Groundbreaking Food Gardens: 73 Plans That Will Change the Way You Grow Your Garden

In Groundbreaking Food Gardens: 73 Plans That Will Change the Way You Grow Your Garden, a diverse group of expert gardeners and an author with a sense of humor- come on, groundbreaking gardens, that's at least a little groan-worthy - come together to compile a variety of garden plans designed to meet different needs in different ways, but with one ultimate goal: grow food.

"But I have no space!" you say while gnashing your teeth and throwing a dis-empowered hand to the sky- they have a plan for you or adaptable for you. That's why Groundbreaking Food Gardens brought together so many perspectives, to offer solutions and ideas for a wide variety of spaces and special concerns. Some people have large open land, some people have a lot of shade, some people ha
ve a small terrace and a few containers, but everyone needs to eat. Yes, even you.

If Niki Jabbour is guilty of anything, it's of giving me a lot to think about in pulling together my (always last minute) garden plan this spring.  With detailed plant lists, guides regarding plant spacing and habits, and diagrams, this is a fabulous book for planning a garden, and takes the mystery out of providing your own salad greens or culinary herbs. That's right, culinary herbs. Don't even try to pretend that fresh herbs aren't worlds more delicious because they are. I am going to grow them. again, with a little more planning this year.

I like that Jabbour doesn't assume that the reader's only interest is in the standard tomatoes and squash garden I grew up with. She includes garden plans for those more interested in exotic peppers and garden plans for people more interested in wildlife. This is very much a book with something for everyone.

It's a good informative read, though more plan-heavy and less eye-candy than a lot of other garden planning books on the market. Ultimately though, when you're planning a garden for food, the point is the produce more than the breathtaking landscape, and careful, yet adaptable, planning is what Groundbreaking Food Gardens is all about.

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*I recieved an advance reader copy, only, in exchange for an honest review.

Banish Clutter Forever: How the Toothbrush Principle Will Change Your Life

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Banish Clutter Forever: How the Toothbrush Principle Will Change Your Life by Sheila Chandra
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Embracing the simple yet fundamental truth, that organized people who live in clean spaces are actually just as lazy as the rest of us, Sheila Chandra's method to get your house to work for you involves work, but once you apply it, once you practice it, is actually something a person can maintain.
Although I don't love the way Chandra writes and her analogies reflect some truly cringeworthy biases and misinformation, like the nearly put-it-down-and-walk-away worthy "Does being overwhelmed by your stuff and being trapped by it feel like being overweight or in debt? That's because in a way it is. Being overweight or in debt is usually caused by the wish to defer the decision and effort it takes to take control of your health or finances. It is the 'Not now, I will be sensible/sort that out later...' philosophy." I don't approve with conflating obesity and laziness, or obesity and difficulty making decisions, or obesity and any other one thing. Of course, this is a book about taking control of one's possessions and surroundings, not one's body and health, so let's move on.
I liked that while Chandra shares her personal experience with clutter and the special sort of despair it can breed, the whole book doesn't live there. It isn't a constant reminder of how horrid it was to grow up with a mother with a mental disorder as organization books can turn into. Chandra deals with the emotional clutter when it's constructive, and moves on. Better still, rather than wasting the reader's time by saying "read my whole method, then try implementing it," she suggests trying chapter two before reading any farther. If it works for the reader, great- read on. If not, put the book down and find something else.
Of course, like a good girl, I read chapter two and (nearly) followed her directions. Why just nearly? Well... I hate following directions. Actually, I felt overwhelmed by the task of finding a notebook to write anything down and figured that it was a small enough bathroom that if it otherwise worked, I'd invest in (finding) a notebook for moving forward with the rest of the house.
As a FlyLady washout, we'll see. Right now, I feel like this can work, and if nothing else, the methods and techniques I'm putting into practice here are well worth knowing, even if I don't use them religiously.
Spring cleaning, here I come.

Lost and Found

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A heartwarming tale about a kid who wants to help and the penguin who needs him. Jeffers' tale is clearly set in the not too distant future, Antarctica has been reduced to an island easily circumnavigated by a child without a jacket.
It was cute, and the four year old book critic immediately called for it to be reread.

The Plant Lover's Guide to Salvias

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Redolent with decadent color and brimming with enthusiasm for salvias, The Plant Lover's Guide to Salvias is sure to kindle your passion for this beautiful plant, and to ignite your creativity in garden planning. Drawing from his extensive knowledge of the different varieties of salvias, John Wittlesey has pulled together easy to understand lists to help any gardener find the salvia that best suits her need, whether she prefers a salvia with dramatic foliage, such as Salvia officialis Icterina, or one best suited to cutting- like Salvia sclarea. Looking for something to fill in and add texture to a rock garden, this book will steer you in the right way. Need a fragrant but sturdy groundcover? Whittlesey has something for you as well. The Plant Lover's Guide to Salvias even has something for those who are tired of purple.

Detailed plant identification information and an explanation of their place in the world of pollination makes for an informative book, rather than just a pretty one. Of course, the most useful part is probably the section picturing each cultivar of salvia and explaining its type, habit, size, hardiness, origin, and landscape use. Of course, if you live in the cold northern expanses, you might have a moment's jealousy when you see the gorgeous cultivars that thrive in zone 10b. That said, I think I am going to try to incorporate some Salvia caespitosa into my garden this year. Not only is it beautiful, but it's suited to zone 5, and I have been planning a rock garden for a while now.

All in all, it is a beautiful, easy to follow, instructive book that incidentally has a lot of coffee-table value as well.


For more of my gardening book reviews, check out Paisley & Pretties.

Change the World Before Bedtime

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Most kids want to be heroes, and this book gives them practical ways to achieve that goal. Written in sing-song rhyme, Change the World Before Bedtime, a collaboration between Mark Kimball Moulton, Josh Chalmers, and Karen Good, inspires kids, no matter how little, to do the things they can to improve the world around them. A positive and encouraging story, Change the World Before Bedtime promotes stewardship, manners, and civic engagement. I liked nearly everything about it except the font, which could have been a touch larger for reading upside down to a group of kids, and could have had a touch more whimsy to better match the marvelous and endearing illustrations- but don't let that stop you from reading it. You'll be glad you did, and so will your kids.

The Little Moose Who Could Not Sleep- A Maynard Moose Tale, by Willy Chaflin & James Stimson

When your young ones are full of sleepy, but bedtime rolls around and instead of sleeping, they think big thinks that keep them awake, this is precisely the bedtime tale you need. Full of whimsical and colorful pictures and a storytelling vernacular that pulls the reader into the tale, The Little Moose Who Could Not Sleep is both endearing and engaging. I enjoyed the folksy language and the imaginative characterization of the Little Moose, but most dearly, I love the bit about Mother Moose making the universe out of thin air.
The Little Moose Who Could Not Sleep packs a lot to think about into forty pages.

RATGIRL: Song of the Viper

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Krause's dystopian tale delves into the heart of what people will do to survive, and how far from the life they want they are willing to go in order to provide for the people they love. All in all, I liked it. I liked

the way she created characters who were despicable in the same ways that the despicable people we've all met would be if put in power or under strain, and I liked that she took the types of good people who are everywhere, and had them reacting realistically within the tight prison of poverty, fear, and darkness resulting from the corruption of the local government as well as the threat of the sun. These aren't heroes who can't be touched by minor irritations like chapped lips- they're real, they're hungry, and they're going to survive.

You can read my full review on We Do Write.