From Publishers Weekly
Cullina has maintained a personal collection of orchids for decades, and still gets "that spine tingling, toe-tickling feeling of WOW" from an unfamiliar or outstanding specimen. It's a feeling he's eager to share with "orchid lovers at every level of expertise, from absolute beginner to experienced grower to expert." He succeeds in addressing such a broad audience by organizing his work into independent modules that can be consulted as needed. The first portion covers basic orchid information: detailed guides to growing them on a windowsill, under lights, in a greenhouse or outdoors, and practical advice on meeting their requirements for light, temperature, humidity and air movement in each of those settings. Cullina then systematically examines orchid culture, with in-depth discussions of watering, fertilization, potting and mounting, and pests and diseases. A brief but fascinating overview of orchid reproduction follows, with directions for hand pollinating, propagating and hybridizing. Finally, Cullina meticulously examines more than 100 of the most popular genera. Happily, a good number of these seductively described plants are rated for beginners (the other skill level ratings are experienced and expert). Cullina, who directs the New England Wild Flower Society, is extremely well versed in his subject and a skilled writer. His lively text, with its clear instructions, will make orchid growing as irresistible to readers as it is to Cullina. 300 color photos. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
With 30,000 species, orchids compose the largest plant family in the world. Cullina's informative guide, with 300 color photographs, tells what to look for in buying your first orchid. Much of the book is devoted to a list of common orchid genera, detailing more than 100 of the most popular ones. Each entry contains information on where the plant can be grown (at a window, under lights, or in a greenhouse), the level of skill it requires to grow the plant (beginner, experienced, or expert), and lists a good introductory species that would be easy to grow. Cullina, the author of Wildflowers (2000) and Native Trees, Shrubs, and Vines (2002), also gives instructions on watering, light, potting, and fertilizing. This extensive guide includes a section on taxonomy and nomenclature and a glossary. George Cohen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"Cullina . . . is extremely well versed in his subject and a skilled writer. His lively text, with its clear instructions, will make orchid growing as irresistible to readers as it is to Cullina."

Book Description
Orchids are the largest family of plants in the world. With 30,000 known species, you could acquire a different orchid every day for eighty years and still not grow them all. Back in the realm of reality, readers of this beautiful book can quickly and easily find the orchids that are right for them -- which ones will thrive on a windowsill, which prefer artificial lights, and which need a greenhouse; which are for beginners, which for experts. And you can pinpoint the species within a particular genus that are the best ones to start with. Once you select your orchid, William Cullina's authoritative guide explains what to do to keep it alive and healthy. Featuring more than two hundred color photographs, Understanding Orchids covers everything you need to know to grow orchids successfully, whatever your level of interest or experience. With improved tissue-culture techniques making orchids more affordable, and the Internet making them readily available to consumers, growing orchids is more popular than ever: membership in the American Orchid Society has more than doubled in the last fifteen years. This is the book orchid fans have been waiting for.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
IntroductionLearning to grow orchids and understandtheir idiosyncrasies is a true journey. The sheernumber of orchid species—estimates range from25,000 to 35,000 worldwide, not to mention some40,000 hybrids—means there will always be newplants to explore, new friends to make. You couldstart acquiring an orchid a day when you weretwenty and still not have grown them all when youturned eighty! No other family of plants offers usinquisitive humans such overwhelming diversity.Orchids are a world unto themselves, and I thinkthe almost limitless potential for discovery is onekey to their phenomenal popularity. Even aftertwenty years of growing orchids, whenever I seea new one or a particularly well grown specimen, Istill get that spine-tingling, toe-tickling feelingof WOW that hooked me in the beginning. If youare just starting out with orchids, you are in forquite an adventure.How to Use This BookMy goal is to lead you on that adventure, and because I amwriting for orchid lovers at every level of expertise, fromabsolute beginner to experienced grower to expert, you mayfind that some parts of the book are not pertinent at this time.Here"s how the text is organized.Part One contains all of the information you"ll need tochoose a place where your plants will grow well, whether on awindowsill, under lights, in a greenhouse, or outdoors. Hereyou"ll learn about light, temperature, and humidity, the basicsof good orchid culture. I have tried whenever possible toexplain concepts in a straightforward way in plain