5 comments about Front Yard Gardens: Growing More Than Grass.

1. So many gardening books focus on the high-end gardens of a few wealthy people. This book is practical, whimsical, and full of photographs and stories about real front-yard gardens. The owners have to contend with problems like streetlights, copycat neighbors, variances, etc., and many of them are redesigning and planting on a budget. This focus makes the book truly inspiring as well as useful. A great investment in getting rid of your boring lawn!



2. I love this book. Two years ago I was inspired by this book to rid my yard of lawn. I had a designer design a cottage style garden for my front and back yard. It took my kids 2 months to dig up all the grass and then we started working on the design. We were novice gardners, so along with this book and about 12 others we have completed our yard.
   My neighbors who are lawn lovers, have been very interested in our progress.
   We wave and smile at everyone who pass as we work in the yard, and this seemed to ease some of the neighbors anxiety about our odd doings.
   The kids are now 18, 15, 13, 12, and 6, so seeing the whole family working together has been a big plus.
   So far we are still the only family in our subdivision with no lawn, but We get nice comments,and see more people gardening.
   I am asthmatic so no lawn mower fumes are great, and this is a great "green " project for the whole family, and the kids are so proud of themselves, and the positive feedback they get.
   This is a very expensive investment in time and plants but worth it.



3. Liz Primeau has written an inspiring guide that can help you transform that bland patch of lawn between street and house into a rich landscape. Front Yard Gardens tells the stories in words and beautiful photographs of dozens of front gardens in various styles. The gardeners behind these wonderful front yards have coped with budget and space constraints, although most have dedicated considerable time and energy to their projects. Almost all of the gardens are Canadian, a plus for those of us who live in colder zones: many books about front yards emphasize styles that can only be achieved in milder areas like Southern California, where gardens remain lush year-round. Ms. Primeau's book is refreshing because it deals with the strategic and emotional challenges of introducing a front garden into a neighborhood where front lawns are the norm. The book also discusses the evolution of these gardens over time, encouraging the reader to simply start somewhere and implicitly acknowledging that for an enthusiastic gardener, the garden is never "done." Liz Primeau has given us a terrific book, although she has omitted photos of front gardens in winter and as part of streetscapes.



4. This book is beautifully illustrated and very helpful. I have shared ideas from this with friends and family.



5. The book was about the author's experience, which is fine. But it seemed too specific to her yard. There wasn't enough generic info for the rest of us, in my opinion

2 comments about Language of Landscape.

1. The Language of Landscape regads to a very important subject - the new values that has composed the urban drawing - which has contributed a lot for the enviromental health of the nowadays cities. Finding new ways to focus on the physic enviroment of the urban areas, Spirn offers a philosophic and conceptual base for the Urban Drawing, while illustrates, with real examples, the practical application of the theory. It is a good masterpiece, reflecting the result of years of experience in treating the lack of attention with the enviroment nowadays, the lack of comprehension of the natural processes - which has contributed to the physical shapes of the cities, and has invaded virgin areas, as forests, making this areas sterile - the recuperation of landscapes, according to the natural regeneration, and also themes reflecting directly the urban processes, like water, energy, nutritive resources - which are subproducts of the urban draining - and other functions of the urban processes which has not received attention and has contributed a lot for the contamination of the overburden enviroment. It is a good tool for urban planners and enviromental designers, while treating the esthetic values on which the formal landscape of the cities has based-developed. This values have a little connexion to the natural process dinamics and lead to mistaken attitudes, if they are not well known. It is also rich in questions like values enviromental perceptions and how we answer to the enviroment around us , if we can demonstrate that there are ways to adjust the urban landscapes in a very cheaper way, and with much more social value than the tradicional ones.



2. Anne Whiston Spirn has a lot of truly important and enlightening things to say in "The Language of Landscape". Unfortunately, she makes the reader slog through an indulgent and contrived writing style in order to understand her. At the end of the chapter, "Language of Landscape", she explained how a person fluent in its elements could "read" a landscape, and how this is crucial to understanding the world. Yet she never fully articulates this in the following chapter, "Elements of Landscape and Language", with anything more than impressionistic vignettes of places she has visited. It was not at all what I was expecting, and left me frustrated and wondering what point she was trying (and failing) to make.

