Susan Orlean Gardening books in order

Q: "How many books are in the Susan Orlean Gardening series?"

"There are two books in the Susan Orlean Gardening series, published between 1998 and 2016."

Q: "What is the first book in the Susan Orlean Gardening series?"

"The first book in the Susan Orlean Gardening series is The Orchid Thief, published in 1998."

Q: "What is The Orchid Thief about?"

"The Orchid Thief (1998) tells the true story of John Laroche, a plant dealer arrested for illegally collecting rare ghost orchids from a protected Florida swamp. The book became a bestseller and was adapted into the film Adaptation, directed by Spike Jonze and written by Charlie Kaufman."

Reading order

#	Title	Published	Author	Buy on Amazon
1	The Orchid Thief	1998	Susan Orlean	Buy
2	The Floral Ghost	2016	Susan Orlean	Buy

Susan Orlean’s gardening-related books center on her fascination with the natural world and the people obsessed by it. The Orchid Thief (1998), her most famous work, began as a New Yorker article about John Laroche, a self-taught horticulturist arrested for stealing rare orchids from the Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve in southern Florida. The book became a bestseller and was adapted into the 2002 film Adaptation.

The Floral Ghost (2016) continues Orlean’s interest in plants and flowers. Together, these two books show Orlean’s ability to take a narrow subject and open it up into something much larger, weaving together obsession, history, and the natural world.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Susan Orlean Gardening series?

There are two books in the Susan Orlean Gardening series, published between 1998 and 2016.

What is the first book in the Susan Orlean Gardening series?

The first book in the Susan Orlean Gardening series is The Orchid Thief, published in 1998.

What is The Orchid Thief about?

The Orchid Thief (1998) tells the true story of John Laroche, a plant dealer arrested for illegally collecting rare ghost orchids from a protected Florida swamp. The book became a bestseller and was adapted into the film Adaptation, directed by Spike Jonze and written by Charlie Kaufman.

Reading order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading order