I found this today when I was cruising my local Goodwill thrift store & am enamored: The House Plant Expert by Dr. D.G. Hessayon & published by pbi Publications/Britannica House, 1980. I would call it a field guide for house plants. A big part of what I'm digging is that it's illustrated a'la 50's Golden pocket science books & field guides. There are quite a number on e-bay currently, as well as newer editions that look like the illustrations have been replaced with photographs (which might make it just another mediocre plant book). The care instructions are very general, but it has 11 varieties depicted on the Philodendron page while Monstera has a page elsewhere. And 12 varieties on the Dracaena page. There are a lot of plants listed in this book, although newer varieties aren't in it, of course, so some things that have seen kind of a population explosion like Epipremnum & Aglaonema have listings that do not reflect what's currently out there. Maybe the newer editions do though, if they're in the same spirit as this edition. I guess that wound up sounding little bit like a book review, but since there was a bit of book discussion on Evy's dish garden thread & I'm excited about my find (love the illustrations), I just got inspired! Plus, I remembered that this thread had some good suggestions that might be appreciated again... GB

laura1 -- already done! One of my dh's other interests is fish-keeping. We have a 55 gallon tank, but when he recently went through a depression it became mainly my responsibility. As it is now populated by fish, plants, and other environmental enhancements mainly of my choosing he seems less interested in it. So for his upcoming birthday he has chosen to start a second smaller (10 gallon) tank for a male betta. It's a species he likes and a fairly high maintenance one at that. They get bored easily, so it's advisable to change the layout of the tank when you do the weekly water changes. Like goldfish they can also be trained to do a variety of tricks, and unlike goldfish they like playing with 'toys' such as floating balls. Underwater plants can also require frequent maintenance. After his last bonsai died he also recognized that the clippers needed to go into my care. They are in my tool kit, but he doesn't know that! I think he's mainly looking for a plant that requires frequent enough care that a) it is interesting to him and b) he doesn't forget about it as it becomes just another part of the scenery. What I think he really wants/needs is a garden, but we live in an apartment. Next week we'll be looking at some gardenias at a local garden centre. Maybe two (I don't think we have room for 3, I have too many plants already) will be enough to keep him busy.

Maybe we can repost this with a note NOT to reply that way it stays at the top? Is there a way we can sticky this?

Garrett I was checking photos after your post - I don't doubt you have got it correct, just wanted to see photos - and found this info (I am confused even more - maybe you have more reliable source for ID?): Crassula cephalophora - Accepted Scientific Name: Crassula nudicaulis L. - CLICK HERE - Description: Crassula nudicaulis is a perennial succulent plant forming several basal rosettes with glabrous to pubescent leaves collected into a head at the crown of the root and amidst them an annual flower stalk surmounted by clusters of small greenish flowers. The typical variety is a widespread, extremely variable complex of forms that have received numerous unnecessary names, representing no more than local phenotypes. The long-leaved forms are readily known; but those with shorter and broader leaves approach the narrower-leaved Crassula canescens. The pubescence however is much more scanty. Crassula nudicaulis var. platyphylla (Harv.) Toelken: has bluish-grey, broadly oblong to orbicular leaves with marginal cilia. Distribution: mountains bordering the southern Great Karoo.