Sunday, May 19, 2013

Garden Book Reviews May 2013

"Fly me to the Moon" is on my Ipod playlist.  It's an oldie, but a goodie.  I'm not (quite) old enough to remember it when it was originally popular, but I have loved it ever since I heard it several years ago.

Another oldie but goodie is the book

Mrs. Greenthumbs: 
How I turned a Boring Yard into a Glorious Garden and How You Can, Too


by Cassandra Danz

I first heard about Mrs. Greenthumbs when Felicia of Fluffy Flowers linked in last year with her review of 'Mrs. Greenthumbs Plows Ahead'.  I was intrigued, so when I started looking for an entertaining gardening book, I thought that Mrs. Greenthumbs might be just what I was looking for.  It was.

You get a glimpse of the author's personality by the long name of the book.  She sometimes rattles on, but since it's always about gardening, I enjoyed every word.  This is not a "how to" book, even though she does have some gardening advice in it.  Instead, it's a garden book that relates her personal stories of gardening.  Most of us that have gardened for a while have had some of the same revelations, even if we don't have the same exact story.  Somehow, though, that makes her stories all the more charming.

This book is simply entertaining.  She has a dry sense of humor, and humor is a nice quality in a garden book.  Now every time I see a magenta bloom in my garden, I think about her attitude toward magenta, and it makes me smile.


I think the reason I enjoyed this book so much is because I felt like I could have been casually talking directly to a gardening friend.  If you're looking for an entertaining book on gardening, this one just may be the one!  It's definitely an oldie, but a goodie.

_____________________________________________________________

Now it's your turn!  Join us on the 20th of every month with a Garden Book Review.  Any book with a gardening influence qualifies.  And please take the time to visit the other participants, too.


42 comments:

  1. A garden book with a sense of humor sounds fun to read.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was - and it was a nice change from those dry how-to books that I usually have on my shelves.

      Delete
  2. Replies
    1. Thanks - the rose is Belle de Crecy and it's definitely magenta in color!

      Delete
  3. Somehow I missed this wonderful book...I will check it out...I was old enough to remember the great Frank and this song...one of my faves too!! Thanks for hosting Holley and I linked in.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Some songs say it all, and will live forever. Thanks so much for joining in!

      Delete
  4. Sounds like a good book to have. I really like the picture of the rose too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was a cute book to read. I could relate to many of her stories!

      Delete
  5. Hi Holley
    We have a Canadian writer Sonia Day that churns out some humorous stories as well as resource books and they are refreshing to read for a change.
    Thanks for hosting.
    Judith

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll have to check her out! It's nice to read a gardening book with a humorous twist every now and then. Thanks for joining in!

      Delete
  6. Hi, Holley!
    When a gardener is tired of planting or digging or doing something more, the best treatment is humor! Any funny story or funny advice.
    Have a nice week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree - throw in a little humor and things take on a different perspective. :)

      Delete
  7. One of my fun, favorite 'gardening' books is Red Undies and Dutchman's Trousers - Naughty Plants for Every Occasion by Sacha Langton-Gilks.

    Gotta get my hands on a copy of Mrs. Greenthumbs because I am like you in that I am tired of reading boring, how-to gardening books. After all, your garden just has to have a sense of humor too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Naughty plants! ha! I think I'll have to check out that book! It's always fun to read a fun book about gardening. It's a nice break from the step-by-step "how-to's".

      Delete
  8. I'm a big fan of "Fly Me to the Moon", too. I think I first heard it sung by Danny Aiello in the movie "Once Around". This Mrs. Greenthumbs book sounds like one I'd enjoy - I'd rather read personal stories about gardening than how-to's on gardening!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think that's where I first heard that song, too. And I really enjoyed that movie. I think you'd enjoy the book. I hope you get a chance to read it.

      Delete
  9. Mrs. Greenthumbs used to make appearance a long time ago on the Regis and Kathie Lee show. She is a character! I would be interested in reading her book.

    I was just discussing with my son that at Half-Price books, here in the Dallas area, the gardening books are often less than half-price. I told my teen son that us "old people" enjoy them as reference books! Think of all the information the internet does not provide.

    But it does provide us with new, long-distance friends and access to pictures of beautiful gardens. I enjoy your pictures and posts!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How sweet, Sharrie, thank you! I wish I would have seen Mrs. Greenthumbs on t.v., I bet she was a hoot! And now, if I ever get to Dallas, I'll have to make a stop at a Half-price book store! I love the internet for looking up plants, etc., but to me there's nothing better than reading a book in the bath, or in bed late at night.

