5 comments about Garden to Vase: Growing and Using Your Own Cut Flowers.

1. What a treasure to add to my gardening library. Linda Beutler offers insights into the creation of floral arrangements and the growth of plants that go into them. The book covers the basics of floral design, giving the reader confidence to explore a fascinating aspect of gardening. Creative uses for plants from your current garden are explored. The tips for harvesting and preparing flowers for arrangements are written in a clear style for beginner and more advanced gardeners. This book includes an alphabetical directory, that describes the flowers, foliage, and fruit of more that 200 plants. Each entry includes the plants habit, hardiness, height, fragrance, and appearance; when it can be harvested; how to grow it; and how it should be conditioned. The photography of flowers and arrangements, done by Allan Mandell, is absolutely exquisite. I would highly recommend this book to all who love the beauty and possibilities of flowers.



2. Although I have dozens of garden books that include cutting and arranging flowers, this one is so much more. It is a top-notch reference book that you will use often, whether or not you are a novice or experienced gardener. Linda Beutler not only tells you exactly how to grow, cut, prepare and arrange flowers in detail, she will inspire you. After reading her book I ventured into my own fall garden with a small bucket of water and shears to cut a few spent hydrangea blossoms, yellow margarites and gold chrysanthemum sprigs, and some wayward shrub branches. I removed a couple of stalks from the zebra grass and picked my one stunning dark purple re-blooming iris to become the center of my arrangement. As I wandered about I also gathered some broken twigs from a recent storm. Using her detailed guidelines for preparing both woody and soft stemmed cuttings, I found a wide-mouthed glass vase and created my own beautiful masterpiece in less than a half hour.
   
   The first part of the book covers all the "how-to-do" basics and includes stunning color photos of flower arrangements, many created from typical home gardens. She illustrates design techniques, discusses seasonal uses, advises on which plants (and fruits) to grow or buy for both fresh and dry creations. The second half of the book covers many familiar flowers, vines and shrubs in detail--many photographed in companion plantings. Each entry includes whether it is annual or perennial, planting zone, anticipated size and other details found in most garden books. But then she expands each entry to include garden availability, harvesting, conditioning, vase life and buying tips. Reading her informative and chatty text is more like talking with a gardening friend. For example, tulips are her favorite flowers because her father gave her a bouquet of red tulips for her tenth birthday.
   
   This beautiful book is also full of creative ideas for making unusual containers out of pumpkins, gourds and basically anything that will hold water and if it doesn't do that, she has tips for making it work! I could go on and on about what a great garden book this is. If you buy it as a gift for a gardening friend, you'd better get two because once you see what it has to offer, you are going to want to keep it for yourself!



3. I've been looking for a book like this for a long time! I am often at a loss
   for cut-flower 1) inspiration and 2) knowledge when it comes to flowers from my own garden. I admit I've been a bit intimidated when going out in my yard with shears in hand, fear of "wrecking" what flower display I did have outside. Linda Beutler's extensive first-hand experience as both gardener and florist is helping to dispell the limiting factors of my own beliefs. And, on another level, her creative ideas think outside the box, and add many more plants to what I "thought" could be used for cut flowers. The key for me is, she shows how to SUCCESSFULLY use all these plants--successful both for flower arrangement indoors and for the vigor of the plant that's growing out in your garden.
   
   This book tells you everything you need to know, from bloom time to potential in a vase, from how to condition a cut flower properly to the light/soil/water needs of the plant itself. And much more. Lots of artistic inspiration for the beautiful arrangements in vases (and inspiration for the vases!). Encyclopedia sections are comprehensive and easy to read.
   
   Linda's writing style is a pleasure, fun and whimsical, from an obviously very intelligent source. My mind is expanded! And it's been a fun journey.
   Thank you, Linda!



4. I love this book. Of the 1000's of gardening books out there, I've sifted through the chaff to find this gem. Full of stunning Full-Color photos (which are also great design ideas) and practical, affordable supplies, this book has become a mainstay of my gardening library.
   
