5 comments about Incredible Vegetables from Self-Watering Containers: Using Ed's Amazing POTS System.

1. I have read a lot of gardening books, but this is one of the all time best!! It is full of facts, as opposed to general descriptions. "A full grown tomato takes a gallon of water a day." as opposed to some vague keep it well watered that you get in so many books.
   It is precise, without being dry. Written with a sense of humor, as well as common sense. I found a lot of very useful information, even though I am a seasoned gardener, and a novice would find this invaluable. The information I found was accurate, and as importantly, explained. I love to know the "why" behind something.
   I must also comment on the pictures. They are good pictures of exactly the plant being talked about. You could easily identify an unknown plant from the pictures and descriptions. That is rare...most books show plants from too far away, or in a grouping...neither of which is helpful to me.
   All and all, this is my favorite gardening book of all time!! If I had to list a fault, I would be hard pressed to come up with one. Perhaps a bit more on the section on making a self watering pot at home. The basics are all there, but I would have like a bit more on the bigger containers, like how to turn a whiskey barrel into a self-waterer. And to go along with that, a few resourses on parts (as opposed to finished units.)



2. This book starts out good and states that it's going to tell you how to make your own self-watering containers. However, once you get through all the initial fluff, I found the details necessary to actually follow through on the author's suggestions to be extremely limited. The author discusses how to make any pot self-watering, but uses a ready made insert. Then he does not say where to get the ready made insert from. Parts of the book read more like a pat on the back to his own successes with pictures from his own garden. That's great, but I bought the book to learn how to set up my own self-watering system which I still am at a loss after reading the book. I was very disappointed.



3. Incredible Vegetables From Self-watering Containers is a book I purchased for my daughter. She lives in Show Low Az. in a wooded area and the soil is not that good. So she thought she would try growing some veggies in containers this year. I bought the book for her to give her some ideas on how to do it. She has a green thumb and was brought up on a farm so she loves to grow things. I would recomend this book to anyone wanting to grow anything in containers.



4. This book was very helpful. I am just starting a 'balconey' garden.
   The containers are helpful....the veggies are growing happily!
   D.O.



5. This is a great little book to get you started using self-watering container systems. It is well organized and provided me with sufficient information to, for the first time, successfully grow a bounty of tomatoes and lettuce and to start my little dwarf meyer lemon tree to begin blooming again. There is a great section at the end of the book for resources for purchasing some of the materials, and the section that covers the specifics about various types of plants, which do well with containers and which don't really need them, was also a great help toward getting started.
   
   I've already loaned this book to several friends who are looking forward to trying the method. For me, I wanted a sure-fire way to get maximally healthly and productive plants with a minimum of effort. Setting up the pots takes about 45-60 minutes, and after that your plants just take off! I love going out my kitchen door and picking fresh lettuce every day for my salads, and to not have to worry about watering every day, which in the heat of San Jose summers is fantastic! Easy, fun and rewarding - what more could you ask from a gardening book?

4 comments about Creating Beds and Borders: Creative Ideas from America's Best Gardeners (Fine Gardening Design Guides).

1. "Creating Beds and Borders" is a volume in the series of 'Fine Gardening' Design Guides issued by the Taunton Press. The book consists of separate articles by various contributors to 'Fine Gardening' magazine. Continuity is supplied by the subject matter, garden beds and borders.

   This book's articles are grouped into four sections: (1) Design Strategies; (2) Great Border Plants; (3) Special Techniques; (4) Garden Gallery. It begins with four articles on the design of island beds and borders. Plant selection and placement are the topics covered by the majority of the essays, along with techniques for starting and renovating perennial beds. Gardening in the shade, in bogs, and in Southeastern heat and humidity all receive special attention in section four.

   The one topic I felt could have used more coverage was flower bed edging techniques. One of the authors advocated a six inch by six inch trench to separate the bed from its surroundings. Another author, Sydney Eddison wrote an interesting article on "Good Looks Begin at the Edge," but she concentrates on edging plants, rather than on the physical separation of bed and lawn. Perhaps a future volume in the 'Fine Gardening' series will address the challenge of excluding the lawn from the flower bed (information I could certainly use).

