5 comments about The Audubon Backyard Birdwatcher: Birdfeeders and Bird Gardens.

1. This book is great and has everything for every area of the country from how to design your yard (plants, placement, type of wildlife plants attract. It has information on all the plants ,zones to plant and where birds are in areas (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall). I brought this book to work and there are at least (5) people that were so impressed as I was and am that they are ordering the book too!!



2. Purchased The Audubon Backyard Birdwatcher: Birdfeeders and Bird Gardens for my mother for Christmas, she is very pleased with the book, more so then her other books she has collected for Bird Watching.



3. Beautiful book. Highly recommend this book to any bird and garden enthusiast. Quick delivery as well from vendor.



4. I purchased this for a gift for my husband for our anniversary. It came looking great, still in the package. It came fairly quick, about a week after I ordered it.
   
   Thank you!



5. Very good book, has lots of information beyond just bird identification. Only thing I would have done different is have pictures of both the male and female (typically each kind of bird only has one picture).

5 comments about Food Not Lawns: How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden And Your Neighborhood into a Community.

1. There's a tendency among activists these days to see their focus as the solution to all the world's problems. For one author, feminism envelopes all issues; for another communism (or capitalism) does. For others, it's Christianity.
   As an avid, beginning gardener, I understand the appeal, but I feel like the connection between world peace and gardening wasn't adequately argued in the book. Having scrounged myself a piece of a neighbor's yard, I expected that this would be a good book to get me started on a practical bent. However, I found that the idealism often prevented extensive practical advice which is necessary for the beginner. Perhaps advanced gardeners can "make space for all plant species" and can't recommend one species above another, but there was limited - almost non-existent - acknowledgment that some species are easier to grow than others, and some are more useful in terms of food production, especially if space is extremely limited. For a first "food" garden, would I be better off growing potatoes? Tomatoes? Spinach?
   I found the transition from garden-related activism to community activism quite rocky. I wish the sections on seed-saving and connecting with neighbors were expanded. On a personal level, I found many of the asides (which I will paraphrase as "well, *of course* all right-minded people agree that ____________") were off-putting, as hard-core radical leftists are not the only ones who are interested in producing clean, local food and making communities. I was also troubled by the exhortations to get rid of appliances, go vegetarian, and dumpster scavenge to save the environment, while at the same time suggesting extensive driving (to farms, to dumpsters, around town, between bakeries).
   All that aside, Food Not Lawns is an interesting read. It's a bit like reading a brainstorming session, which politics and communication and personal stories and food info is interspersed. It is clear the author is passionate about her subject, and believes in the process. In a sense, it is a very second-wave book - before the post-post modern doubts and hyper self-awareness. It's refreshing, and combined with sources of practical horticultural information, would be a good read for any radical gardener.



2. Food Not Lawns: How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden And Your Neighborhood into a Community is an inspiring book for any person who wants to find healthy ways to grow his or her own food in a natural way and to encourage others in the neighborhood to do the same. The book provides both the expected common-sense approach to improving soil conditions and water retention through composting and other methods, but also offers suggestions that inspire the rebellious, anti-establishment side of the reader to surface: guerilla gardening tactics and suggestions for rerouting and filtering gray water, thus encouraging water recycling rather than wasting water. The prose style is easy-to-understand and engaging, with drawings that help the reader understand the suggestions being made. Most interesting to me personally was the idea that lawns of grass were developed as a way to display wealth, and the idea of turning your yard into one large, practical-yet-beautiful, varied garden is greatly appealing.



3. Having never been able to afford proper permaculture education and living far away from where such courses are offered anyway, I found this book to be a real blessing, full of practical information on polycultural organic gardening, composting, vermiculture, ecological design, appropriate technology, edible weeds, biodynamic farming, seed stewardship, community organizing, conflict resolution, activism, ecological pedagogy, and more. Certainly, if you are interested in planting a backyard or community garden, then this book is one that you will want to read immediately. With our present capitalist agricultural system destroying the biosphere and our health via global warming, deforestation, pesticide run-off, top soil erosion, biotechnology, and cancer, one really needs to read and encourage others to read this amazing book. More importantly, we need to reconnect with the land, get some soil beneath our fingernails, and begin planting the seeds of that better world we're always talking and dreaming about. Thank you H.C. Flores for this excellent book and for all the inspiring things you do to build a more rational, socially just, and ecological society!



4. Anyone who picks up this book expecting to find a "How to" manual on converting your lawn into an edible garden will be disappointed. However, if you're looking for some fresh ideas on not only changing out your lawn for a garden mixed with a little permaculture, activism, optimism, and community building ideas, this is the book for you.
   
