Master Gardener Book Reviews

 

Farm City:   The Education of an Urban Farmer

Novella Carpenter   The Penguin Press

276 pp    $25.95

 

     The author, Novella Carpenter is a self taught writer who lives in the city and loves city life. She dreams of having a small piece of country life in the city. When she moves into a house in Oakland she sees a empty lot next door and she decides to purchase it. Thus begins her dream and her story. 

     Carpenter turns the empty lot into a ‘farm’ with chickens, turkeys, geese, pigs and she also grows vegetables. She not only wants a bit of farm life but she plans on eating her animals and vegetables that she grows. She relates to the reader with wry humor and wit her story and the adventures that happen from day to day or week to week.      For example, in talking about her egg laying chickens she has a rooster that crows daily at 4 am.  She has bees that she says make honey but they also sting people (including herself) from time to time. She says her vegetable garden produces vegetables but it also attracts rodents who breed. She says these things in such a humorous way that I find myself chuckling. 

      In another part of her book she talks about her chicken coop and one can imagine her chickens walking around clucking and scratching at the soil. In this idyllic world she describes a neighbor’s broken down bike, a rusty shed and a broken mirror on the ground. Although these words are not funny as I have written them, Carpenter writes in such a way that you laugh. Carpenter shows us a slice of her life but it is shown with the everyday circumstance of reality with a bit of humor thrown in.

 

      The book is divided into parts that are entitled with the name of an animal or bird. For example, part I is titled Turkey and part II is called  Rabbit but don’t assume that each part talks about that particular farm animal. Read the book to find out what the chapters are about. 

      What I liked most is that Carpenter is skilled at using humor and fact to tell a story that is believable. She is relaxed in her storytelling and she is able to ‘pull’ the reader into the story. This book would be a nice to give as a gift.

 

Sherry Thomas   Fayette County Master Gardener

     

 

 

 

Understanding Perennials:   

A New Look at an Old Favorite

William Cullina

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt     238 pages   $40

 

  Understanding Perennials is written differently from the traditional garden book. Although the Cullina starts out by defining perennials, then goes on to detail the perennial from the inside out.  Different chapters focus on different plant parts.      Chapter two focus is on the root, what is the best soil for growth, how much water and space are needed.  In others, Cullina discusses the leaves, their structure and photosynthesis; he goes on to cover stems, flowers, seeds, diseases, cultivation and propagation of the plant. In the back is a glossary of terms.

    The book contains many beautiful photographs that are in color, as well as clear and sharp, enabling readers to see specific identifiable marks on the leaves and flowers.  There is a lot of useful information included, including a section on

daffodil bulbs, which Cullina reports multiply quite fast, and should be divided after 5 years so that the bulbs will not compete with each other for nutrients and water. 

In another section is a photo of a beautiful and common perennial, the peony. He states that pruning the stems of the plant in the spring is not beneficial to the plant since it would remove the flower buds and would also stunt the plant.

Cullina takes what could be daunting and complex material and makes it easy and enjoyable to understand. This book is good for beginners as well as more advanced gardeners in describing perennials and their specific needs.  

Sherry Thomas, Fayette County Master Gardener

    

 

 

Rain Gardening in the South:  

Ecologically Designed Gardens for Drought, Deluge, and Everything in Between

Helen Kraus and Anne Spafford

Eno Publishers 142 pages   $19.95

 

Rain Gardening in the South is a short book with a lot of gardening information packed into each chapter.  The focus is on irrigation management and responsible, environmentally friendly gardening. 

Long-time horticulturalists Kraus and Spafford first define rain gardening and how useful it can be as a way to keep vegetation green by using simple principles. For example, they explain how a well functioned and planned rain garden can prevent runoff and remove pollution.  To illustrate how effective a grain garden can be, a table is included which lists some common pollutants, where the pollutants originate and what percentage can be removed by a rain garden.  The authors also describe how rain gardens can be the answer to drought. For example, they discuss using plants that thrive in dry conditions in a rain garden where runoff water can be stored for the plants to use. Plants like cacti and arid climate plants such as artemisia or wormwood would be good for a very dry area.    I liked this book because the authors take you step by step in creating a water garden. They discuss selecting a location, creating a depression in the soil, and plants to select. Illustrations and many colorful photographs show a variety of rain gardens and the plants they support. Some plants that are used are cat’s whiskers, elephant ear, palmetto, different grasses and berry shrubs and trees.  Be sure to check  USDA hardiness zones  when making plant choices for your area.

      Included in the book are contacts for the Cooperative Extesion Service in many southern states. If you don’t see your state then I suggest you contact your local extension service office.  Also included is an appendix on soil, a list of rain garden resources on the internet and a glossary of terms and concepts.

       The book uses easy to understand terms and explanations for anyone interested in rain gardens or who may be considering creating one.

 

Sherry Thomas, Fayette County Master Gardener