April 2012 Garden Book Reviews

It's the 20th of the month - and I'm going to tell you what I've been doing out in my garden!

I've been tweaking.  That's right.  I've been taking a good, hard look at my garden.  Not only did I cull out a few plants that had consistently poor performance, I've also been moving plants around.

And it's all because of a book.  That's right!  It's Garden Book Review time, and of course, you're invited to join in.

The book I've been reading is Color Your Garden by Jill Billington.  I found this book at a discount store, and although it was marked down considerably, I almost didn't buy it.  But what convinced me to purchase it was on the bottom of the cover: 'The Royal Horticultural Society'.  Surely they were experts!

So, I began to read.  And I began to look at my garden with a critical eye.

This book starts out explaining hue, value, and tone.  It then continues with an explanation of the mood colors evoke, and color as a design element.  The subjects of repetition, rhythm and movement, neutrals, graduation in color, graduation in tone, one-colored gardens, white gardens, red gardens, and pastels are all covered, giving specific plant suggestions for every color.  Light and shade are covered, as well as examples for small gardens as well as large ones.

I've never like the orange blanketflower here,
and adding the red carnations just made it worse.

Most of these are concepts I've read about before, but this book gives so many examples and suggestions, that I had to get up and go out in the garden.  Her suggestions made me realize that my garden needed more harmony, and bit less contrast.  Yours may need the opposite, and she tells you how to achieve it.

Changing out just a few plantings
made a big difference in making this area seem calmer.

This book propelled me to make changes to my garden.  What better recommendation could there be than action?  Do you need this book?  Maybe.  It would be of great benefit to anyone putting in a monochromatic colored garden.  It might be helpful if you are timid about color, using so-called "color rules", but would like to venture out into color more and give your garden a little pizzazz.  Or if you're like me, and use perhaps a bit too much color, it might help you see where the clashes are working and where they're being distracting.

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Now it's your turn!  You know the rules:

1) Any book about gardening, gardens, or has a garden influence in it is fine, except:

2) No links/reviews about growing substances that are illegal in the United States.  (I know I don't have to worry about my blogging buddies, but I thought I needed to clarify in case someone new tries slipping one in!)

Please be sure to read the other participant's reviews, too!

As a reminder, many of you may additionally be linking to The Sage Butterfly's annual Earth Day Reading Project.   However, if you prefer to link separately, her meme will be open through the end of the month, while this one closes in a few days.

Happy reading!

A Simple Plan - Earth Day Reading 2012

I love Michelle at The Sage Butterfly's annual Earth Day Reading Project, "a meme where bloggers share what books inspire them to live or garden more sustainably".

Last year because of Michelle's meme, I read the book 'Animal, Vegetable, Miracle' by Barbara Kingsolver.  It helped us to change the way we eat.  Mostly because this book's plan seemed very doable, even for me.

Monarch butterfly

But when other gardeners ask me about sustainability, I have always questioned whether the little things I could do would make much of an impact.  I needed a plan for my garden.  Something simple.  Something doable.

Then it came to me.

Question Mark butterfly

My father worked at a chemical plant for many years.  I'm certain that there were aspects of his career that were very exciting.  My father's generation was a generation of discovery, exploration, and experimentation.  Space travel was the newest and most exciting frontier.  Cars were being built to go faster, and look sleeker.  Modern appliances were beginning to help with mundane chores.  And advances in chemical research were being tested for use in medicine, agriculture, and consumer use.

Now we know that some of those chemicals have long term effects that were unknown at the time of discovery, some of them causing harm.  The pendulum toward using chemicals is starting to swing back.

  

Variegated Fritillary butterfly

In my garden, I have never used any insecticides or fungicides, not because I was adverse to using them, but because I was too lazy! And a funny thing started to happen.  I started noticing butterflies.  More and more every year.

So now how do I measure success in sustainability?

Look closely - Dwarf Yellow butterfly laying eggs

By counting butterflies.  This has become my doable plan.

 'National Audubon Society Field Guild to North American Butterflies' by Robert Michael Pyle is the book I use for identification of the butterflies in my garden.  Although this book is not one I read from end to end, it gets a lot of use.  It is a great help in being able to easily and quickly identify the butterflies in my garden.  