   I read this book twice because there is so much good information and ideas in it that it was hard to wrap my head around the first time. Coming back to the book a few weeks later really made it hit home for me that gardening in your front yard is a community affair, as it should be.
   
   I really enjoyed this book and will likely read it again in the next few weeks as I put H.C. Flore's ideas into motion and need a little pep rally to keep up the hard and rewarding work.



5. definitely not a how to book. there are no pictures - i would have liked to see pictures of her garden....

5 comments about Gardening with Guineas: A Step-By-Step Guide to Raising Guinea Fowl on a Small Scale.

1. At Shady Hollow Gamebirds we produce over 3,000 guineas on our farm annually. We are leading the field with Guinea Fowl genetics and have over 60 varieties. Our farm got to this point by starting with a few keets and Gardening With Guineas. This story and guide leads beginners and experienced owners through rearing and keeping Guinea Fowl. With every guinea order from our hatchery we strongly recommend getting a copy of Gardening With Guineas. There is practical, conventional, scientific and modern information on all aspects of feeding, breeding, raising and housing guineas. This guide is a must for those who have or would like to have Guinea Fowl.



2. I had tried raising guineas for several years without success. After reading this book, I have discovered many of my mistakes. No longer will I lose guineas to frostbite or overnight predators. I will provide proper housing and feed as well. I wish I would have read this book much earlier and spared the lives of many guineas. I love guinea fowl and feel better going into the new season with this book in hand!



3. If you're at all interested in Guinea Fowl, this is the "Bible." Everything you need to know. We're going with Guineas for the same reason as the author...insect control.



4. It all started with ducks, actually. Or maybe bugs. I hate June bugs all over my vegetable garden, and I'm not overly fond of other bugs, either. A place near where I work has all kinds of ducks wandering around, and I thought I'd borrow one to eat the June bugs. Then I remembered guineas. When I threw the idea out there, I thought my boyfriend would just ignore it, but he seemed interested, too. I started doing some research on the web and found Gardening with Guineas. We read through it, and picked through it, and now we have guineas. My boyfriend is not much of a reader, but he read Gardening with Guineas. It helped us decide that we could raise them. It is full of information on how to house them, how to train them, and how to take care of them. If you want guineas on a small scale, don't even get any birds until you read this book.



5. I purchased this book in preparation for raising some guinea keets I received from a friend. As a gardener, I was particularly interested in their function as an "organic insecticide".
   
   The information was sufficient, but not well-written or proof-read, more like a newspaper article. Not enough focus on the gardening aspect, other than that they like certain bugs that harm flowers and veggies. The taming process described is impossible to achieve if you have other things to do than playing with the birds. It is not necessary to keep them caged in the chicken coop for 6 weeks - mine are roaming the chicken yard at 6 weeks old with a bantam hen that adopted them. They stick very close to the coop.
   
   All the information presented can be found on the internet without having to shell out almost 15 bucks.

5 comments about Teaming with Microbes: A Gardener's Guide to the Soil Food Web.

1. Finally, a REAL organic gardening book. Wish I had written it. It's an easy read; I feared that it might be an academic study. Great pictures. I only skipped chapter 13 on doing a soil census. I wished the author had addressed the roles of irrigation, mineral supplements, and organic fertilizers in increasing crop/fruit productivity. I'm not nitpicking about the author's chemistry. Excellent Book!



2. Despite the short length of this book, it was packed with lots of good information and was easy to read. It brought to my attention aspects of fungi versus microbial activity that I was never aware of and how these affect soil quality for gardens versus shrubs. The book has had an immediate payback for me, as I am a novice composter and now know how to do that better. It also described compost teas which I was only vaguely familiar with. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in gardening in an earth-friendly way or to those who have relied solely on inorganic fertilizers and need to learn their true effects.



3. I love this book! I raise red wiggler worms and lecture on worms and composting. This book has added to my interest and fascination with worms and now with worm/compost tea. I will use it as part of my lectures and recommend it in my classes and lectures.



4. A beautifully written book. This book is simple and highly informative. It is a must read for everybody who is interested in organic gardening. Once you have read the book you will have a deep appreciation and understanding of soil.



5. This is a detailed description of organisms in the soil, what kind you need for different types of plants, and how to get and keep them. It explains why organic gardening is more efficient, and eventually an easier way to grow. It is well written and informative.

3 comments about Gardening All-in-One for Dummies.

