No comments about Gardens (Spotlights).

No comments about Garden Basics.

No comments about Weeds And Wild Flowers: Their Uses, Legends And Literature.

1 comments about A Year in Our Gardens: Letters by Nancy Goodwin and Allen Lacy.

1. A YEAR IN OUR GARDENS by Nancy Goodwin and Allen Lacy is a chatty exchange of letters and faxes between two old friends, both of whom have many years of gardening experience to their credit. Ms Goodwin ran Montrose Nursery for many years and is very informed and informing about plants -- native, cultivated, imported, and home-grown.

   Dr. Lacy has written many books about gardening and garden design -- centered on his garden in New Jersey and other gardens futher afield. My personal favorite of Lacy's books is THE GARDEN IN AUTUMN, although THE INVITING GARDEN is probably his best selling book. I wouldn't recommend A YEAR IN OUR GARDENS to the novice gardener since it has no colorful photographs and a plethora of Latin named flowers and plants. Even the intermediate gardener searching for tips might find THE INVITING GARDEN a better read.

   If you've been gardening awhile and like to read about green adventures from the comfort of your easy chair or need a good book for bedtime reading, you'll probably enjoy A YEAR IN OUR GARDENS. To me it's something of a cross between the books by Elizabeth Lawrence and Beverly Nichols. In fact, if Lawrence and Nichols had written to each other their conversations might have been a bit like the conversations of Goodwin and Lacey.

   Goodwin and Lacey both had an affilitation with Duke University as did Elizabeth Lawrence though neither Goodwin nor Lacey is a botonist like Lawrence. Lacey wrote garden columns for the Wall Street Journal and New York Times and until recently taught philosopy and horitculture at Richard Stockton College in New Jersey where he lives and gardens. Lawrence's father was Lacey's professor of English at Duke University, and Lawrence lives and gardens near Hillsborough NC.

   Both Goodwin and Lacey have gardens in growing zone 7. As they relate their experiences over the course of the year, it becomes obvious this counts for little. Lacey lives near the Atlantic, has sandy soil he must amend with humus, and experiences milder summers and colder winters. Goodwin lives in the NC piedmont, gardens in clay, and has hot-hot summers. Both have green houses that allow them to cultivate a variety of plants more suited to tropical climates. Lacey tends to grow many plants in pots on a large extended deck, while Goodwin has a much larger property with room for numerous shubs and trees and a woodland garden. Lacey says he prefers summer months for gardening, and Goodwin says she prefers anything but summer.

   In addition to the exchange about plants, garden design and the various wildlife sightings, both correspondents share the ups and downs of daily living. Over the course of a year, Lacey undergoes major surgery and Goodwin's husband has eye surgery and her father dies. Both Godwin and Lacey travel to various locations to give lectures and undergo interviews on television and radio. Martha Stewart drops by for a fifteen minute tour of Montrose, and Lacey goes to Disneyland.

   All in all this book is mildly entertaining, and a peek into the lives of two relatively well educated gardeners.

No comments about The Illustrated Book of Women Gardeners.

5 comments about Flora: An Illustrated History of the Garden Flower.

1. Flora straddles the line between being an art book filled with flora pictures and a gardening title packed with details about garden flowers. Both audiences will welcome this lavish presentation but it's the artist who will have a rare opportunity to appreciate the detail and color of floral designs. Full-color, oversized pages of floral art are gorgeous presentations.



2. This book is beauty and knowledge. An absolut treasure!



3. This is one of the best flower books I have ever seen! Richly illustrated, with many details, and glorious color! I am a painter, so these are very important for an illustrated book. A must have for all flower lovers!



4. My order just came and was I disappointed. The book is beautiful yet the size is absurd. Measures 5 3/8 by 6 1/4 inches. This is not stated anywhere in the book desription. I just assumed it would be the standard 8 1/2 by 11 inches. I KNEW it wasn't the coffee table size but this size is just not suitable for this type of book. I will be returning it.



5. I ordered this book and returned it due to the extremely ridiculous small size. It is about the size of a CD. I had read this book in the library at the full size and the small size ("Compact edition") doesn't even compare. If you really want this book, get the full size. Otherwise it isn't worth it.

No comments about Tales from Willowshade Farm: An Island Woman's Notebook.

1 comments about The Penguin Book of Garden Writing.

1. I have MANY other garden writing anthologies, but this is one with wonderful excerpts I have not seen before. Some familiar material, but not much. No pretty pictures, but the text more than makes up for it. The choices for this book are very enjoyable and inspiring for hands-on or armchair gardeners alike. Highly Recommended.

1 comments about Pocket Full of Posies.

1. What a great book on the little-known aspects of gardening!
   Gardeners and non-gardeners will love her book.

5 comments about 1999 Moon Sign Book: and Gardening Almanac (Llewellyn's Moon Sign Book S).

1. i really enjoyed all the articles in here,especially how to find your money sign and gloria star's moon horoscopes.



2. I used this book in conjunction with Astrological Gardening by Louise Riotte. Many pest/disease/growth problems I was previously plaqued by aren't challenging my garden this year. Life has a rhythm and the Astrological Gardening guide is a great aid--without getting the reader bogged down in interpreting signs and symbols. This will be a yearly purchase for myself and open-minded friends.



3. This is the first annual moon sign book I've purchased, and I know that I'll continue to buy future ones. It's helpful in that it gives you an idea of when to take certain actions or what to do on any given day. My only problem is that it's not always accurate. A day that was supposed to go well for me was one of the worst days in months, and a day that was supposedly very bad for travel turned out to be very pleasant. Oh well, it's still entertaining.



4. The Almanac has been a must have over the centuries. Several cultures have relied upon its dates and information, from farmers and gardners, to Kings and Queens and Heads of State. The 2002 Moon Sign Book brings you a step higher with world reknowned Gloria Star reminding us once again why she is one of the world's leading Astrologers.

   Along with weather and forecasts, Gloria Star provides the monthly lunar forecasts for all the essentials. Learn and then plan the best days to travel or to make a personal or financial decision. Have a hunter or a fisherman in the family? Give them the heads up to make them the Master for Catch-of-the-day!

   Planning a wedding, or vacation, maybe trying out the garden this year or need help in weight control? Whether you have ever had an almanac or this is your first, the 2002 Moon Sign Book is one you need to have. Included are more then twenty-five articles from different authors, who are experts in their different fields, to bring you interesting facts and moon lore.

   Saving the best for last: the lunar cycles and phases. The moon is a powerful entity. It controls everything from the tides of the ocean to the fluttering wings of the butterfly. So naturally we want to consult with the lunar cycles for every aspect of our daily lives. If you want this year of your life to be a success, you need to know lunar timing. With easy access tables, all the essentials for day-to-day planning is here.

   Look for special days for making purchases, or planning a trip. Have a small business or are beginning one? You will need the almanac to give you the best days for a successful venture. For the gardners, be fruitful and multiply. You can have the best and most beautiful gardens if your timing is right, lunar timing that is! With easy-to-use tables, this year's will be your best garden yet. The 2002 Moon Sign Book provides you with all this plus so much more.

   The Moon Sign Book has been a best seller for almost a century! The Llewellyn Tradition lives on in the 2002 Edition.

   M.L. Benton, Publisher, Echoed Voices.
   Copyright © 2001




5. I have subscribed to this volume since 1995 and have loved every volume every year. Sometimes the articles get a bit lame, but the charts and tables and lunar gardening advice are excellent. Unlike a lot of what Llewellyn puts out, this one is waaay worth the money!