4 comments about Pumpkins.

1. Written by Ken Robbins, Pumpkins is a picturebook celebration of the edible plant that is cherished as a Halloween symbol. Full-color photography offers a tour of the life of a pumpkin plant, from seeding to flower to fruit and harvest, and finally being carved into a scary jack-o-lantern. The perfect seasonal read-aloud book for Halloween, Pumpkins is especially fun to page through for young pumpkin lovers eagerly looking forward to the holiday season.



2. 
   The photographs in this book are beautiful. My favorite, by far, is the one on the cover. I sure hope this wasn't photo-shopped- it would take the magic out of it.



3. Pumpkins is a beautifully done book for children, ages 4 - 8. It details through photography a pumpkin from the beginning to the final carved product.
   
   It shows and tells how the farmer plants the seeds, what the new plants look like, how pumpkins form and what they look like and even the many colors, shapes and sizes they come in.
   
   I was really impressed by this beautiful book. The only thing that really bothered me is that there were photography of trick-or-treaters dressed in some really scary costumes-considering the age it is geared to.
   
   If you celebrate Halloween, then you will not want to miss Pumpkins. It will be a wonderful treat for your favorite child.
   
   Armchair Interviews: Special look at a pumpkin as it becomes a jack-o-lantern.



4. I bought this book with some others that I needed, but without being able to page through it. I was hoping for a book with few words but great photos that show the different aspects of pumpkins and growing to share with my preschool special education classroom before our visit to the pumpkin farm. What a happy surprise to find out it was Perfect! It contained some photos of planting that I had no pictures of yet. Plus the written text accentuated the photos. It was short enough that I didn't have to "paraphrase" to my class. Excellent choice!

5 comments about The Complete Pool Manual for Homeowners and Professionals: A Step-by-Step Maintenance Guide.

1. The title of this book might lead one to believe it to be yet another dry how-to kind of book. Though it does include much needed how-to information, it also includes fun stuff such as the history of pools. For those who are interested, they date back to 2500 B.C.
   
   But there is so much more to this book than background information and history. Just as the title claims, the book covers every aspect of pool maintenance and is equally suited for homeowners and professional. A case in point is the detailed chapter on equipment which gives loads of technical information about pumps (complete with drawings), filters and more. The information is easy to read, yet technical enough to satisfy the needs of the professional.
   
   Throughout, Hardy proves time and again that he is indeed an authority when it comes to pools. He knows his business and he knows how to convey what he knows to both the lay person and the professional alike. For example, in the water chemistry chapter, he stresses the importance of checking water quality, then tells how to determine such qualities as pH and hardness, which are common tests. But he doesn't stop with what's common. He goes on to discuss other topics such as advanced testing for iron and copper as well as what he says is the controversial topic of cyanuric acid, also known as CYA or simply stabilizer. When it comes to stabilizer, Hardy points out the importance of draining the pool when levels are too high.
   
   This whole issue of chemicals is thoroughly examined. Along these lines, the reader will find valuable information in the chemical treatment charts which are easy to read and interpret.
   
   As any one with a pool in their backyard knows, you don't just put it in and forget about it. Maintaining a pool requires ongoing attention. This book guides you along the way, so if you can't have the "pool doctor" Dan Hardy making house calls every day or so, you can settle for the next best thing and have his book on your shelf.



2. I never knew it could be so fun and entertaining to read a book on pools. The Complete Pool Manual for Homeowners & Professionals: A Step-by-Step Maintenance Guide by Dan Hardy is a great book for pool professionals and homeowners alike. The author draws from his own personal experiences and he has seen it all and done it all when it comes to pools, spas and hot tubs.
   The book is written in first-person language and contains colorful personal stories that make it a very easy but informative read. The author is definitely not afraid to tell you his opinion on the best types of pools, equipment, and what to do and not to do in regards to pools, spas and hot tubs.
   It also has wonderful photos of pools and equipment that are both informative and entertaining. Reading this book is like having your own personal "pool technician" on hand to tell you all about different types of pools, water volumes needed, water chemistry, cleaning the pool, pool safety, and much more.



3. Pool maintenance remains one of my biggest chores. I've always felt I couldn't pass it off to my wife and kids--a burned out pump from low water levels or an algae outbreak from unbalanced chemicals was just too much of a risk. This book will lighten my load. It provides step by step guides and anyone (wives and children included) can follow with success.
   
   I'm meticulous with my own pool & heretofore I would NEVER have considered doing anyone else's pool - it just wouldn't be worth it, whatever it paid. Not only has Dan Hardy helped me ease my own workload, I'm confident that I could be a successful "pool guy." He'd done a great job with this book. Who could have imagined a book about pool maintenance could be interesting? We'll this one is, and it's a great reference to boot. It's earned a permanent spot on my shelf.