   I soldiered on, and found that there are flashes of clarity, specifically when writing about specific case studies and experiences with students. In these passages, the writing is more direct and very readable. The second half of the book was excellent, especially the study of landscape and memory in Berlin. These passages are what "saved" the book for me, kept me reading, and finally earned it 3 stars.

   For contrast, I think that JB Jackson does a better job of weaving his theory with his stories and experiences. Beginners to landscape studies may find him more accessable. Spirn's points are there for those who want to dig for them, but sometimes it's unclear if it's worth it.

4 comments about Keeping the Harvest: Discover the Homegrown Goodness of Putting Up Your Own Fruits, Vegetables & Herbs (Down-to-Earth Book).

1. I found this book in the library and used it for my first garden bounty -- my first canned peaches, my first jam, and my first frozen green beans. Keeping the Harvest is informative, fairly comprehensive and simple to follow. I'm buying it now so I'll be ready for next summer!



2. I bought three books on canning and this book was the best. It is simple to understand, has pictures of the way things should look, such as the canning jars in a not water bath. I was canning tomatos and this book was so easy to follow. It listed the different methods for canning, as stating the best method.

   I bought a pressure cooker and could not understand the manufactures directions, this book explained in simple terms, everything I needed to know, to use the pressure cooker. It has pictures on how to can tomatos from start to finish, which I really appreciated. To me a picture is worth a thousand words.

   I think if you are a first time canner or even experienced, that this easy to use book is for you. I know I will be using it for years to come. Thank you to the authors.




3. I own this book and have purchased it for several people getting married that love to garden. It shows in detail how to can, freeze, store, etc. all of your produce. It is a great book for beginner canners as it explains things that are very easy to understand.



4. This is a very organized book. Since I literally have dozens of this type of book, I can honestly say this is one that I would definelty keep among all the others.

5 comments about The Knot Book of Wedding Flowers.

1. I found this book useful in that it was simple, straight forward guide to the most common flowers used in weddings. The first half is essentially a glossary of flowers. It provides basic information that made it easy to compare flowers: photo, meaning, colors available, when in season, and price range. The book also provides information on bouquet styles, color schemes, and flower arrangments, but I found the single flower photos most educational.
   
   This book enabled me to have an intelligent conversation with my florist and narrow down which flowers I wanted for my wedding. I even took it along with me to discuss specific flowers with my florist.
   
   I plan to lend it to all my friends for their wedding planning!



2. I bought the book used, but it looked brand new. I was pleased.



3. If you are looking for some floral tips and arrangement ideas, this book will help you with those ideas. However, if you are looking for an instructional book on how to make arrangements yourself, this book doesn't give enough information on this. (Yes, there is a small section in the book about making them yourself--but does not tell you how to make certain ones shown in the book). I would like a more informational--how-to-make boquet book. I might just have to write one myself!



4. I didn't find this book very exciting. I looked through it and there's really nothing in it that I can use. I was looking for ideas for my wedding bouquet and I really got NONE.



5. The first part of the book provides a list of favoured wedding flowers (with photos), and it gives a basic summary on their characteristics, seasonal availability and cost. The second part of the book contains a few DIY tips (not a lot) and a small gallery of centerpiece/bouquet designs, grouped by colors and themes.
   
   The information in this book can be helpful for brides-to-be who are unfamiliar with the names of flowers, or what certain flowers look like. I personally think that the design examples are quite simple and unintimidating (ie. not flashy or over the top), and thus this book will be useful for brides who are looking for inspirations along those lines.
   
   I recommend this book as a preliminary reference and it's a good start before meeting with your florist to discuss wedding flowers.

5 comments about Curb Appeal.

1. Great ideas for all styles of homes. Gets your immagination working to view your own home with a new sense of creativity, whether inspired to use the complete redo or a partial version thereof. Depicts realistic "before" photos, as well as the "after" photos.



2. I was so excited when I flipped through this book that I bought 4 for gifts. Generally I only browse through magazines, where I can clip great ideas and toss the rest. Most books on this topic have a few good ideas and the rest is noninspirational.
   
   Page after page. I was inspired and excited. I almost wanted to go buy a fixer-upper so I could utilize some of the fantastic ideas. This book is a keeper for sure.