   Because it discusses a technique we're currently experimenting with, my favorite article in "Creating Beds and Borders" is "Roses Enliven a Border" by Judith C. McKeon. Up until a few years ago, we segregated all of our roses into one bed, away from the other perennials (I don't remember why). However, McKeon advocates growing roses as specimens in a mixed border:

   "When shrub roses are grown as graceful specimens in the mixed border, they become part of its architecture, giving structure and a substantial backdrop for perennial companions. Like other ornamental deciduous shrubs, roses enhance the garden with the seasonal interest of their flowers, foliage texture and fruit displays."

   I would only disagree with McKeon's recommendation to use the old Alba rose, 'Konigin von Danemark' as part of a mixed border. Our specimen of 'the Queen' is a hefty seven-footer and she is absolutely covered with thorns. Even the thorns have thorns. If you plant one of these royal ladies in your border, you'll never work in there again unless you cover yourself in leather.

   'Konigin von Danemark' is a beautiful, raspberry-scented rose that could possibly be used as a deer hedge. For a mixed border, try other McKeon favorites such as 'The Fairy' or 'Gertrude Jekyll'.

   Color photographs grace almost every page of "Creating Beds and Borders". It is not organized as a reference book per se, but is a collection of beautifully illustrated and well-written essays for (most particularly) the American gardener.




2. Beds and borders are the heart of most gardens and finding new ideas for creating and improving them is always a treat. In this book Taunton Press has collected more than twenty of the best articles on the topic from its "Fine Gardening" magazine. They deal with issues such as design strategies, plants, techniques, and there is a special section on problem solving. Each article has a tiny photo and very brief bio of the writer so you get a sense of their background.

   The illustrations in these books, as in most Taunton books, are just gorgeous and the individual topics are well chosen. My favourite was "Lacing the Border with Beauty" which showed ways to lighten the border with lacy foliage and delicate flowers. The writer came up with ideas I'm dying to try, along with a list of lacy garden plants.

   Each article has a fresh approach, new ideas to solve problems such as a hot climate, wet soil, rocky soil and techniques for choosing and planting shrubs, perennials and annuals.

   The pleasure of books of collected articles is that you get a taste of many approaches without having to wade through thousands of words from any one writer, This lightness of touch, together with the careful selection of articles and first class illustrations make this book a delight.




3. Beds and borders are the heart of most gardens and finding new ideas for creating and improving them is always a treat. In this book Taunton Press has collected more than twenty of the best articles on the topic from its "Fine Gardening" magazine. They deal with issues such as design strategies, plants, techniques, and there is a special section on problem solving. Each article has a tiny photo and very brief bio of the writer so you get a sense of their background.

   The illustrations in these books, as in most Taunton books, are just gorgeous and the individual topics are well chosen. My favourite was "Lacing the Border with Beauty" which showed ways to lighten the border with lacy foliage and delicate flowers. The writer came up with ideas I'm dying to try, along with a list of lacy garden plants.

   Each article has a fresh approach, new ideas to solve problems such as a hot climate, wet soil, rocky soil and techniques for choosing and planting shrubs, perennials and annuals.

   The pleasure of books of collected articles is that you get a taste of many approaches without having to wade through thousands of words from any one writer, This lightness of touch, together with the careful selection of articles and first class illustrations make this book a delight.




4. I admit it, I know nothing about gardening. I just figured out the difference between an annual and a perennial. This book is amazing. It's simple and easy to use. The book is mostly pictures but there's also descriptions of what plants are included in the pictures. You can also learn how to draw bed layouts. If you're new to gardening, pick this one up for some great idea.

5 comments about Wildwood Wisdom.

1. THE BEST OUTDOOR/SURVIVAL BOOK I HAVE EVER READ. LOADED WITH INFORMATION, AND AT A GIVE AWAY PRICE OF ABOUT 10 BUCKS. ITS A NO BRAINER, BUY THIS BOOK.



2. All outdoorsmen should own a copy of this book. Highly entertaining and a wealth of knowledge.



3. I first read this book in my High School Library in 1955.
   The best outdoor survival book ever.
   Buy it at least a month before you go camping.
   Must read for campers.