4. Whether you are a pool novice or expert, this book makes understanding pool maintenance simple. Dan provides a detailed manual on pool construction to water chemistry. There are many pictures and diagrams that lend a visual aid to help understand pool and spa dynamics. The importance of regular maintenance is addressed by providing solutions for the busy pool owner. In addition, Dan integrates helpful tips for professionals on how to deal with problems like phosphates and green algae. This book alone will save a person hundreds of dollars in pool maintenance expense.



5. We bought a house with a pool & spa and the previous owners were kind enough to take all of the materials pertaining to both. Never owning a pool before, we were clueless. This book has been very helpful! I highly recommend for the new pool owner and it could prove to be useful for the experienced pool owner as well.

5 comments about Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs: An Illustrated Encyclopedia.

1. This is a valuable book to see what trees and shrubs are like when they are mature. It will sort of help in identification, but it is not a book for identification. I enjoyed viewing it over again and again.



2. I bought this book to gain more knowledge about trees and shrubs so I make informed decisions on what to grow in my yard. This book helped me tremendously. I wouldn't have been able to select the trees and shrubs that surround and beautify my entire yard without the help of this book. I used to take it with me to nurseries and when seeing a tree I like, I opened the page that discusses it and got the ins and outs about it. I also have asked specialty nurseries for a specific tree I found in this book that they don't display, but can get as a special order. It was worth it. It is true that no book can contain all the information you need to know about trees and shrubs in your area, however, this book comes quite close!



3. I have already used this reference to choose and buy a hedge. Lots of information and mentions common hybrids. Only CON makes it tough to use. All the trees are listed by their Latin names and so hard to find for the everyday person.



4. This book is jam packed with helpful and beautiful photographs. it's the perfect book if you want to show a client or perhaps your wife what the plant you just bought (or more like a twig in a burlap coat) will look like when it grows up a bit. It has just basic info about each plant like ultimate size and ornamental qualities. If you are looking for something more in depth for each plant, get his manual of woody landscape plants. That said, I don't think you'll be disappointed to have the handy visual reference in your library of plant books!



5. This is probably the best gardening book that I have ever seen. I use it frequently. I am on a committee in my neighborhood that encourages tree-planting by our city's residents. This book is a life saver to take with me when dealing with perspective tree purchasers. It has great pictures of the trees and gives advice as to where they should be planted, problems, et.al.
   
   I like it so much that I have purchased it for gifts.

5 comments about The New Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency.

1. This book is the perfect book for people who want to gain more control over their lives and live healthily in cooperation with the environment. You'll learn everything from rearing cattle, growing onions, harness natural power and furnishing a dairy. The perfect starting point for a better life away from the grind. And the best thing is that it's written in a very introductory manner so you don't have to be raised on a farm to understand it.
   
   It changed my life..



2. Sometimes, when I'm having a particularly bad day, I take down this book and open it up to the section on how to arrange your self-sufficient farm on 1 or 5 acres. "All we would need," I beg my husband, "is five acres! And then we could keep 2 cows! One to milk and one to eat." His response? "You're a vegetarian."
   
   Ahem. Anyway.
   
   I love this book. It's a DK book, so it's well written, with short chapters/descriptions based on specific subjects. This format makes it easy to flip through for fun, or to find the information that interests you. There are lots of illustrations, drawn in the style that appears on the cover. It includes information on growing crops, keeping (and butchering) animals, cooking, weaving, energy, water, building... basically everything you need to know to do everything you need on your own.
   
   Is this a total fantasy for most people? Yes, of course. But this is still such a useful book, even if you just want to learn the information in it without using it. Most everything in here used to be passed down from parent to child, and it was what people needed to know to survive. It's all information that's being lost and forgotten. And who knows, maybe soon enough we'll need to remember it?



3. I love this book. I doubt I'll ever slaughter a pig, shear a sheep, or make my own cowhide shoes but this book covers nearly everything - most of which is actually very useful to the average person - including a lot on gardening. He outlines how to be self-sufficient on the "one acre holding" and the "five acre holding" in pretty darn good detail.



4. I've owned several editions of this book...and it has molded my relatively self sufficient life over 3 decades...for all of you wishing to escape from the 9 to 5, materialistic world...you can't go wrong with this book in your hands.
   
   I also recommend "Living the Good Life: How to Live Sanely & Simply in a Troubled World", by Helen and Scott Nearing.
   
   Peace on all your homesteads, and justice on earth in our lifetimes.



5. A great read and an excellent beginners manual for the new homesteader. It handles a little bit of everything as it relates to the homestead, not as detailed as the TODAY'S HOMESTEAD series of books,Today's Homestead: Volume I but still, amply sufficient for the homesteading newbie. It holds a dedicated spot on my book shelf and is a great addition to any homestead library.

5 comments about Lasagna Gardening: A New Layering System for Bountiful Gardens: No Digging, No Tilling, No Weeding, No Kidding!.