   The author intersperses wit & humor to make this easy-to-follow guide a pleasure to read. While the author seems to be based out of Oregon, the ideas presented translate very well to all parts of North America. Whether your a weekend gardener or full-blown 'Gardener's Market' seller, this volume presents numerous ideas and plans that will make your floral displays the 'Talk of the Town'.
   
   From Japanese Ikibana arrangement to 'Old-World' traditional (& every in between), this books covers all of the practical steps needed to transform your gardening space into a productive floral producing machine...Very Highly Recommended.



5. When this book arrived and I perused the first time, I was thrilled. However, now that I have used this book for about a month, I am disappointed about some important and missing details. First, the good news: photos are gorgeous, author has a wonderful style and wit and this book has been helpful for me on several occasions.
   
   My disappointments: NO index! There is a plant name index, flower meaning table, a botanical latin guide, bibliography, etc.; however, this book is much more than a listing of flowers. If one wants to research foliage or conditioning solution, good luck finding it without an index. One has to leaf through the entire book.
   
   Second, the flower arrangements are gorgous but the flowers are not identified in any of the photos. The arrangement on the book's cover is breathtaking, and although I am an avid gardener, I could only identify two of the flowers in that particular photo. Considering the subject matter of this book, it is a travesty to not provide more detailed information on the many arrangements.
   
   Third, very little information is provided on foliage or filler flowers for arrangements or a guide as to ratios of flowers to fillers to foliage, etc.
   
   Fourth, the author beats up hybrid tea roses pretty hard (which is fine) and then waxes eloquently about old garden roses and how they should be the choice for a garden. Only one problem--there are many old garden roses that do not work as cut flowers because they shatter. And, when the author provides a list of the 12 best roses to grow for cutting, none of them are old garden roses (unless you consider the Austin roses to be old garden roses), and nearly half are hybrid teas!
   
   Do I like this book? Yes; however, when I need essential information and it is not available in this type of reference, it is annoying, and especially knowing it may be in the book, but I cannot find it quickly because of the lack of an index.

2 comments about Month-by-Month Gardening in Wisconsin: Revised Edition: What to Do Each Month to Have a Beautiful Garden All Year (Month-By-Month Gardening in Wisconsin).

1. Month-by-month Gardening In Wisconsin
   This book is more than a great gardening guide. It has helpful hints and is easy to understand. Many beautiful pictures add interest. I have mine ready to go to the next month.



2. SO easy to cross reference and find everything a gardener needs to know. Great format. If I had only one book for all my WI plant needs this would have to be the one.

4 comments about Desert Landscaping: How to Start and Maintain a Healthy Landscape in the Southwest.

1. A man of the soil. Brookbank has turned this lowly phrase into a high compliment. If any gardener takes these words too lightly without digging deep into the properties of the soil, let him/her beware. For atonement let him be given the task of counting the millions of microbes in a mere handful. With such detailed knowledge of the chemistry of plant life Brookbank is a desert gardening guru......Advice on what to plant, how to make a soil probe, and exactly how to install an irrigation system, is clearly presented. There are wonderful illustrations throughout the book. Are you sure you know how and when to use fertilizer? Read how plants extract nutrients from the soil-- these are valuable words that must be read with close attention for a real understanding of what's going on below visible plant life. You will stop thinking of soil as mere dirt.....A hard lesson for many gardeners to learn: don't fight nature. The advice on "What to Do When Things Go Wrong" will solve many problems. Recognize your poor gardening decisions. "Had you done the right thing," Brookbank says, "there wouldn't be any problem.".....Read on and learn: establishing year round color, caring for hedges, lawns, roses, palm trees, wildflowers, cacti, and how to dig up plants and move them. Vital to know re cacti. Everything is here and every gardener, novice or expert, will benefit.....I'll be leaving Atlanta and moving to Tucson this Fall so the chapter "When You Move into and Empty House" gave me good advice. The key is to take your time, look around and make notes as you observe. "Don't prune yet and don't remove the plants that irritate you." This comment really got to me. The man understands that some plants are just un-standable. One man's marigold is another man's poison ivy!.....Brookbank closes with a very useful monthly reminder list of what chores need your attention now. Take Novemeber: "Chart garden tempera- tures in various areas so you know how to act when a frost warning is issued. With a chart of your grounds you can see whether you are colder or warmer than the weatherman's predic- tions. A few degrees do make a big difference." Landscaping is a never-ending learning process. To be a man or woman of the soil is an honorable achievement. --by Nellie Nichols madytodd@mindspring.com



2. I like this book because it has a lot of information if you are starting out or just adding or changing things. There was a lot of information on soils and fertilizers and ways to plant and what to look for and ways to water and how to save money and on and on. I would have liked a list of plants and information about them but that is all I can think of that isn't here.