4. A great book with much of interest to anyone interested in outdoor skills and woodsman ship in an age that has mostly vanished. The illustrations are great and some are humorous as well.



5. This book is crammed full of good survival and outdoor information. Its also full of awesome drawings. This is one of my favorite outdoor books and has been for many years, i find myself coming back to it again and again. Buy it, you wont regret it.

5 comments about The Outdoor Shower: Creative design ideas for backyard living, from the functional to the fantastic.

1. Just getting ready for another project and this book sheds great light on outdoor showers



2. Terrific ideas and with great pictures to go along with....great book to day dream with. Also very practical information and instructions for doing your own project.



3. SAVE YOUR $$$ and skip purchasing 'THE OUTDOOR SHOWER'. I bought and then returned this book as I found it to be lacking in fresh, new ideas on the subject of choosing and installing an outdoor shower. The text was blah and un-engaging and the all-important photo-illustrations were badly shot and not at all inspirational. I purchased this book thinking it would give me an overview of styles/periods/designs from which I might be inspired to install my own outdoor shower. Instead, what I found were amateurish, candid photos that were mundane, souless and frankly BORING. Avoid this book and head instead to your local newstand or library to find imaginative ideas in the shelter magazines: Coastal Living-MS Living-Yankee-Sunset all have featured pieces on this topic with a fresh outdoor lifestyle slant. This book was a dud with a capital D.



4. This book is a practical guide to putting in an outdoor shower. I would've liked more photos of what people have done to create great outdoor shower spaces- the book seems to mostly focus on Martha's Vineyard- but this book has some good advice on plumbing from the house, drainage, and partitions. It is a good place to start if putting in an outdoor shower, but I found the internet and my local guys at Home Depot to be better resources for some things.



5. The book has some interesting ideas and nice pictures, but it really comes up short in planning and building an outdoor shower. Eventually I did it myself and, by the way, there were some plumbing errors that should be pointed out to the author, specifically there are two kinds of PVC pipe, one for hot and cold and one just for cold water.

5 comments about 1001 Gardens You Must See Before You Die.

1. I have just finished writing the ZEN OF WATERING YOUR GARDEN. Which some may consider a "coffee table book" but it is really a challenge to the reader to get out and garden. This book of public and private gardens is filled with beautiful gardens which I think are nice to look at but untenable for any gardener to achieve. The Zen of Watering provides more practical stimulation to get out and garden with its 70 quotes juxtaposed to 145 full-color photos.



2. To cover 1001 Gardens in 960 pages is an almost impossible mission, yet Rae Spencer-Jones and his 70 contributors accomplished it.
   
   Every garden listed in "1001 Gardens You Must See Before You Die" follows a standard listing format of designers, owners, garden style, size, climate, location and a brief description of the garden. Some of the gardens listed have half-page size color photographs. This book is very useful for you to gain a rough idea of the gardens nearby when you visit a city, it'll let you know about the existence of a garden and help you decide whether to visit it or not. To this end, I think "1001 Gardens You Must See Before You Die" is successful.
   
   All the gardens are arranged by geographical locations, including North America, Europe, Asia, Central and South America, Africa, New Zealand and Australia. I find the "Climate Classification System," "Useful Address," "Garden Directory" at the end of the book very helpful.
   
   "1001 Gardens You Must See Before You Die" has 960 pages and color interior photographs and is a useful quick reference for garden tour!
   
   Gang Chen, Author of "LEED AP Exam Guide" & "Planting Design Illustrated." LEED AP, AIA
   
   
   



3. This very thick book has beautiful pictures that inspires one to plant a garden & travel the world.



4. For garden-lovers a 1,000 page book crammed chockfull with gardens the world over is an enticing prospect - though the suggestion you must all see them before you die is a bit fanciful, and symptomatic of the depersonalized, random consumerism of today's "must-see", "must-have" and "must-do" lists. Unfortunately, the book itself is not quite what it could have been. Quantity decidedly triumphed over quality. Photographs are mostly small, often quite crude and grainy, and as often unnaturally, even luridly colored. Many hardly give an impression of a garden at all, but instead focus on detail or architecture. Descriptive entries are brief and superficial. Entries are arranged geographically, from north to south and from west to east, with remarkably confusing results. The accent is very strongly on Europe, the whole of China being despatched in less pages than the Netherlands. If you are looking for a gazetteer to guide you to interesting gardens while planning a travel itinerary, this book might just give you a useful handle. If you are looking for pleasing garden images or indepth information, look elsewhere.