1. I, for one, am going to do the Lasagna Gardening way this year. I can't wait. It makes so much sense to garden this way. I am so glad that this book came my way because I am rather new to gardening and lazy, I must add because I really don't care to bend over to weed the garden.
   
   This should be my new way from now on.



2. I feel compelled to address the peat moss concern in the most critical review of this book. It is a shame that the ancient peat bogs in Britain were devastated :( but this is not the case in North America. Most peat in the U.S. comes from Canada which harvests a fraction, .006, of their peat supplies. Moreover, those supplies renew themselves at 70 times the rate of harvest. This, and more reassuring information is provided by the The Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association: http://www.peatmoss.com/concern.php
   
   With that bit of cheery news aside...I too share a few benefits I received from this marvelous book, trying not to duplicate comments of other reviewers.
   
   E-Z Paths!: Tired of the dusty, dirty, noisy job of weed beating my garden's paths, I decided to use wetted newspaper covered with a few inches of wood bark mulch. The bark mulch was free from county road crews and a local tree business who were happy to dump it in my yard when they were in the area. When I ran out of newspaper I found a small business pleased to give me piles of discarded cardboard boxes. After one year the paths are still weed-free and the transformation puts a smile on my face each time I walk in the garden.
   
   Modified bag idea: I loved the idea of bagging leaves and setting the bags over grass to kill it, but alas, we have few deciduous trees and I did not want to bag mulch. Inspired by Lansa's ingenuity, I purchased 10 EarthBoxes, set them over a grassy area, then planted winter crops in the boxes. This method has helped me reclaim my large garden bit-by-bit. EarthBox RB-EB-GRN-PBB Garden Kit Dark Green I have also used just four EarthBoxes to anchor four corners of heavy plastic with success.
   
   Well written: Ms. Lansa's writing voice is much like having a conversation with a neighborly garden mentor.
   
   Eco-friendly: The no-till methods help soil retain carbon as well as saving on fuel.
   
   Conclusion: The book is as priceless as good heirloom seed and just as share worthy.



3. This opened my eyes of gardening.Be green and you will benefit from all the waste that is thrown away. MY NEW GREEN THUMB



4. It's amazingly easy. That's what is so great about this concept. If you're looking for a gardening method that won't break your back...or your pocketbook, this is the one!



5. I love this book. Very informative, interesting and easy to read. I bought my friend one and he has bought his friends and family five more. This is another great Amazon experience.

5 comments about Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades: The Complete Guide to Organic Gardening.

1. This is the bible for NW people and gardens....clay soil? Fertile valley soil? It helped me work on the best soil and is great for the unpredicatable NWest winter, spring and summer. Add this to your collection and be sure to read it !



2. This is a great resource for gardeners in the PacNW. My only caveat is that it's not geared towards beginners. If you're looking for something to help you get started you should probably get this and something else in conjunction. This'll help you tailor your garden to the unique conditions of the Northwest.



3. I found this book to be incredibly useful. I get tired of being told to wait until my soil thaws in the spring, and articles talking about those humid summer nights are definitely not by locals. Much of the advice that applies well to gardeners across the continent comes up pretty short around here. From soil fertility to choosing suitable varieties to planting schedules, Steve Solomon covers all the specifics that make Cascadia a unique growing climate.
   
   He is realistically, thoughtfully organic. Most organic authorities seem to blindly promote anything that seems like a natural product, and shun anything that seems like a chemical. Steve realizes that blood meal comes from the meat industry and may not be in line with the goals of healthy gardening (Mad Cow, anyone?) although he chooses to take his chances. He suggests Roundup in a couple of sections and explains why it's not just another persistent harmful chemical.
   
   The only irritation I have is that he clearly has a bigger garden than I do. I've got about 200 sq. ft. He talks in fractions of an acre. Sheesh.



4. I am a novice gardener in the PNW, but I am having considerable success thanks almost entirely due to this book. I have read it cover to cover several times, and whenever I have a question I look here first. Thus far, the suggestions I have implemented have been practical, affordable, and shown good results.



5. I have learned so much from this book. I am new to vegetable gardening and have found this book so rich with information, including fertilizing, watering, year round gardining, raised beds, pest management, cold frames, tunnels, planning, varieties, priorities, soil types & preparation, composting, pros/cons of high-density gardening vs traditional gardening, and so much more - and all of this specific to the maritime northwest. I cannot praise this book enough.

5 comments about Square Foot Gardening: A New Way to Garden in Less Space with Less Work.

1. Have bought several Square Foot Gardening books since they are used so much. Now the second and third generation are reading it in our family. Full of clear, simple solutions and ideas which makes gardening easy and profitable.



2. I guess I was looking for the quick answer version. Here's your square, now plant this....Not a book for the average gardener. Unless, of course, you are a botonist.