Tiger Swallowtail butterfly

Chemicals are useful.  They can also be harmful.  So now when making a decision about the chemicals used in my garden, I turn to the butterflies for guidance.  If it might do them harm, I avoid it.   

It may seem obvious to not use any chemicals in the garden.  But it didn't seem so obvious until I started seeing butterflies in my garden.  Suddenly, I felt responsible for something.  Something that affected much more than just my little garden.

Buckeye butterfly

I wish the pendulum could stop somewhere in the middle, where butterflies lived, but not bedbugs.  Perhaps one day we will be able to figure out the perfect balance.  Until then, this is my simple plan for sustainability:  Do what's good for the butterflies.

March 2012 Garden Book Reviews

It's that time again!  It's the 20th of the month, and time for Garden Book Reviews!  You're invited to join in each month - I'd love to hear your review of any book that you've read with a gardening theme.

With my review today, you're in for a treat - or not - depending upon your perspective.  I'm going to tell you about my very favorite garden book.  If I could only have one garden book, this would be the book I would choose.  When I started designing my garden, I literally carried this book around with me everywhere I went - inside and out.  It's been rained on, and the pages are close to falling out.  But every time I need inspiration, or get stuck in working out a new bedding plan, I turn to this book.

But it's not for everyone.  It's about formally designed gardens.  So, if you don't like that style of gardens, just jump down to the linky to join in with your own garden book review.  But if you like symmetrical, balanced, classical gardens, read on:

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Art of the Formal Garden

by Arend Jan Van Der Horst

Symmetry with romantic plantings.  That is this entire book in a nutshell.  Not only are there fabulous photographs, but also garden plans, complete with plantings.  I don't usually look at garden plans, as they never seem to fit in my garden.  But this is not a 'follow this plan' type of book.  This book gives you so many options, it allows you to come up with your own creative solutions.    

The chapters are divided into different aspects found in formal gardens - hedges, herbaceous borders, water, arches and pergolas, ornaments, paths, etc.  In each chapter, he gives the design element, describes specific examples used in different gardens, then lists many more additional choices of what might work in your own garden.  My mind would race at the possibilities!  With so much inspiration, I found that I could take the design principles and easily fit them in my own garden.   

I purchased the softcover, but I so wish I had splurged for the hardcover.  Who should read this book?  Anyone that wants formal, symmetrical, or balanced design in their garden.  I hope if you like formal, romantic gardens, you will find a copy of this book to read.  You won't be disappointed!

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Now it's your turn!  Joining is easy, and we love to hear about new or old garden books.

You know the rules:

1) Any book about gardening, gardens, or has a garden influence in it is fine, except:

2) No links/reviews about growing substances that are illegal in the United States.  (I know I don't have to worry about my blogging buddies, but I thought I needed to clarify in case someone new tries slipping one in!)

I promise to read your post, and I hope you'll read the other participants' posts, too.  You never know - you may find your next favorite garden book!

Inspiration

I have four flowering crabapples (Malus) in my garden.  The first one was an unplanned purchase - I was taken by the blooms at the garden center.  It was planted in a strange little nook in my garden.  For a while, I had dwarf gardenias growing under it.  Oh, how I wish I would have left them growing there!  Maybe one day I'll change it again and put them back!

The other three crabapple trees in my garden were inspired by the book "P. Allen Smith's Garden Home" (a book I just love - one day I'll do a book review on it).  I wanted the look he achieved of having flowering crabapples with intertwining branches.  (Page 69)  He has four, but my space works with three set in a triangle shape.  These are the trees in my winter garden.

They are in bloom now.

A crabapple tree has fruit 2" in diameter or smaller.  The fruit on my trees are tiny, measuring probably only about 1/2" in circumference.  Strictly ornamental, I could never gather enough of them to make jelly!

Flowering Crabapple

If you're thinking about getting a flowering crabapple, there are a lot of different varieties to choose from.  (I think mine are the variety 'Profusion'.)  Crabapples have a large range of colors, height, and growing zones, so a little research before purchasing would be beneficial.  Some grow tall, some spread.  There really is one for every garden!  The only problem I've had with my crabapples is their tendency to sucker.  And sucker.  And sucker.  And for the last couple of years, I've had a problems with those tent caterpillars, as they seem to love these trees as much as I do!