5. This was a great Mother's Day gift any gardener would love. Beautiful pictures of gardens around the world.

5 comments about Tom Brown's Field Guide to Nature Observation and Tracking (Field Guide).

1. This is an unusual book in which hard core tracking tips are blended with instructions on cultivation of the inner silence. As opposed to other stories about tracking which border the domain of fiction (e.g., "The Way of the Scout"), Brown gives us in this Field Guide practical advice on reading animal tracks, constructing shelters etc. The tips on "Nature Observation" in this field guide are unsurpassed by any other tracking book I know. TB provides us with priceless descriptions of what happens the moment we enter the forest - that is, how the alarm signal spreads from the birds to mammals and how long it takes for it to subside. The forest he is talking about is a living entity, where everything is connected and where one can plug into the circuits of the information flow by learning to listen to the sounds, by studying the terrain and the wind and by knowing how to camouflage and mask one's smell. The book provides useful info on various types of walking/stalking in the woods. Finally, there is deep reverence for nature something which occurs when one has learnt to be silent amidst the whispering trees (no mean trick for the Westerner who tends to function through the head). Tom Brown has learnt the inner silence tricks from his Apache teacher ("the Grandfather") and trackers might find this book useful for learning more about Native American attitudes toward nature. A similar approach to nature is encountered in some of Paul Rezendes' books (which i also recommend). In short, this book will be useful to those who are interested in approaching nature on its own terms. It will inspire the beginners in tracking and complement knowledge of hard core SAR UTS trackers (:)



2. I've read this book twice, and both times I've learned (and re-learned) to see and feel and experience more when I go outdoors, go camping, or take wilderness trips.
   The book teaches a lot of good stuff about tracking, but its best material, I think, is its section on nature observation: on learning to have a wider range of vision, to see more peripherally, to be quieter, and to be more aware of one's surroundings.
   "The tragedy in life is not what men suffer, but what they miss," Tom Brown quotes Thomas Carlyle as saying, and this book is all about helping you not to miss so much.
   The book contains great advice and tips on building sweat lodges (to cleanse your body and mind and increase your awareness), on getting more out of your outdoor experiences,on getting closer to wild animals, and on letting the outdoors free life from its tensions.
   The book is also full of little exercises designed to heighten your awareness.
   My favorite is one where you use sticks to frame a single square foot of outdoor ground. Then you stare at it from a standing position, making note of everything within it: little rocks, a plant, a hole here or there. Then you kneel down and study it from that level: all of a sudden you can see mouse pellets, tiny bugs, and seed husks around the holes on the ground. Then you get down on your stomach and put your face right up to it: suddenly you can see where beetles have nibbled the plant's leaves, you can see the footprints of mice, and you can see the holes are deep, and wider than you'd thought. Then, after about an hour of fascinated scrutiny, you stand up, and the square foot, and all the ground around it seems to pop and buckle, as the realization of how much was all around begins to hit you. The ground seems writhing with life and interesting things, and you can never look around you the same way again.
   It's very cool.
   I highly recommend this book. Its lists of various scat and tracks are a bit long for casual cover-to-cover reading, but as a guidebook its information is thorough and fairly complete. Read it, learn from it, and add new depth to the way you view the world.



3. a good book about how to really see things in nature, not just the obvious. it also goes into some of the basic and more technical aspects of tracking people and animals.
   
   however, i felt that it was to much in the middle of basic tracking and very technical tracking. personally if you want the basics of tracking i would buy his book entitled "Tom Brown's Field Guide to Nature and Survival for Children". this lines out basic tracking skills very well so that a child can understand, but i have found it very helpful in my practices. And if you want very technical tracking advise i would get his "Science and Art of Tracking" book.
   
