All the Dirt on Gardening

Enthusiastic gardeners and nature lovers enjoy writing and teaching. They produce hundreds of books and videos each year. When requesting review copies, I ask for the ones that I think will appeal to a wide audience. This list reviews books and a DVD published between 2008 and 2011. They are about garlic, projects for grandparents, attracting pollinators, vines, disastrous bugs and organic solutions for plant problems. The information includes the publication information plus the full price and the online booksellers’ price. Armitage’s Vines and Climbers by Allan Armitage. Published 2010 by Timber Press (www.timberpress.com and 800-327-5680) 205 pages. $30 to $20. Whether you prefer woody vines and climbers or herbaceous (ones that die back to the ground in the winter), Armitage’s wisdom will guide you to choose the best selections for the space you want to cover. “Attracting Native Pollinators: Protecting North America’s Bees and Butterflies” by Xerces Society authors Er...

With the subtitle, Grandma's Bag of Tricks, Sharon Lovejoy summarizes her latest book of ideas for child care workers, teacher, parents, grandparents, and, well, anyone who enjoys hanging around with children. There are 130 ideas for children of all ages. Chapters and a taste of their contents 1 Preparing Camp Granny - birthdays, stories, home made bubbles, 2 The Neighborhood Naturalist - explorer kit, bird watching, butterfly gardening 3 Kids in the Kitchen - recipes for critter cakes, fluffy clouds, salad party 4 Kitchen Garbage Garden - citrus trees, sprouting spuds, strawberry skirts 5 Kids in the Garden - recipes, bale planters, 6 Rainy Day Activities - puppet show, crafts, theatre, worm hotel, cards to make Outboxes on many pages have more suggestions - books to read, more activities to do together, bird words, nature facts, nutrition tips, crafts, Lovejoy's previous books are favorites, too - "Trowel & Error", "Sunflower Houses" and "Roots, S...

Trowel and Error is a 2003 book that I got through an online bookswap, Paperback Swap . Sharon Lovejoy compiled 700 quick tips in an attractively laid out format that makes it fun to read. Her illustrations are delightful. Lovejoy's website has information about her other books, including Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots. (Note: Some of the links on the site do not work anymore and the newsletters link goes only to 2005.) Here are a few of the 700 tips in this great little volume. Trap gypsy moths with sticky backed shelf paper folded inside out taped to a tree. Replace after rain or when full of insects and eggs. Moles are actually beneficial to have in the garden because they eat grubs. Use the soil they throw in your potted plants. Buy rolls of inexpensive wrapping paper and coat it with canola oil. Spread on beds and cover with mulch. Make planting holes wherever you want. Activate the compost pile with nitrogen found in rabbit food or kitty litter if you are short of fresh gr...