Inspiration comes to me in a lot of different ways.  A blog post.  A bloom at the garden center.  A sudden realization.  Magazines.  Books.  Websites.  Photos.  Like most gardeners, I'm always trying to make my garden better, prettier, more varied, more interesting.

I haven't quite achieved the look that P. Allen Smith did.  But maybe in another year or two.

I love these trees.  They're not the same kind, the same color, the same number, planted with the same companions, or even in the same type of bed as those in Mr. Smith's garden.  If you saw them, you'd never know where I got the inspiration.

But spring wouldn't be the same without these blooms.  Thanks, Mr. Smith!

February 2012 Garden Book Reviews

It's Garden Book Review time!  Wahoo!  Please join us on the 20th of each month with your garden book review.

And - I have set up a new page with the garden book review links.  This should help anyone trying to find a book that's already been reviewed.  I hope to keep it updated monthly for easy reference.

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Here's my review:

"Monet's Garden: Through the Seasons at Giverny" 

by Vivian Russell  

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book.  Generally, I read three or four books at a time.  If I find a book I read straight through, that's a great book!  This book I couldn't put down.

It starts out with a history of how Monet came to Giverny, and why he chose the plantings he did.  This book presents Monet as a real person - someone that argued with his wife, shared confidences with his friends, raised children, and most of all - gardened.

What I loved about this book was the feeling that I knew and could relate to Monet.  He would fret over late spring freezes, worry over new plants, purchase bulbs, dig in the dirt, plan new areas, read garden magazines, and visit other gardens.  He was also generous in sharing seeds and cuttings.  He was a gardener, and the feelings he had for his garden are the same that each of us have for our gardens.

After Monet's death, Giverny went into a state of decline, until charitable contributions were obtained to restore the garden.  The garden opened to the public in 1980.  The author then takes us through each season, and outlines the work that is done for the garden to be presentable to visitors.  Since Giverny is now not a private garden, but a public one, perfection is expected every time the doors are opened to visitors.  I was surprised and impressed with the amount of work that is done behind the scenes in order to present a garden full of beauty through the seasons.

This book would be a good book for anyone that wants to know more about Monet, loves photos of Giverny, or is interested in the workings of this garden or any public garden.  

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Now it's your turn!  If you want to grab the button, here it is:

<a href="http://dreamingofroses.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i39.tinypic.com/11iid7a.jpg" border="0" alt="Roses and Other Gardening Joys"></a>

Rules:

1) Any book about gardening, gardens, or has a garden influence in it is fine, except:

2) No links/reviews about growing substances that are illegal in the United States.  (I know I don't have to worry about my blogging buddies, but I thought I needed to clarify in case someone new tries slipping one in!)

I promise to read your post, and hope you will read as many of the other participants' posts as your time allows.

Here's the linky!

January 2012 Garden Book Review

It's time!  Wahoo!  It's time for the January 2012 Garden Book Review (the very first one!) and you are invited to join me!  I promise to read your review, and I hope to find some new gardening books to add to my ever-expanding collection.

But first, here's my review:

The Artful Garden
by James Van Sweden and Tom Christopher

I have garden design books.  Lots of them.  And most of them cover about the same stuff.  You know - foliage texture, the way dark foliage recedes visually, rhythm, etc.  But I never knew how to paint a garden with plantings.  This books shows you how to do that.

Instead of looking at foliage like this:

Foliage in my fall garden.  Pretty, isn't it?
But it's just a small area.

This book tells explains how to use foliage to weave textures the way a fabric artist would.

Photo taken at San Antonio Botanical Garden

My imagination was fueled with the chapter on light and shadow.  Have you ever taken a picture of your garden in black and white?  Did you know what you were looking for?  The color picture of The Madoo Garden designed by Robert Dash on Pg. 95 was the perfect visual of light and shadow.  I immediately began to imagine my garden in black and white - the entire garden, not just parts.  I literally sat straight up, and began to mentally start making changes to my garden plans.  I even went outside and moved some plants!

My summer garden in black and white

The concept of mystery is no mystery to me.  But the concept of enticement was explained so well, I now want my garden to tease me into moving through it.