   And pretty much all of his books go through some nature observation guide. this one just has a lot more excercises for practicing it.



4. I was not impressed. there is very little useful information in this book, mostly just a bunch of tall tales written to impress inner city folks who have never gotten a chance to experience the outdoors. Don't waste your time or money with this book. Field guide to mammal tracking in north america by jim halfpenny is the book you want. Allan a macfarlan is another author i recommend looking into, he has written about the same subject but has more detail.



5. I first read this book several years ago, along with his first book "The Tracker." I was impressed enough to travel by plane, bus and truck to his class in New Jersey. Yep, New Jersey, home the largest wooded area in the U.S.
   Tom says as a kid he was trained by an Apache Scout and Shaman whom he calls "Grandfather." We spent a week sleeping in a barn on the hay, going barefoot is really cold weather and cooking outside on a large communal grate. Lecture sessions were held in a 100-year old barn and tracking (or dirt time as Tom calls it) was in various woods and fields. This was one of the texts and we had a meal or two using it as a guide-deep fried clover blossoms as I remember, using cattail blossoms as flour. It was very good.
   Tom still has classes in NJ. When I left I was certain, as I still am today, that I could survive in the woods or anywhere if necessary.
   Get this book along with "The Tracker," for a complete view of Tom's story.
   Tom was also technical advisor on the Tommy Lee Jones movie "Tracker," and the knife used in the production is available from Brown. Enjoy, Learn.

5 comments about Good Bug, Bad Bug: Who's Who, What They Do, and How to Manage Them Organically (All You Need to Know about the Insects in Your Garden).

1. Finally!
   A straightforward book about pests and beneficial insects for gardeners. I have looked for a book like this for twenty years!
   
   GOOD BUG, BAD BUG has great pictures and brilliant information about each pest, including what their damage looks like, what plants they attack, how to prevent attacks, and how to control attacks organically. Better yet, it has an equally awesome section for beneficial insects, with pictures, detailed information, and tips on how to attract them and keep them in your garden.
   With a great introduction and a very useful glossary, and spiral bound to last a long time, this book just plain ROCKS.



2. This book serves as a helpful guide to identifying common garden bugs. Although I bought it for myself, my 9 year old son, who is a bug lover, read it, too. Good quality pictures make identifying the bugs easy and there is an extremely useful section on the types of plants each bug likes and its natural predators. Written in lay terms and includes concise but helpful facts. This book is good for gardeners, especially if you are trying to control bugs without the use of insecticides.



3. I have always found Jessica Walliser's gardening books to be so useful, but this one takes the prize. The photos of the bugs--good and bad--and what their damage looks like is invaluable when trying to figure out what course of action to take in your garden. I took this book out to my garden and flipped through its pages looking for a picture that matched my plant damage--flea beetles! And again--cucumber beetles! I feel like not only am I learning to identify insects, but I am better managing my vegetable garden, organically. Jessica's advice for "Live biological controls" and "Preventive actions" and "Organic product controls" for each pest tell you exactly what to do when something is attacking your plants. I highly recommend this book for any gardener wanting to learn, before reaching for the spray bottle.



4. This is a Great Book on bugs, a must have for all Gardeners



5. Good book with pictures of the good and bad bugs and how they either help or harm your garden. Definately would recommend.

5 comments about The Complete Book of Bonsai.

1. A great way to see many different examples of well done bonsai. Excellent inspiration for beginners.



2. This book is really nice the presentation is awesome it looks like a collection book it has a hardcover protector and the information is very usefull nice pics and good tips for begginers and medium masters it`s a must have book i recomend it 100%



3. When I received a bonsai tree for mother's day, I was determined not to kill it like I had done with a previous bonsai. After researching 7 or 8 books at the library, and several more at local book stores, this one stood out as positively the best one out there. It offers full-color pictures of over 100 different species plus growing, watering, pruning, propagation, and other tips for each kind of tree. There are step-by-step instructions for growing bonsai from seeds, cuttings, and several other techniques such as grafting are included. This has been the most helpful book out there, and my trees, including several I bought, pruned, and potted myself, are flourishing! This is a wonderful book for any bonsai lover, or even just as a beautiful centerpiece for your library. Happy gardening!



