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Winter Reading Stack

11/27/2018

When the snow flies this gardener gets reading. I can hardly wait to get started on this stack. I've already sneaked a peak into these and am hoping for some quiet days this winter to really dig into these tomes. Here is what I have on my book stack, in no particular order.

The Garden in Every Sense and Season by Tovah Martin (c) 2018 - When I saw that Ms. Martin had a new book, I just had to have it. Already on my bookshelf was her book on houseplants, The Unexpected Houseplant, that is my go-to book on that subject. She writes as if we are friends and I always learn something new. As the title suggests, this book is organized by season and explores our senses within each of them.
Vegetables Love Flowers by Lisa Mason Ziegler (c) 2018 - Subtitled "Companion Planting for Beauty and Bounty", this one caught my attention because next year I am substituting flowers for a vegetable bed that we don't use. I've already picked up a good tip on getting bushier annual flower plants; most of us cut annuals too high on the stem. The author recommends cutting as low as possible and provides a picture to guide the reader.
The Food Explorer by Daniel Stone (c) 2018 - I've already read this one, a biography of David Fairchild who was a globe-trotting botanist at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. Some finds attributed to him are "Kale from Croatia, mangoes from India, and hops from Bavaria. Peaches from China, avocados from Chile, and pomegranates from Malta. " It was interesting to read about where some of our common foods originated and how they made their way to our grocery stores.
The Northern Gardener by Mary Lahr Schier (c) 2017 - There are 26 chapters from A for Apples to Z for, of course, Zinnias. The author provides tips for northern gardeners and history from the Minnesota State Horticultural Society. There is a potluck of lore, facts, and advice that I'll be able to put to use in the next garden season.
The Naturescaping Workbook by Beth O'Donnell Young (c) 2011 - My most popular classes are those involving native plants. This workbook is full of information on creating a landscape plan, choosing appropriate plants, attracting wildlife, and being a good steward of the land. I've tried to learn more about landscape design without much success but thumbing through this book I'm hopeful to learn a few techniques that I can pass onto others.
Grow Native by Lynn M. Steiner (c) 2016 - Ms. Steiner is also the author of Landscaping with Native Plants of Wisconsin (c) 2007 which is already on my bookshelf. Her new book advertises that it will give me everything I "need to know to design and cultivate a naturally beautiful yard." A quick scan of the book shows me that the author has provided "Native Know-How" lists for all imaginable situations. A few samples: Native plants as Focal Points, Perennials to Cut Back in Spring, Attracting Hummingbirds, Drought-Tolerant Species, Rain Gardens, and many more. I anticipate this will be as well-used as the older book by this knowledgeable author.

So dear reader, do you have a book to recommend for this winter? Given that the snow is already flying I have a feeling I'll need more to add to the stack. Please share.

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Great River Road Trip – October 2018

11/8/2018

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The east fork of the Chippewa River in fall.

When my friend Melanie and I decided to take a road trip along the Mississippi River to New Orleans I didn’t even think about where all the water comes from for one of the largest river systems in the world. Then I realized I live on one of the tributaries that feed into the river. In fact, a lot of us do since the Mississippi Valley watershed includes 31 states.

Elevation 1313 Feet. I live at the confluence of the east and west forks that start the Chippewa River. It flows 180 miles to join the Mississippi River at Lake Pepin that is the widest naturally occurring part of the Mississippi River, located about 60 miles south of Saint Paul and on the border of Wisconsin and Minnesota.

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Garden Stories

Winter Reading Stack

From Fresh to Dry Bouquet

Great River Road Trip – October 2018

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​Garden Stories

Winter Reading Stack

From Fresh to Dry Bouquet

Great River Road Trip – October 2018

Classes

Archives

Categories

Garden Stories