1. Great book. Wonderful service and fast delivery. Thank you.



2. checked this out from the library, but had to purchase it! first of all, i knew NOTHING about gardening, so this gave me a starting point and help with the basics. i am slowly learning ... and have started my first vegetable garden! while there are very FEW pictures, the info itself was valuable to me. i have a book that is chock-full of pics, but the text is designed for a more advanced gardener. i love to look at that (other) book, but i needed something very basic to begin with- and this is it! good price for all the info you get. a must for those just starting out from scratch! good luck & have fun with your hands in the dirt!



3. A must read to all those new to gardening. It is a simple, easy to read and will give you a general understand of all aspects of gardening.
   
   This book is written in the typical style and format of all the Dummy books and is great!

5 comments about Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens.

1. Book is a great asset for anyone wanting to utilize plants which are native to where you live--so naturally they fare better. Most of our Master Gardeners in our area have purchased this reference book
   Also--as usual--Amazon is efficient for handling ppurchases with speedy delivery.



2. We've been avid gardeners for decades and have done many things to attract wildlife to our 10 acre woodlot where we reside. This book is a real eye-opener. It's scientific but easy on the mind. It's thorough and informative, yet casual in its prose. Dr. Tallamy has made a terrific contribution to anyone who values their property, enjoys healthy diversity in their landscape, and wants to do right by the planet. Don't go to your local nursery before reading this book. Mention this to all your friends who share your outdoor interests and talk to your local librarian to be certain he/she obtains a copy for your community.



3. 
   I thought this book was great, and now I'm "sold" on only using native plants in my garden. And for those who say that not all alien plants are bad, and that this book doesn't tell the whole story or whatever, I would retort "well why NOT use native plants only?" To me there's something more "right" about using plants that are native to the very land you are on.
   
   The back of the book contains a terrific appendix that lists good native plants to grow by U.S. region. I was very disappointed however that there was no index for the Northeast region(which is where I live)...



4. This book is a must read for all. It highlights and informs about the small steps we can each take to create a better world in our own back yards.



5. This is a very important book. I reluctantly purchased it after hearing several people that I admire recommend it very highly. I am not much into gardening but am interested in birds, biodiversity and restoring natural habitats. I have read hundreds of books on biology and the environment over the years and have been to hundreds of meetings and conferences regarding solutions to the many problems that beset our natural environment. It is not often that I hear of a very simple solution to a ubiquitous problem, that of a decline in the overall population of birds and mammals and the increase in the ravages of diseases affecting our forests, grasslands and deserts.
   
   In addition to offering a novel solution to major problems the outlook of the book is optimistic and the reading is interesting and pleasurable. Dr. Tallamy is a fine writer and also furnishes fascinating descriptions of the plants, insects, mammals and birds that he has studied. One that I remember from the chapter on insects was the defensive strategy of some insects called leafhoppers that are preyed upon by wasps. The mother protects her offspring that are feeding on the stem above by intercepting attackers from below. If a wasp starts an attack from above her young drum out a distress message that vibrates through the stem to her so she can rush up and try to kick the wasp away. Another insect, a tree-boring beetle, flies to the top of mountain ridges to scan for forest fires with infrared vision to locate trees weakened by fire that are prime targets for feeding and breeding locations.
   
   In addition to these insights into the world of insects and plants the book gives you an understanding of the significant danger from the spread of alien plant species. I agree with all the high recommendations for this book. Everyone that reads this will have a new outlook on nature and even the gardeners will enjoy it.

5 comments about The Backyard Orchardist: A Complete Guide to Growing Fruit Trees in the Home Garden.

1. I bought this book because I wanted to learn to care for the fruit trees and plants in my yard. This book looks like it has a lot of good information but honestly unless you are really good at gardening it is very wordy. I don't think I will sit and read it but I will probably use it as a reference book.



2. Never recieved this order. Credit card was billed but still no package(1-2-08). Never got any response from email stated that I have not recieved my order!



3. I have about 5 books on fruit trees and this is by far the best and most comprehensive. Only drawback is that they don't use real pictures.



4. The Backyard Orchardist: A Complete Guide to Growing Fruit Trees in the Home GardenI found this book very thorough and informative for someone just learning about growing fruit and nut trees at home. It answered very nearly every one of my questions.



5. Extremely helpful! Just moved to a new home and wanted to start my plants off right. This book helped me not only in the selection of my plants, but where on my property it is best to plant them, and how to properly plant them. I also learned the correct ways of pruning and fertilizing each plant. I have found this book to be an invaluable tool to a begining backyard gardener.