3. THIS BOOK APPEARED TO BE WRITTEN IN THE EARLY 1900'S. THE ILLUSTRATIONS WERE SMALL, OR POOR QUALITY, AND IN BLACK AND WHITE. NOT A SINGLE COLOR PHOTO! COMPREHENSIVE INSTRUCTIONS ON SOIL PREPARATION, I.E.LEVELING THE SOIL ETC. VERY LITTLE ON ANUALS, COLOR, BALANCE, OR ANYTHING ESTHEITCALLY PLEASING. THIS BOOK WAS A CHORE TO LOOK THROUGH.



4. I returned this book because it was full of advice about how to plant and maintain plants that are not native to the desert: bermuda grass, citrus, grapes, tomatoes, mums...
   Almost nothing about the native plants of the desert Southwest. I would not recommend it.

1 comments about Gardens of the National Trust.

1. This is a good book to read before your trip & decide where to go, much too big to travel with. Well written, informative, but could use a few more photos-these are gardens after all.

1 comments about Stained Glass in the Garden.

1. This wonderful book on Stained Glass has all types of new and exciting patterns for the garden and patio. Brightly colored pictures and detailed instructions are included.

5 comments about How to Build Ponds and Waterfalls: The Complete Guide.

1. How to Build Ponds and Waterfalls : The Complete Guide by Jeffrey Reid is an excellent how-to book for wildlife garders.



2. If you are a beginer in pond building and you need everything explained to details, do not buy this book. I bought it and it's just not good. You can read it under a hour and you'll see only pictures with nothing on them.



3. Excellent fundamental instructions for ponds and waterfalls. If you are doing a stream also, you might want to consult another title or two on the same subject. You will also need some more education on plants for your pond. But for basic pond and waterfall, this is the best I have read.



4. In my opinion,this book is a very superficial overview of pond construction. A far better choice is "Ortho's All About Building Waterfalls, Ponds, and Streams", for the same price [or slightly cheaper]. "Ortho's" covers the topic much more thoroughly than this "complete guide".



5. The book has great pictures but no real detail about how to build ponds or waterfalls. How disappointed we were when we received the book. We will look for other books but will not purchase them online. We need to be able to see what is inside the cover.

1 comments about Boathouses.

1. Building a house on the water is quite different than building one on land - and over forty of the north country's best boathouses are revealed here, from 19th century wonders to those which are modern creations. Various architects and designers have produced some outstanding boathouses which are created to blend with their environments: this offers inspiration and insight for any designer whether working at the cottage level all the way up to full-sized Victorian representations. Both public libraries and collections strong in home architecture choices will find it a popular pick.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

2 comments about The Pond Lovers.

1. Those who love Gene Logsdon's work will definitely want to add this book to their library. Along with his usual contrary take on proper pond building methods, he conveys the beauty, diversity, and endless joy generated by a small pond of water. If you've not read Mr. Logsdon, then this is a wonderful introduction to his work. Anyone who has enjoyed dangling their toes off a dock, frog hunting in the cattails, or fishing on a sunny spring day will appreciate this book.



2. I thought this presentation was a nice balance between providing information regarding the creation and upkeep of a country pond and the value of ponds in the lives of real people. I took a few notes as I read to guide me through the process of adding a pond to our land in the Midwest. I also enjoyed the vision the author shared of the contribution a pond can make to the physical and emotional well-being of those who live nearby.

1 comments about Country Living Cottage Gardens (Country Living).

1. When Country Living puts its name on a book, it is usually chock full of pretty pictures. The new book Cottage Gardens by Toby Musgrave is no exception. Anyone who isn't sure exactly what they want in a garden, but leans toward an informal style, will enjoy flipping through the book for ideas. Also, the garden plans are nicely done. The book is well written, but it is hard to write yet another book on cottage style gardens and come up with much new and exciting information.
   
