertilizing, pruning, and propagating. It also explains how to choose the right plants for your space, based on your style, budget, and lifestyle.
  • Styling with Plants: This chapter shows how to use plants to enhance the aesthetics and mood of your home, by creating focal points, adding texture, color, and contrast, and mixing different shapes and sizes. It also gives tips on how to arrange plants on shelves, tables, walls, and hanging baskets.
  • Living with Plants: This chapter explores how plants can improve the quality of your life, by purifying the air, reducing stress, boosting creativity, and promoting wellness. It also suggests some of the best plants for different rooms, such as the bedroom, the bathroom, the kitchen, and the home office.
  • Green Spaces: This chapter features some of Carter’s favorite plant-filled spaces, such as his living room, his dining room, his bedroom, and his studio. He shares the stories behind each space, and how he styled and cared for the plants in them.
  • Plants and People: This chapter introduces some of Carter’s friends and fellow plant lovers, who share their own plant stories, tips, and tricks. They also show their own plant collections and spaces, which range from cozy apartments to spacious lofts.
  • Plant Directory: This chapter provides a comprehensive list of over 100 plants that Carter recommends for indoor gardening, along with their common and botanical names, descriptions, care instructions, and photos.

What are the pros and cons of the book?

Some of the pros of the book are:

  • It is visually stunning: The book is filled with beautiful and inspiring photos of Carter’s and his friends’ plant-filled homes, which will make you want to grab your own plants and start styling them right away.
  • It is informative and practical: The book provides useful and easy-to-follow information and advice on how to choose, style, and care for your plants, without being too technical or overwhelming. It also includes a handy plant directory that will help you identify and learn more about your plants.
  • It is personal and relatable: The book showcases Carter’s own plant journey, and how he developed his love and expertise for plants over the years. He also shares his challenges, mistakes, and successes, which will make you feel more confident and motivated to start or grow your own plant collection.

Some of the cons of the book are:

  • It is not very diverse: The book mainly features Carter’s and his friends’ homes, which are mostly located in the US, and have a similar modern and minimalist style. It would have been nice to see more variety and diversity in terms of locations, cultures, and styles.
  • It is not very detailed: The book covers a lot of topics and plants, but sometimes it does not go into enough depth or detail. For example, some of the plant care tips are very general and vague, and some of the plant descriptions are very brief and incomplete.
  • It is not very original: The book does not offer much new or innovative information or ideas that are not already available online or in other books. It mostly rehashes and summarizes existing knowledge and trends, without adding much of its own voice or perspective.

Who is the book for?

The book is ideal for anyone who loves plants and wants to learn how to style and care for them in their home. It is especially suitable for beginners and intermediate plant enthusiasts, who will find the book informative, practical, and inspiring. However, it might not be very appealing or useful for advanced or experienced plant lovers, who might find the book too basic, repetitive, or superficial.

Conclusion

Wild at Home is a beautiful and helpful book that will inspire you to bring more plants into your home and make them look amazing. It will teach you the fundamentals of plant care, and show you how to style them in creative and stunning ways. It will also introduce you to some of Carter’s and his friends’ plant-filled spaces, and share their stories and tips. However, the book might not be very diverse, detailed, or original, and it might not satisfy or challenge the more advanced or experienced plant lovers. Overall, the book is a great addition to any plant lover’s library, and a perfect gift for anyone who wants to start or grow their own urban jungle.

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