5 comments about Edible Estates: Attack on the Front Lawn.

1. I received this book for my birthday this weekend, and sat down and read it that afternoon. As a permaculture student and an artist, this book fit my approach just perfectly. There are many books that deal in nitty gritty details of why and how to grow your own food and reduce your consumption, etc., but I've long been frustrated at the few texts and individuals devoted to the PR necessary to communicate with those not already fanatical about the ideas of permaculture and home gardening. This book is a start. I would have liked to read about more of the planning and ideas behind the presentation of the gardens to the respective neighborhoods. I'm interested in ways of bridging the gap between those who are "green" and those who remain mainstream in their ideas about the environment. This book offers some examples of injecting new ideas into the mainstream manicured lawn set.



2. I like the idea of growing more of our own produce in our yard, but I was somewhat disappointed in the quality of this book. Not disappointed in the condition mind you - it just wasn't what I was looking for.



3. My husband and I want to convert most of our front and back yard to fruit trees and gardens, as we have long thought that most people do not make use of their grass anyhow. Most of the book made the case for using property for food production, but the book was short on ideas for plants and layouts. The layout on the front cover is good, but there are a few such suggestions contained in the book. I would have liked a book full of ideas that I could use to help me plan my own edible estate.



4. I wanted to like this book. I think the idea is great but the gardens shown are not very pretty and the tone of the book is somewhat hostile. If you want to see a PRETTY vegetable garden suitable for a front yard check out "Rosemary Verey's making of a Garden". Look at the chapter entitled "The Potager". Now THAT's a beautiful vegetable garden. If it's too ambitious try just planting a border of red & green lettuce. It looks as beautiful as any other foliage plant. Put down a layer of wood chips. It really is a nice look. When you start getting into netting and wire fencing in the front yard that's when you leave many people behind. No one want to look at raggedy tomato plants in August.



5. have to agree with "wendycat". all of the photos i have seen of the edible estates are not very pretty, no offense to anyone but some are even somewhat hideous for a front yard garden. anyways, i've read the author has moved on to something else - animal estates....

5 comments about Tree Houses You Can Actually Build: A Weekend Project Book (Stiles, David R. Weekend Project Book Series.).

1. What a fantastic book! My kids and I have had so much fun browsing through and getting ideas for their tree house. From the basic tree house to more elaborate designs, it's in here. With the help of this book, you can actually build one affordably.



2. Excellent guide for treehouse construction. We used the book as a basis for our treehouse and modified one of the designs. This book was extremely valuable for us and guided us through alot of potential pitfalls. Highly recommend!



3. Color pictures of some fantastic tree house ideas. No limits on imagination here. One caution: Don't let the kids see it first! Can't wait to start one of these ideas.



4. I think you have to be a master carpenter to actually do any of them in a week-end but the detail is pretty good.....odd thing is, I bought this book and already had it at home! I must have really liked it!



5. Works for kids, works for adults, very clear and very helpful. Very graphics oriented and the sketches make the text very clear.
   Unfortunately does not even mention escalating tree houses beyond the backyard project - if this were a full-revalation book, you would see the new engineering miracle, the Garnier Limb.
   
   We were quite pleased - PS we are hard graders, hardly anything gets a 5.

5 comments about How to Build Your Own Greenhouse.

1. I am always looking for ways to improve my gardening and this book offers excellent instructions on building several different types of greenhouses.



2. Any who would build a greenhouse will find HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN GREENHOUSE: DESIGNS AND PLANS TO MEET YOUR GROWING NEEDS offers up the hope of year-round gardening as it explores a range of greenhouse designs and options, from simple cold frames to elaborate freestanding tropical constructions. Chapters cover basic freestanding and extension designs for greenhouses, include lean-tos and garden shed blends, and discuss not only construction of independent structures, but how to incorporate them into an existing home. From floor to ceiling options, HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN GREENHOUSE covers it all, includes design tips and basic plans, and is a pick for any library strong in homeowner's or gardener's construction references.



3. I originally bought this because I am thinking about making a greenhouse. The book is very comprehensive with lots of drawings and pictures. It was well worth the investment.



4. I finally "sprang" for this book because I read a good review on a garden club website. It is a wonderful book on all aspects of greenhouse design. I am sure glad I spent this money before we started spending the serious money, and hard work, on the real thing.



5. If you're operating a small or a LARGE greenhouse - this will be your "bible"...... for operation.
   
   I have 2 copies! In the house and greenhouse.