   One of the things I liked most about Cottage Gardens is the way it is laid out. The first section discusses "designing by theme." It goes into a bit of history for each type of garden and talks about how to achieve each look. In this section, you will find traditional, tapestry, potager, romantic, rural, formal, painterly and modern garden pictures and plans. The "designing by use" section covers aromatic, wildlife, herbal, harvest, cut flower, all year round, easy care, and dry gardens. Again, there are many photos and there is a design for each type of garden. Finally, there is a "plants for cottage gardens" section. Frankly, I was not impressed with this section, as it is quite small and has few photos.
   
   If you are a new gardener who enjoys the cottage garden style, the book is definitely worth a look, but advanced gardeners will probably be a bit disappointed.

5 comments about Organic, Inc.: Natural Foods and How They Grew.

1. Can big agribusiness and local organic farming co-exist and thrive? Samuel Fromartz' new book, Organic, Inc., is a fascinating journey through American agricultural movements, starting around the turn of the century, when farming was still a small-town venture and tracing its development into agribusinesses whose products are now found on most American tables - and the movement into locally grown, organic foods, which represents not so much a return to the past as a return to wholeness and healthy living.
   
   The problem seems to be that the organic movement itself is being challenged by the very agribusinesses it once eschewed. There are really few ways to farm sustainably (which will in most cases mean organically and without genetically modified foods or chemicals) AND use the systems that have come to mean "factory farms" - livestock confined for their entire lifetimes in areas so small they cannot turn around or lie down (chickens, for instance, and pigs), never mind see the sunshine or walk around and enjoy fresh air, eating what they would eat if humans were not around.
   
   Agrisystems, as they exist today, are basically unhealthy - and unsustainable. But they are profitable, and make it easy for "food" (if you want to call it that) to arrive at your table packaged neatly and processed to death. Rare are the children being raised today who knows what "food" looks like in its natural state. Do they know what a carrot or beet looks like, while it's growing in the ground? Do they know that the hamburger they eat comes from a being that has a face and makes sounds, and may (depending on your viewpoint) be sentient?
   
   Being removed from the source and sight and smells and knowledge of how your food comes to you - how it was grown, and what has happened to it all along the way - makes for some dangerous possibilities. We cannot know (or control very well, despite so-called legal safeguards meant to protect us) where our food has been, before it reaches our table, unless we have grown it ourselves (which is not easy or possible for most people) or have bought it from someone in our community whose farming practices we know - and could actually go there and see.
   
   Fromartz comes from a reporting background, and knows how to dig out factoids that will leave you breathless for the sheer scope of what has happened to our food and our food production systems. It should leave you with both concern and hope, at the end.
   
   Organic, Inc. Is not exactly the "story of food" but it truly is the tale of two different visions for how food is produced and made available to consumers. One (local biodynamic farming) is sustainable; the other (multinational, corporate agribusiness) is not.
   
   Fromartz carefully traces how we got where we are, without suggesting where we will go in the future. However, his bias for a sustainable natural foods future is clear - and it's one I share. If you care about what you eat, how it got here, and whether you will be able to find more like it tomorrow, you should read this book, think about what it means, and DO something about what you believe is the best course of action for a world where what we eat determines how healthy we and our future generations will be.
   
   Yours for extraordinary dining -- for everyone,
   
   Nancy Boyd
   www.find-great-organic-gourmet-foods.com



2. I enjoyed this book. It was a great introduction to the organic world.



3. When you think of organic foods, do you mentally picture aging hippies in co-ops, small roadside stands, and stores with counter-cultural values? That image was probably valid until the 1980's, but has rapidly been displaced since.
   
   Organic foods sales grew at 20 percent per year during the 1990s, attracting the attention of the food business. In the process, organic went mainstream and became an accepted niche market at grocery chains and even big-box retailers such as WalMart and Target. The author's real question is whether this represents "progress" or "problem" for fans of simpler lifestyles and all things organic.
   