      Delete
  10. Looks like a great book.. I may have to check into that one. I've got a case of some kind of no-see-em bug bites --and they are itching like crazy. Not sure what I got into --but I've been working in the Ivy bed --so it could be anything. It's not chiggers or mosquitos or bees.... Maybe some kind of itch mite... Ever had that problem????? I use vinegar which helps but only temporarily. I also use the inside of a banana peel. The itching bothers me much more at nights---which I'm sure is MENTAL... ha

    Have a great day.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Betsy - I have the same thing! I thought maybe mine were chiggers, but I wasn't sure. And I'm really not sure what it is, since I haven't seen the culprit, but only the itchy evidence! I haven't found anything that really helps, but I do use a product called "itch-X". My husband says it doesn't help him, but I think it helps me, at least the name makes me feel like it does! Good luck with your bites. I hope they quit itching soon.

      Delete
  11. This was the first gardening book I read! It is a pleasure to read, with lots of useful advice. Sorry I haven't been contributing reviews lately, just too busy to read more than blogs. Should ease up in June.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How interesting that this was the first gardening book you ever read! I think mine was one of those boring how-to books, but I really needed to know how-to! ;) I completely understand about being busy. It's hard to fit anything in during spring, when there's so much to do!

      Delete
  12. I loved Mrs. Greenthumbs and saw her on TV, too. Then like my Belle de Crecy, she died. She was precious, Cassandra Danz.

    I have the same thought as you when I see Magenta flowers, which is why I restrict them to one garden area as much as possible, a sort of Mrs. Greenthumbs memorial.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. haha - Funny that you, too, think of her when you see magenta. I really don't have a lot of magenta in my garden, but now I know exactly what to name it - and it really doesn't go with any other color!

      Delete
  13. This sounds like the kind of garden book I like to read the most - tales from personal experience rather than "how to". They are inspirational and give me ideas rather than being dictatorial. I doubt this one would be available here, but I'll see if it's on Amazon and how much the postage would be. Thanks for the review.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is an older book - 1993 I believe - so maybe you can find it cheaply, or even locally - at a library, perhaps? I think you'd really enjoy it, Lyn. I think you'd like her sense of humor.

      Delete
  14. I've never read Mrs. Greenthumb but I suspect she does not much care for magenta blooms-they can surely clash. Now I have to go get the book to find out for sure.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, she says it can be hard to pair with, and I would have to agree with her. I have one magenta rose (pictured above) that absolutely clashes with everything. (I really should move it, but I doubt I ever will.)

      Delete
  15. I will definitely try to look up as most books on gardening that I have found are usually about advice. I love reading personal stories.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The title implies it's about advice, and there is some in there, but her stories are what truly shine. I think you would enjoy reading it.

      Delete
  16. Any book that is as you just described would be a great read. Personality is so important in writing and it sounds like she has oodles.The friend aspect got my interest.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. She does have a lot of personality. I could relate to her pruning a quince tree so hard that it was "gifted" to her afterward. Pruning can be quite daunting, and I think that most everyone is concerned they might lop off too much when they first start doing it. But it grew back, and everything was fine. Isn't that the way it is in gardening? We all make mistakes, and most we can laugh about later, because miraculously, most everything will grow back just fine.

      Delete
  17. This does sound like a good one! I will have to check it out! And I will make a note of your garden book reviews! I would love to participate! Have a wonderful week!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope you do join in - 20th of every month! I think you'd enjoy the book. She somehow has taken all the same mistakes we all seem to make and put them all down in a humorous look back.

      Delete
  18. Hooray, I have a review this time around too! It's been a while since I did one. My book (Sweet Peas for Summer) is also a gardening-from-personal-experience kind of thing, which is what I'm more interested in reading these days. I kind of feel like I already know how to do it, but I want to know how other people do it too. So I think I'll like the book you reviewed... I must add it to my library list :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think you'd really enjoy Mrs. Greenthumbs, and the book you reviewed sounds fabulous, too. I like the personal experience writing, too. It makes us feel better that others may have made the same mistakes - and found a solution!

      Delete
  19. I really appreciate authors with a healthy sense of humor! Another one to add to the list. Lately I'm reading a book about plants for Wisconsin, which didn't seem to work for the meme. I also read a book a month (usually not related to gardening). Even when I don't participate, I always check in to see what gardening books people recommend. This is one I would like to read. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've been reading a lot of non-gardening books lately, too. Although I read several books at a time, so one is always related to gardening! I've learned about so many wonderful books through this meme, too. I love hearing about books that are new to me.

      Delete
  20. I appreciate a dry sense of humor! And I think gardeners need to have a sense of humor in the garden with so much out of our control and such a list of calamities always waiting to befall (weather and insects and voles, oh my!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are right - patience and humor are what it takes to be a gardener. If you don't have it when you start, you certainly will before the garden is finished! :)

      Delete
  21. I was hooked from the first time I saw Mrs Greenthumbs on T.V. A girl after my own heart she had a distinctive taste in dresses. Perhaps someone will think to put out her appearances on DVD. They were warm, funny, and no nonsense. She also had a one woman show. So sad she is no longer with us.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That would be fabulous to find her shows on DVD. Perhaps someone in her family will think to do that. I would love to have heard her.

      Delete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...