3. Nothing new here and the pictures are not really that good.



4. This books uses before and after photos to show what improvements were made and why they were made. The homes appear to be moderate-sized homes mostly built 1920-1940. It shows how to add character. It will give you ideas that you can try a project here and another later, if your budget doesn't allow a full-scale project now. Many styles of homes are featured in the book. I found this book better than Megan Connelly's book: Design Ideas for Curb Appeal by Creative Homeowner, in which the homes featured don't show before and after photos. Instead most of the houses Ms. Connelly featured had to be 6,000 sq feet or larger. Many were newly-built obviously by people who had a lot of money. The sunset book, on the other hand, illustrates ideas on a less expensive scale. I watch all of the HGTV design shows, including Curb Appeal. But prior to this Sunset book, I wasn't sure where to start. I now have the confidence to take on Curb Appeal because "I get it".



5. I was left wanting more how-to and less 'here are some pictures'. What I really want is a book that illustrates an idea, and then gives you details about the hardscape, construction, plant species, etc. to execute that landscape project. This book is about 80% pictures and ideas, 20% improvement how-tos that don't really seem to have anything to do with the first 4/5s of the book and look like they were cut out of sections of three other books and pasted into this one. For a relatively inexpensive book that might give you some ideas, it is okay, but if you get ideas from this book, you are on your own to figure out how to actually execute them.

No comments about The New Encyclopedia of Orchids: 1500 Species in Cultivation.

5 comments about Creating an Herbal Bodycare Business (Making a Living Naturally Series).

1. I found this book to contain general information on starting any type of business, such as licensing information and advice on running a business. If you're looking for information and help specifically for starting an herbal bodycare business, you won't find it in this book.



2. This book didn't stay in my library for long. I'm glad that I read it and I did glean some good ideas but it wasn't at all what I expected based on the title. I appreciate many of Ms. Maine's points but the book is not really about the Herbal Body Care Business. It's about creating a philosophy of business, really your Mission Statement, and the goals that produces. The philosophy is blatantly New Age and so, not for everyone. The best part is the many stories of other soap makers.

   Ms. Maine is one of my favorite soapmaking book authors. She is the owner of one of the largest businesses of it's kind. She has shared her knowledge over the years with others who would like to make soap via her many books on the market. Those books are the how-to's. This one, by the author's own admission is a "how-can".

   It was interesting but not an essential book for either the hobby or professional soap maker's library.




3. This book begins, and ends, on a hopeful note. Its message is a positive one. There is considerable truth in what Ms. Maine says. Many people believe that big is good, but big is often bloated, and not long after, bankrupt. For some people, small can be both beautiful and happy.

   From the start, I do not believe Ms. Maine intended to write a business book based on the standard boiler plate model for such books. She has endeavored to put something of herself, and her outlook on life into the text, and it shows. Granted, on first pass, the New Age references and more than a few statements are a bit off-putting, especially if you, like me, are skeptical by nature, but if the book is read very closely, you will find that all the basic ingredients of a Start Your Own Business Book are there.

   For example, she makes these and other questionable claims throughout the book such as: society and the planet are going to hell in a hand-basket. What is the solution, you ask? Start an herbal bodycare business! Or, my personal favorite: the natural food and bodycare market is experiencing an annual growth rate of 15 percent. With that kind of growth rate, given the anemic 1 to 3 percent growth rates in mature general retail categories like food and cosmetics, it will not be long before those godless multinationals pick up the scent. In fact, it turns out they have picked up the scent, and are closing in these 'alternative' categories.

   However, this is not to say that there is no value or credibility in the text- far from it. The real value of this text resides in the stories of those folks, like Ms. Maine, who set up their own successful herbal bodycare business, and Ms. Maine's insistence that you think and plan about your herbal bodycare business. This last bit is most important, as it seems everyone and her mother is involved in this area nowadays (in fact, that is LITERALLY the case) so it pays to think of how you can be different and unique, yet still offer value.

   Moreover, Ms. Maine did it the right way, that is, the smart way: she got the business right BEFORE she went into business. That means getting a clear idea of the business (what you offer versus what customers really want and will pay for), putting some flesh to the concept, and laying down a well-reasoned plan. It also means examining various scenarios WITHOUT numbers and prepping yourself for mis-haps, as nothing will EVER go exactly as planned. Ms. Maine, as well as the people she profiles, all started small, worked in and around the herbal bodycare business for a few years before going out on their own, and all of them got their businesses off the ground with five thousand dollars or less, thus demonstrating that it can be done on the literal 'shoestring budget'. As Liz Claiborne once said, 'Start with a low overhead and be willing to everything yourself.'