   The documented answer is some of both. Fromartz is a highly accomplished business journalist who takes a (mostly) unsentimental look at the business of marketing organic foods. Interviewing small and large merchants plus the `man on the street,' Fromartz discovers that organic is profitable and growing, yet at the same time poses a risk to traditional fans who are unlikely to shop at big boxes for the food they know and love. While the mainstream consumer `discovers' organic, the core organic customer may be wondering if she can trust anyone, anywhere, any more. This dilemma, the author notes, resembles putting up "a neon sign for an organic Twinkie."
   
   After an entertaining and excellent investigative look at the business of organic, Fromartz holds out hope that both kinds of organic - mass market and small market - may find ways to thrive. For the core customer, related values like humane treatment of animals, fair market pricing, and sustainable agriculture may become more relevant indicators of value than the simple phrase `organic.' These savvy shoppers may continue to trust the small, unique brands and identities of traditional organic suppliers.
   
   Meanwhile a certain amount of industrialization, mass-market methods and persuasive advertising messages can be expected to boost sales of anything termed `organic' in the aisles of a mega-retailer near you, where the organic business is currently booming.
   
   Whether you like your organic "all natural" or with "always low prices," you'll be likely to find it readily available. Which type you choose will say a lot about your personal values and expectations.
   
   Armchair Interviews say: The good news, from the author's point of view, is that at least you'll get to choose! In a free market, our choices define our future opportunities.



4. I have been very ambivalent about the organic culture and wanted to understand more about the origins of the organic movement, its significance, and the trends I observe it to be following.
   
   Samuel Fromartz's account of the organic industry (as I have come to see it) was a solid introduction that I will have to probably reread to fully take in. Peppered with facts, figures, vignettes, anecdotes, and opinions, it is clearly the writing of the converted, rather than a deliberately skeptical examination. Nonetheless there is room for reflection and critical analysis - I flagged dozens of pages that gave me points to ponder and further examine. The book touches on related topics like local agriculture without straying too far from the topic at hand.
   
   My one criticism, after moving on to other books about food agriculture, is that this book, when it was dealing with facts and figures, seemed get weighed down, but at the same time, seemed to leave identifiable voids of information. How a book could be both occasionally tedious, and occasionally too light, I'm not entirely sure.



5. "Organic Inc" by Samuel Fromartz offers a good introduction to the natural food movement. Written primarily for a popular audience, the book combines research with short histories, case studies and profiles of prominent personalities and companies that have shaped the industry. Although the author's frequent interjections about his own personal experiences and infatuations with organics becomes somewhat annoying, overall the book succeeds in granting insight into the organic movement, its foundational ideals and the possibilities for the future.
   
   Mr. Fromartz provides a brief history of organic farming as an alternative to a deeply flawed agro-industrial production system. We learn that organic methods were developed for ideologically diverse reasons but tends to produce nutritionally superior foods when compared with conventional farming practices. Although yields are usually smaller, the author discusses how organic strawberry farms in California are an example of how organics can outperform when allowing for decreases in energy and fertilizer input.
   
   Mr. Fromartz profiles some of the small organic farmers whose deference to health, environment and community were shaped by the 1960s counterculture. A small but vital network of farmers, distributors and retailers supported a fledgling movement that defined itself by remaining outside the conventional food system. The author describes how such farmers often devised creative marketing strategies by catering to specialty restaurants or selling their produce directly to the public at farmer's markets. As health and safety concerns about pesticides and rBGH growth hormones caught the public's attention, organic farming has become more widespread, emerging as an increasingly important survival strategy for more and more beleagured family farmers.
   
   Mr. Fromartz traces the rise in popularity of pre-packaged salads and refrigerated soy milk to discuss how mass market success has created divisions within the organic community. The development of large-scale organic enterprises has intensified competition and shut down smaller, less efficient producers. Regulation has become a contentious issue, with small farmers seeking to hold large farmers accountable to maintaining high standards. As supermarkets such as Safeway and Wal-Mart have begun to add organic sections to their stores, issues of local production, fair wages and sustainability are heightened. Yet, the author is upbeat in his assessment that small farmers can continue to find their niche by satisfying the needs of the more sophisticated organic consumer.
   
   I recommend this highly readable and informative book to everyone.