4. Great photos but lacking detailed information. Wonderful, I think, if you're a beginner. I was hoping for more.



5. If you are just getting started in Bonsai and could only buy one book this book will give you everything you need to know for a long time.
   
   This book has a nice section on the art of bonsai; it has beautiful pictures and good information, including pictures of bonsais in every season. The next section is on creating a bonsai. This includes style and containers; it shows in detail how to prepare a pot before planting. It has pictures and descriptions of all the tools that are used in bonsai, plus it has pictures and descriptions on how to use each tool. Excellent for beginners.
   
   This book gives many methods of creating a bonsai. It shows before and after pictures and many pictures of the author actually doing it. Along with each picture there is good descriptions of what he is doing. This first section of the book is very good for anyone getting started.
   
   The next section is a species guide to over 60 species. There are one to two pages on each tree. It has at least one picture for each species, plus an up close picture of the leaf. There is a description, cultivation information and additional points of interest for each species. This section has beautiful pictures and valuable information for both indoors and out door bonsais. I think this section is good for everyone. It is good to know what a bonsai requires before you get it.
   
   At the end of this book there is a list of over 300 trees and shrubs suitable for cultivation as bonsai. There is a description and cultivation information for each entry.
   
   This book is excellent, the text, the photographs and the captions combine make this a very easy to understand guidebook and a good reference book. I recommend this book very highly.

5 comments about Niwaki: Pruning, Training and Shaping Japanese Garden Trees.

1. My husband wanted this book because we have started a large oriental garden. It explains turning plants into Japanese artisist sculpture. It enlightens you to whats going on and why. This is a very good "how to" book.



2. well,put simply: if you whant to know how to do it and what to do , this is it.



3. This is an ok book - not great wich I wish it had been but good. I will definitly try some of the Japanese pruning technicques.



4. Having visited a few of the Japanese gardens mentioned in this book..I couldn't wait to start on my own garden here in Sydney but I really didn't know where to begin. My passion is for sculptured matsu (pines) and also for bamboo. This book has lifted my confidence immeasurably and the information and format shown will give me sure-footing on my journey.
   Wonderful photos and diagrams (not to mention background). I will use native pines and conifers as well as the Japonicas and even try sculpting my Diosmas. I hope that only a few people will buy this book as I don't wish that these beautiful gardens become too ubiquitous in the west (hehe).



5. A truly delightful book with lots of information which is helpful in setting our a Japanese style garden within the Western culture.

5 comments about The Herbal Home Remedy Book: Simple Recipes for Tinctures, Teas, Salves, Tonics, and Syrups (Herbal Body).

1. This is a very good, but basic herbal. It is great for someone starting out, and if this isn't in depth enough for you, or after this book, i would certainly recommedThe Herbal Medicine Maker's Handbook: A Home Manual James Green's The Herbal Medicine Maker's Handbook.



2. I have really enjoyed this book. It is an easy to understand book and it is practical, which is something I really appreciate.



3. This book is so wonderful. Its warm informative and inviting. It makes you want to jump in right away. The directions are clear and simple enough not to intimadate. It is a very good thing that the author suggests only non toxic plants as a start. She is an insightful and wise teacher. I am looking forward to making the medicinal wines. The stories are also a nice touch. I will be purchasing her other books.



4. pretty good descriptions. Would have been nice to see more pictures to go along w/the descriptions. Not a bad book & would recommend it to anyone who is interested in making herbal remedies from scratch.



5. I searched Amazon.com for a book on herbs for my best friend's birthday. She is interested in using herbal products concocted by people she knows. I have at least five books on herbs including The Herb Book by John Lust. I knew she didn't want an encyclopedia and so I went looking for one that had "recipes" in it for everyday use. I checked out several, then spotted The Herbal Home Remedy Book. The author explains how she got into herbal remedies through her own family's interest and details ways to use herbs. She also cautions against using wildcrafted herbs for use in selling. I bought a copy of the book for my friend and one for me; we are planning to get together to make up some recipes. A very good book for someone who wants to do something practical and isn't looking to get a degree in herbology though this book could strike a passion for it.