3. This book is very helpful to learn a new way of gardening for higer yields in small areas. It has very helpful advice and good graphics to follow. It is easy to read and understand.



4. It cost me about $200 to fill my raised bed with the planting mix recommended. It was a complete waste of money, as the water runs right out of the mix. It is far too light. He's right, you cannot overwater, but it also does not hold the water. In areas where water costs money or is scarce, this soil mix is a very bad idea.



5. I liked the idea of a well-planned garden and this book had it all. I set my 10X15 foot garden up according to the illustrations and made tomato trellises using metal posts and wire. I have to say that by the end of the season there was a lot of die-off from fungus. Frankly, 1 foot square is not enough room for the average tomato plant, even on its nifty trellis. My melons and zucchini caught the fungus, too. I'd recommend using this book as a guide and spacing the plants further apart. It did keep everything neat and easier to weed. Overall good system.

5 comments about Easy Green Living: The Ultimate Guide to Simple, Eco-Friendly Choices for You and Your Home.

1. This is the most comprehensive, easy to use, guide for eco-friendly living that I have seen in years. I strongly recommend that you consider purchasing this book and using it as a handy reference for everything from personal care products to paint to household items. I have purchased several of these from Amazon after reading it cover to cover from the local library and I will be giving them as Christmas gifts this year. The book will quite simply change your life for the better.



2. EASY GREEN LIVING arrived before expected and brand new as promised. I loved it, it was a real blessing for me and my family as we try to green our lives. Thanks



3. With all the five star ratings previously, I had high expectations for this book. Sadly, it did not live up to those expectations and for one reason only: this book includes way too much information about chemicals and the harm they cause. Don't get me wrong, I want to know 'generally' about these things such as parabens, etc. but I don't need a complete list of every chemical manufactured on the planet and what they do. I did not find that positive or motivating. Having said that, YOU may want to know! And, I would actually buy this book again. It is a great reference book that you could go back to over and over again. And, because it is so detailed, it would really help you find anything you could possible ever need. For example, later today I will be checking a website that she mentioned that sells eco-friendly lightbulbs that can be used with a dimmer switch! And I may take a look at a company that sells reclaimed wood for replacing my floors...It really is a great book, I just felt that I was skipping over the parts which I didn't have such an interest in.



4. This is a great book. Lots of good info on ingredients found in cleaning and beauty items. Have recommended this book to several of my friends. Would definitely buy it again.
   The only drawback to this book is that the pages started comming loose from the binding within a few days of flipping through it. No problem, though. Just took it down to the office supply store and had a spiral binding put on it for a few dollars.



5. I bought Easy Green Living for the recipes (like the air freshener containing vodka and essential oil - very nice) inside because I'd just read another book on being green, so I thought I had enough information. Then I started reading Loux's take on the environment, and I couldn't stop. She detailed reasons from personal health to protecting the earth's resources for becoming environmentally friendly. Loux writes well and breaks the topic down with ease without lecturing. She often injects personal stories as examples. And, she's budget conscious. She is quick to point out which options are budget friendly and which aren't necessarily. Easy Green Living is a valuable resource for anyone wishing to understand the current movement toward being environmentally friendly.

5 comments about Botany for Gardeners.

1. i recieved this book quickly and it ws in perfect condition i am very happy :) :)



2. The book covered the major topics of botany, but tended to emphasize dicots, giving the impression all plants are like dicots. I use this for teaching a college course and need to add information on the notable exceptions for plants not used as examples.



3. This definitely is a valuable book for any gardener who's looking for a book on botany. Personally, I was hoping for simpler insights into the miracles that I observe taking place in the garden -- and I did learn a lot from this book. However, while "Botany for Gardeners" was touted as elementary, plowing through it (pun intended) proved to require quite a bit of perseverance. Because the book, admirably, covers all the technical matters in the field of botany, it does tend to be, well, technical. (Botany is, after all, a science!) In the end, I would have preferred something like "Botany for Dummies," but, as yet, there's no such title. But "Botany for Gardeners" will retain a useful place on my garden bookshelf.



4. For a text book, this reads more like short stories. Very easy to read and understand.



5. Currently using this book in a Principles of Horticulture class, it is very detailed in some of its descriptions, a useful learning tool with great pictures.

1 comments about The Vertical Garden: From Nature to the City.

1. A different type of garden, designed for an area where real estate is invaluable, "The Vertical Garden: The Nature of the City" is Patrick Blanc's look at these creations that can be created in almost any urban setting. To the city they bring a visually pleasing image in an area where people only ever see is asphalt and concrete. The gardens can range from any height, from half a story tall to slowly growing up the sides of skyscrapers. Covering the history and skills involved in creating such gardens, "The Vertical Garden" is a must for anyone who wants to create a magnificent arrangement of plant life and doesn't have much horizontal to work with.