Photo taken at San Antonio Botanical Garden
I remember when I reached this point, I literally ran to see the fountains
that were placed just beyond sight.

And rhythm?  You may know how to make your garden visitors slow down, or speed up.  But this book takes it even farther.  Can you make your garden dance to a slow waltz?  How about to a spicy samba?  I think I now can.

Photo taken in Albuquerque, NM

These may be simple, basic garden design principles.  But I will never look at a garden in the same way again.  Do you know what picture your garden is painting?   Garden designers, garden critics, and anyone designing a garden (hopefully before and not after) will find this book useful.  If want to use garden design concepts the way an artist would, don't let this one pass you by.  It has the potential to take your garden from good to outstanding!

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Now I want to read your review!

If you'd like, grab the button as your reward for linking in!

<a href="http://dreamingofroses.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i39.tinypic.com/11iid7a.jpg" border="0" alt="Roses and Other Gardening Joys"></a>

Rules:

1) Any book about gardening, gardens, or has a garden influence in it is fine, except:

2) No links/reviews about growing substances that are illegal in the United States.  (I know I don't have to worry about my blogging buddies, but I thought I needed to clarify in case someone new tries slipping one in!)

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A Big Announcement

Years ago, a boss of mine would end our employee meetings by asking if there were any announcements.  Most of us were young females, so occasionally there would be an announcement of an impending marriage or of a pregnancy.  Well, today I'm announcing both!

Just a minute - let me revive my husband!

Ok, now -

First, the marriage (well, anniversary, really):

Today is the my blog's very first blogaversary.  I had thought about writing a blog for some time, and wanted to share my garden as well as find other gardens, and gardeners that were sharing their passion.  Sherry, Masha, and Christine all announced that they were going to start their blogs, and so I jumped in - timidly.  I made no announcement, I just started blogging.  I want to thank them for giving me the courage to stretch my boundaries and give blogging a try.  I've loved it!

Secondly, the baby (well, figuratively speaking):

I've seen Donna, Carolyn, Christine & Barbie, and Donna & Beth, all announce that they have recently or will be soon starting a meme.  And I've been thinking of doing this for some time, too.  So, today, I'm going to stretch my boundaries a bit more and go for it!

Like most gardeners, I love to read about gardening.  I have quite the collection of garden books, and I realize that most others gardeners do, too.  

So, I am going to start a Garden Book Review meme to be on the 20th of each month.  I'm doing this because I'm constantly buying garden books, and I want to know from you which books you like, and which to avoid!  

So, whether it's vegetable gardening, flower gardening, specialized gardening, design, hardscape, or even fiction (that includes a garden, such as 'The Secret Garden'), I would love to hear your take on the garden books you have read.  Each of our gardens are different, and each of our tastes in garden books will probably be different.  But I think if we tell what we like (or not) about each book, we can get a good sense of the books we might want to add to our collection.  

I have read that some gardeners do reviews on books they've received from the publisher.  But I'd rather read a review from a gardener that has no prejudice, wouldn't you?  I want to know the books you hate as much as the ones you love.  

Please join me on the 20th of each month and let me know which gardening books you are happy to have spent your money on, and which ones you wish you hadn't!

Right now, I have 109 garden books in my collection.  How about you?  Do you collect garden books, too?

Julius Caesar Would Be Proud

We did something new this week.  We went to the Farmers Market.  I had never been to one, but since our vegetable garden has not been producing as much as expected, we decided that locally grown produce was available - all we had to do was get out of bed, get in the car, and go!

There were not a lot of vendors.  I don't blame them.  I wouldn't stand around in this type of heat, hoping that someone would hand over $3 for something into which I had put in lots of hard work and sweat.  But there they were. Hopeful, happy farmers.  With beautiful, bountiful produce.

With our purchases in hand, we rode off into the sunset - to can our loot.  Canning with a pressure canner is a fairly new process for me.  If you've never done it, do it!  I was a bit scared of the words "pressure", the thought of something exploding, and the sound of a jiggling weight blowing off steam.

But - and this is VERY important - I read the directions!  Usually the last thing I do.  But fright does strange things to people, and it manifested itself in my wanting information on how to properly use the canner without bodily injury or property harm.

