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Tuesday, March 25, 2014

New Gardening Books

Spring is here and with it the time to prep your flower and vegetable gardens. Here are some newly published books on this topic.

Gardening for the Birds: How to Create a Bird-Friendly Backyard is written by George Martin Adams. Create a natural ecosystem to attract and sustain birds, anywhere in North America. This guide is a complete source of information about plants and birds, using text, charts and photos.

All New Square Foot Gardening: the Revolutionary Way to Grow More in Less Space is written by Mel Bartholomew. Learn to set up a square foot garden, a grid-based method that produces large yields with less work. The book also provides information on vertical gardening and gardening with children.

How to Eradicate Invasive Plants is written by Teri Dunn Chace. Ranging from annuals, perennials, grasses, vines and trees, invasive plants can play havoc with our native landscape. Information on 200 of these plants, including photos, helps the gardener choose eradication options whether they be organic or safe use of chemicals.

Plantiful: Start Small, Grow Big with 150 Plants that Spread, Self-Sow, and Overwinter is written by Kristin Green. Expand your flower gardens with plants that spread, self-sow and overwinter. Plant profiles are provided, along with gardening tips and design ideas.

The Wildlife-Friendly Vegetable Gardener: How to Grow Food in Harmony with Nature is written by Tammi Hartung. A hardy vegetable garden and native wildlife can co-exist using these methods: smart planting, attracting helpful insects and pollinators, intentional creation of habitats for helpful wildlife and more. Also included are appendices of resources and remedies.

An Amish Garden: a Year in the Life of an Amish Garden is written by Laura Anne Lappe. This is a journal of an Amish woman, her family and her six gardens. Following the calendar year and through her writings and photos, we view the planning, soil preparation, planting, maintenance, harvest, and preservation of the food.

Grow More with Less: Sustainable Garden Methods for Great Landscapes with Less Water, Less Work, Less Money is written by Vincent A. Simeone. Create a home landscape that cooperates with nature. Learn about the best plant selection, integrated pest management, conservation of water, and other green gardening tips. A list of garden resources and plant sources is included.

Mister Owita’s Guide to Gardening: How I Learned the Unexpected Joy of a Green Thumb and an Open Heart is written by Carol Wall. The book describes how a period of transition in the journalist author’s life marked by her empty nest, a recent illness and her aging parents led her to forge a deep friendship with a gifted Kenyan gardener with whom she transformed her yard and shared long-buried secrets.