English.However, I recommend that you become familiar with someof the terms listed in the glossary, which are in bold type thefirst time they"re used in the text. After a while, the meaning ofwords like "pseudobulb" and "velamen" and "footcandle" willbecome second nature to you.Part Two, "Care and Feeding," delves into the topics ofwatering, potting, fertilizing, and dealing with pests and diseases,as well as troubleshooting when your plants have problems.All of this information will help you keep your orchidsthriving for years to come.Part Three, "Orchid Reproduction," covers more specializedtopics. Although you don"t have to understand the mechanicsof evolution, pollination, and hybridization to grow orchids,these chapters give you more background and context aboutthis amazing family.Part Four focuses on one hundred of the most commonlygrown groups (genera) of tropical orchids, covering in detailthe general cultural advice given in Parts One and Two. FromAngraecum to Zygopetalum, this section describes each genus,explains which species are easiest for beginners, and includesanecdotes and growing hints that will help you decide whichorchids are right for you.The appendixes at the back of the book contain usefulinformation about botanical terminology, orchid resources onthe Web and orchid organizations, and awards. There is also aglossary of terms and a list of books for further reference.This book is based largely on my own experience, alongwith that of people who, in person or in print, have been mymentors over the years. I cringe to think about it, but I alwayslearn as much from my mistakes as from my successes. I trulyhate to kill an orchid, partly because each one is so darnedexpensive, but mostly because I probably could have saved ithad I known a bit more.With that in mind, I offer here whatI have learned, in the hope that you will be able to learn frommy mistakes as well as my successes.No doubt some people will take exception to my advice, forthere is more than one way to pot an orchid. Take my words asa guide or a starting point, but, most of all, be observant,patient, and caring, and the orchids will teach you well. Ofcourse I am biased, but I think you will find that there is nomore magical, fascinating, and only occasionally frustratingfamily of plants than the Orchidaceae. I raise my watering canto you and offer this toast: "May your roots be long, yourpseudobulbs fat, and your flowers all the colors of the rainbow."Copyright © 2004 by William Cullina. Reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin Company.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Orchids are the largest family of plants in the world. With 30,000 known species, one could acquire a different orchid every day for eighty years and still not grow them all. Back in the realm of reality, readers of this beautiful book can quickly and easily find out which orchids are right for them — which grow on windowsills and which need a greenhouse, which are for beginners, which for experts. Featuring more than 200 color photographs, Understanding Orchids provides readers with easy-to-follow instructions for the orchids they would like to grow. With improved tissue culture techniques making orchids more affordable and the Internet making them readily available to consumers, growing orchids is more popular than ever: membership in the American Orchid Society has more than doubled in the past fifteen years. This is the book orchid fans have been waiting for — an authoritative guide that tells them everything they need to know about choosing and growing these horticultural favorites.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Cullina has maintained a personal collection of orchids for decades, and still gets "that spine tingling, toe-tickling feeling of WOW" from an unfamiliar or outstanding specimen. It's a feeling he's eager to share with "orchid lovers at every level of expertise, from absolute beginner to experienced grower to expert." He succeeds in addressing such a broad audience by organizing his work into independent modules that can be consulted as needed. The first portion covers basic orchid information: detailed guides to growing them on a windowsill, under lights, in a greenhouse or outdoors, and practical advice on meeting their requirements for light, temperature, humidity and air movement in each of those settings. Cullina then systematically examines orchid culture, with in-depth discussions of watering, fertilization, potting and mounting, and pests and diseases. A brief but fascinating overview of orchid reproduction follows, with directions for hand pollinating, propagating and hybridizing. Finally, Cullina meticulously examines more than 100 of the most popular genera. Happily, a good number of these seductively described plants are rated for beginners (the other skill level ratings are experienced and expert). Cullina, who directs the New England Wild Flower Society, is extremely well versed in his subject and a skilled writer. His lively text, with its clear instructions, will make orchid growing as irresistible to readers as it is to Cullina. 300 color photos. (Nov. 9) Forecast: A tie-in with Cullina's lecture tour and promos at top orchid shows guarantee strong initial sales. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

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