The best book of the several we purchased on home canning for recipes is "Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving" edited by Judi Kingry and Lauren Devine.  With "400 delicious and creative recipes for today", this book had a recipe for everything I wanted to try.

Look at our results:

The carrots came from our garden!

Isn't that beautiful?  And we're not waiting for winter.  We're eating this right now!  It's delicious!

And another surprising, delicious find was a vendor at the Farmer's Market selling beef.  Beef raised the way my parents raised cattle when they did that sort of thing (which was not for very long, but long enough for me to remember).  I've had some of the meat already, and like the difference between a home grown tomato and a store bought tomato, the beef is much more flavorful than its store bought equivalent.  I don't know how, but it is!

So, this week I overcame my fears.  I ventured into the world of the Farmer's Market.  I used a pressure canner.  I ate non-store bought beef.

I came. I canned. I conquered.

Copious Crooks

Well, the time for lettuces is past.  Most of them were eaten by the deer, but the few that were left have bolted.  The spinach has bolted, and gone to seed.  The radishes, too, have gone to seed.

All of which is very exciting to me.  You see, I purchased all heirloom plants this year with great plans to save the seed.  I am anxious to see if I will be able to figure out all the ins and outs of seed gathering and saving.  The book that has become my reference on this subject is entitled "Seed Sowing and Saving" by Carole B. Turner.  Thankfully, it has pictures as well as instructions!

I like thinking of the "vegetannual" example in the book "Vegetable, Animal, Miracle" by Barbara Kingslover .  As the leafy vegetables die out, tender young vegetables that fruit on the vine start to come into their season.  Look at our very first harvest of squash!  We picked just as many two days later!

Isn't that gorgeous?  Yummmmm - I look forward to using squash in a diverse number of recipes.

The tomatoes are still green.  The corn is showing tassels:

And we're still fighting the deer.

Earth Day Reading Project

As gardeners working the land, whether for food or for flowers, we know that our actions can either hurt or help the soil, the plants, and the many animals that come into our gardens.

Christine at The Gardening Blog has invited me to participate in The Sage Butterfly's Reading Project for Earth Day.   I love to read, and am constantly reading a garden book.  But, not all qualify as something inspiring for Earth Day.  However, these three jump out at me as perfectly fitting and worth recommending:

1) All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew
Are you new at vegetable gardening?  Do you want to get started but are unsure how?  Do you have just a small space for a vegetable garden?  Do you want a simple, almost weed-free, pretty vegetable bed?  Well, this is the book for you!  This books makes vegetable gardening easy!  After reading this book, having a vegetable garden seemed so doable, so attainable, and so simple that I just had to try!  And, besides, I love the organized look of vegetables in raised beds.  Growing vegetables in this way has been fun and rewarding.  It's also space saving and efficient.  Try it!

2) Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer  by Novella Carpenter
Have you ever thought of becoming self-sufficient?  Do you wonder what it's like to really live on only what you can grow?  Do you ponder thoughts of having animals that you may eventually have to kill and eat? Then this book is for you.  Learning to farm in the middle of a city takes determination.  In this book, not only does she plant a garden, she raises animals.  She shows, first hand, that self-sufficiency is possible.  Never having raised farm animals myself, I loved learning about chickens, rabbits, and ducks from her.  But mostly, I loved this book because she showed such respect in the value of life and the sacrifice that was made just so she could eat.  She went to greater lengths than I would be prepared to do, and I don't recommend all methods employed, but still, I definitely recommend reading this entertaining book.

3) Not a book, but a website - Urban Homestead (Path to Freedom) (urbanhomestead.org)
Want to take self-sufficiency a step farther?  Then this family will show you the way!  Although living in a city, this family still decided to become self-sufficient.  It took several years, but they didn't stop at that!  They also sell a portion of their harvests to restaurants as income.  Their harvest numbers are amazing and really demonstrate the bounty of nature. Not only do they grow their own food, they also use bio-diesel for their vehicle, use water and electricity frugally, and are working to be self-sufficient in every aspect of their lives.  Worth a look.

I have also invited :

Marcia at Birds Blooms Books etc,

Lisa at A Walk in Our Garden 

and Cynthia at On a Hays County Hill

to join me in naming some garden books for this Earth Day Reading Project.  Check them out - I'm certain they will have wonderful recommendations!