   My somewhat jaded advice to anyone thinking about going into this or any other business is this: Before you go into business, it is all about thinking, reasoning and planning. Once you go into business, it is all about execution. When you go into business with a flawed concept, even the most mundane annoyances can morph into major and insurmountable problems, and will ultimately kill your business. Get the concept right, and execute flawlessly. That ways lies blockbuster success. Money may be an initial barrier, but you creative types should be able to cobble together what you need from the odd bits and pieces here and there and wow the customer with your presentation and artistic flair. Remember this one lesson from the internet company boom: a lot of money behind a flawed concept equals a fantastic and bankrupt failure. Start simple, start small, and work within a limited budget. That will force you to unleash your creativity. More often than not, the more money we have, the less carefully we think, and the dumber the ideas that come to the fore.
   

   The target audience for this book is not highly accomplished over-achievers with a bent for numbers and order. Rather, this is a book for those free-spirited, creative, chaotic, artsy types who often go by the moniker of 'Right-Brain Person'. There is a definite bias in the text towards the burned-out female company employee working for a god-less, soul-less corporation, and as such, the book is open to the charge of pandering to an escapist fantasy- one that more than a few of us, male or female, in the same bind share.

   I can also say with certainty that the book is more of an exercise in building the reader's self-confidence about starting such a business, and less of a guide to the inner workings of an herbal bodycare business. That, however, is most likely the intended objective- giving those who may not have the confidence to start such a venture a few ideas and a little prodding. Ms. Maine is planting a seed, I think, in a certain type of person, preferably young, single and female but a little unsure of herself. Although I did not get much out of the book (thus three stars), this person I believe will derive the most out of the book.




4. I was a bit disappointed at first, as I was looking for more of a 1-2-3 approach. But I picked the book up again a couple of days later, and found lots of useful information in it. It still wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but well written and informative nonetheless.



5. Very informative and very well written. I learned a lot from this book. Great tips and a lot of things that I never thought about that could make or break my company!
   I would highly recommend this book for small business people who want to make money selling personal care products.

4 comments about Drawing the Landscape.

1. Chip Sulivan's step by step instruction guides the reader to see the underlying structure in each of his renderings. This insight reviels an efficient method of organizing profesional quality landscape plans. His more informal sketchs show how to quickly get a feel for site illustration.

   As a landscape design professional, I recomend this book to my peers and to those new to rendering the landscape. I am confident that after studying this text, anyone would be able to better comunicate their designs.




2. i was looking for a book on this subject, the writer the publisher, it all looked perfect. but the book is soooo boring, after reaching a long way into the book you waste your time on artists rooms and clubs!! really! then when we finally start, it is like for ever, the process seems so slow... the book ofcourse is full of the writers own sketches which might not appeal to every one. what you might find here, at this price, you'll find for sure in more cheaper and more focused more useful books. i wouldn't recommend it personally.



3. Wonderful book! We're currently using it in our beginning studio class. Sullivan has a wonderful sense of humor, good skill building exercises and really good graphics. Highly recommend it for anyone wanting how to draw the landscape.



4. This book serves as a comprehensive reference for ways of thinking about drawing, applications of different media, the creative environment, drawing exercises, creating textures, shadows, and trees, composing the drawing, perspective drawing, plan, elevation, section, axonometric and isometric drawing, drawing the figure, and layout.

5 comments about Caring for Perennials: What to Do and When to Do it.

1. Having gardened for over ten years, and purchased many books about perennial gardening in that time, I find myself coming back time and again to two old favorites: this book and Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Perennials. (With an occasional glance at Rodale's Insect Weed and Disease Guide when circumstances demand it!) I consider these to be the essential guides to perennial gardening, and as I write this realize I need to go through all my gardening books and sell all the others on Amazon! :o) I agree with the other reviewers; Macunovich's detailed instructions, pictures, plant recommendations, drawings, are just invaluable help to a gardener in the midst of maintaining a perennial garden. Her method for controlling weeds is the most rational approach going. Stories about gardens that have gone wrong, how gardens change over time and need to be adjusted, tradeoffs that can be made to save time ... I can't recommend it enough!



