Book Reviews
Review
I was having a silly moment while browsing Amazon for gardening books. I saw the first part of the title to this book Companion Planting: The Vegetable Gardeners Guide: The Role of Flowers, Herbs & Organic Thinking and wondered if this was about planting a garden with a friend – a companion, or if it was about planting one’s companion. Okay, I said it was a silly moment.
The practice of companion planting has been around for centuries. It is the Grandfather of the modern eco-friendly, going green, organic gardening practices. If you want to avoid using chemical fertilizers and insecticides, then companion planting is for you. Healthy crops will abound when you practice sound companion planting.
This book is a quick read and an excellent introduction to the basic concepts of companion planting. Continue reading
Review
If you are new to gardening or have a limited space with which to work, you’ll find the concepts offered in All New Square Foot Gardening: The Revolutionary Way to Grow More in Less Space for planning, growing and producing a bountiful harvest most appealing. This concept uses small square foot plots for planting. Even more appealing is that one doesn’t have to worry about tilling the hard ground every spring as this type of gardening uses above ground, raised planting beds.
This is the 2nd edition of the book created by author Mel Bartholomew. The original SFG was published in 1981. There are significant changes made from the original version including moving the garden beds closer to the house, a 4ft. x 4ft. square solution, and an all new special soil concoction.
You’ll even find an entire chapter devoted to vertical gardening. This type of garden can successfully generate large volumes of produce in a very small space because of efficient placement of plants, as well as additional vertical gardening solutions. Continue reading
Review
Many people believe that the cure for every disease can be found in plants. While this book doesn’t claim to have remedies for every disease, Rosemary Gladstar’s Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide: 33 Healing Herbs to Know, Grow, and Use does explain the uses of 33 herbs.
This book is chock full of information on how to use herbal remedies for common ailments such as poison ivy, poor digestion, stress relief and many more. Rosemary Gladstar has had over 35 years of experience as a teacher and healer using herbs. She runs Sage Mountain established in East Barre Vermont. There she sells herbs, teaches, and facilitates workshops about using herbs.
As the founder of the California School of Herbal Studies, Gladstar has much to share when it comes to growing and using herbs for natural remedies. Known as the “godmother of American Herbalsim”, she now lends her expertise in this volume of herbs specifically designed for beginners. Continue reading