2. I am a Master Gardener- have gardened for 20 years.
   I just thought I would check this out, for new techniques.
   Dont waste your money
   "The Flower Gardener's Bible" is alot better and more indepth.
   
   Conclusion: If you have never had a flower bed- or delt with leaf blite- then this may be the book for you.



3. Caring for perennials is often a gardening area that many people either avoid or misunderstand . Just because a plant is " scheduled " to re-appear for another year, there ARE certain conditions which should be provided for plants to ensure that event. This book clearly and concisely, does that. It assists both novices and master gardeners with wonderful information. Highly recommended for ANY gardener or level of ability. Carl Kokes- Peru, New York ( very northern NY State)



4. This book is a good resource book. The author makes it interesting, and takes you through her garden in a great way. Although I think it is a great resource book, it would have been much better for me, if it had been written more under the plant's common name, as opposed to the scientific names. That is kind of rough for beginners looking for info on how to care for certain plants, but still inexperienced at scientific species...



5. Janet Macunovich has provided a very detailed account of what to do after you have planted your perennial garden. It is very informative as we follow her tending an actual perennial garden; a great concept. Mistakes and all, we see the problems, challenges, and joys of perennial gardening the way most of us do it. From early spring cleanup, to plant division, to weeding, plant choice and more, this is an excellent book for those who have a perennial garden, or those who are considering one. No punches pulled; highly recommended. Why four stars? I live in Arizona; if the book was written for desert gardens, five stars. (I know, I know...)
   Bob Burke

5 comments about "Have-More" Plan, The.

1. OK, there is some good information in this book. For example, I never heard of a septic tank having a siphon discharge system. But this book touches on it briefly, in one diagram and a sidebar, and goes on. I will have to research to see what are the disadvantages of a siphon discharge system and why they are not more widely used.

   This seems to happen over and over again, this is more an outline or a checklist for further research than a comprehensive how-to book on getting back to the land. It is easy and enjoyable to read, the tone is light and conversational, the two authors have dinstince editorial voices, the layout is more magazine-like than a book (you decide if that's a plus or a minus). The postwar lingo and drawings, and the Leave It To Beaver assumptions of what family life should be, have not aged well.

   This is a facinating period piece, but if you are really contemplating a rural lifestyle (and for some reason I am) Five Acres and Independence gives you a lot more information at a better price. The Have-More Plan covers the subject broadly but not deeply, and I feel that I've paid ($)for a comic book or an outline of talking points to convince The Little Woman that this is a good idea.

   (For the record, there is no Little Woman in my life.)




2. The Have More Plan is more of a long pamphlet than a book. Chatty prose and descriptions of the authors' life on their homestead. An excellent discussion and plan for a real WORKING kitchen. Nearly all of the information is sadly dated, but it does give an interesting look into the lives of early back to the land pioneers--without the political posturing that the Nearings (Helen and Scott) seem to be unable to avoid. Add it to your library of small farming books, but you may find the actual USEABLE information to be thin.



3. Dated, But what isn't? Well worth the price



4. This is the little book that started an entire revolution of "back to the land." It is amazing and thoroughly covers all that is needed to become self-sufficient.
   
   Yes, its out-dated. There is nothing about email. But it concisely covers the entire subject and forms an excellent foundation for anyone wanting to go towards simplicity.



5. This is a great little book for what it is - an overview of things you can do. It's not in depth and can't be, really. There's entire books devoted to the homestead cow, goat, sheep, poultry etc. Still it's a great overview to get one thinking about how much they can do without a large farm if you manage well. Prices are obviously dated but there's some good diagrams for a raised turkey pen, pigeon loft and 16X20 barn that's worth the cost of the book. There's some discussion of why they did this and they write as absolute urbanized people who moved to the rural area long before the "back to the land" movement. The idea of mowing 3-4-5 acres of land was not even there - *use* it! The putting an orchard and integrating bees and a garden is almost early edible landscaping. It's a great book to sit down with a notebook and look at your land and what you can do with it. It's an idea starter and a basics of information to allow "that sounds great let's find out more" or "I don't think I'd like this one".