I often find myself getting to a point in my gardening where I need some new challenges or inspiration. It usually comes after walking around some of the big-box nurseries where everything soon becomes blah! The same plants. The same features. Even gardening tools can become a little boring - and that's saying something.

So, it's about time to take a look at some fresh gardening books that have just hit the shelves.

On Guerrilla Gardening

Reynolds has researched the subject with guerrilla gardeners from thirty different countries and compiles their advice on what to grow, how to cope with adverse environmental conditions, how to seed bomb effectively and to use propaganda to win support.

On Guerrilla Gardening gives entertaining inspiration, practical reference and no excuses for not getting out there and gardening.

On Guerrilla Gardening: A Handbook for Gardening Without Boundaries(aff.)

Gardens: An Essay on the Human Condition

One reviewer wrote;

Harrison is a cultural historian alive to the poetry of science as well as insights poetry offers to the natural history of humankind. In Gardens, he explores the meanings of gardening, from the lofty height of Homer and the Bible to the poignant plots tended by homeless people in New York. Our fascination with gardens endures, even as the gardens themselves come and go with the seasons. They''re not meant to last, Harrison reminds us; it's their job to 're-enchant the present'.

Gardens: An Essay on the Human Condition(aff.)

Avant Gardeners

Like most gardeners, I do really well with pictures moreso than with words so ogling some garden photos is usually very helpful to pick out ideas that may work in our gardens. Sure, these are high profile landscapes and most won't work in the suburban backyard but there is much to gain from simple ideas throughout this book.

Avant Gardeners(aff.)

Creative Vegetable Gardening

Working from the belief that a vegetable garden, whatever its size, can be as beautiful as a conventional garden of flowers and shrubs, this colorful guide shows how to apply the principles of good design to a kitchen plot. Find out how to use the vibrant texture, colors, and forms of vegetables, herbs, and fruit to create glorious effects and intriguing patterns without jeopardizing their productivity. A range of gardening techniques are described and illustrated with full-color step-by-step images, and an A-Z directory includes more than 150 edible plants to work with.

Creative Vegetable Gardening(aff.)

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Written and self-published by Peter G. Blair (who is Peter Blair...certainly not a gardener, that's for certain) this satirical jaunt starts with combining gardening with golf - and then takes a number of different tangents from there.

I haven't read this book, but am certainly keen to after reading some excerpts and testimonials. It's my kind of book. Completely politically incorrect and stepping over a few too many borders just to get a laugh seems to be the order of the day.

In fact, if you're thinking this might be a helpful gardening book...think again. It's own press release states,

"Do not buy this book for anyone who is uptight, stern, serious, or otherwise dull and argumentative. We simply do not want complaints. A better "obligatory" gift for them might be a smelly hermit crab with a peace sign painted on it's shell."

and;

The main concept of the book is for one to use their golf clubs to maintain their yard, making the yard look nice, while at the same time improving their golf game. It goes down hill from there.

So, if you have a healthy sense of humour and can handle images of golfers teeing up against a large marrow then this book may be that Christmas present you thought of buying for yourself - but keep it well out of the way of the MIL who won first-prize for her rose blooms. She won't appreciate it.

Still interested? You can buy it here...

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It seems every other day some celebrity joins the organic green brigade, cashing in on the chic image of conservation and gaining brownie points from a public incensed by the 'Inconvenient Truth'.

But, while many celebs milk the environmental cash-cow there are one or two who are bona fide pioneers.

HRH Prince of Wales is one such unassuming trend-setter.

26 years ago, Prince Charles bought a dilapidated garden and adjoining farm and began his jaunt with organic gardening. The principles he employed then weren't as Treehugger-ish as they are now so he endured the scorn of neighbours and a relentless public edging for a chance to bring shame again to this man.

However, like any true pioneer the proof is always found in the pudding. And Highgrove is some pudding.

Fortunately for those of us who didn't get an invitation to visit, our HRH has now produced a book - The Elements of Organic Gardening (aff.) - in conjunction with Country Living magazine's editor, Stephanie Donaldson.

And, before you write this off as just another money-making venture by the world's elite take some time to consider what this man has to offer. 26 years pursuing his passion of sustainable gardening practices can't be summed up in a "Top 10 Organic Ideas" post.

Plus, it's not the first book that Prince Charles has written. Five years ago HRH published - Highgrove (aff.) - in conjunction with Charles Clover, the Environment Editor of the DAILY TELEGRAPH.This book is really the beginning of the garden and farming practices at Highgrove and the philosophy behind the choices made.

For a great article on the US journalist's visit to Highgrove read Adrian Higgins account.

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Imagine a garden where vegetables are infused with anabolic steroids and instantly you can visualise the gist of Susan Warren's first book Backyard Giants: The Passionate, Heartbreaking, and Glorious Quest to Grow the Biggest Pumpkin Ever(aff.).

It's a story, not a how-to, on growing ginormous pumpkins. Following the do-or-die tactics of father-son combo Ron and Dick Wallace, Backyard Giants exposes the beauty and absurdity behind those gardeners with a passion for - LARGE!

Many uni-focused gardeners will resonate with the challenge that lies in front of these two. The right seed. The masses of fertiliser. Precision watering. Everything needs to be perfect in order to produce a pumpkin that wrestles a mention.

But for those gardeners who are just happy producing a summer bed of annuals - you're probably not going to 'get' the testosterone-charged behaviour that forces these two to alter nature's path. Their sheer determination and desire to win - however banal the competition may seem - is inspiring. A little perplexing at times but provided you can appreciate their dream you'll find this a fascinating read.

Susan Warren is the deputy bureau chief for the Wall Street Journal in Dallas, Texas. She is also an avid gardener and this is her first book which goes on sale today.

Here's what other bloggers are saying about the book;

Carol from May Dreams Garden linked to these other great gardeners as well -
Hannah - This Garden Is Illegal
Genie - Inadvertent Gardener,
and Michelle from My Grandpa's Garden (who's actually growing her own giant pumpkin).

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Some gardening books, such as Tracey DiSabato-Aust's The Well-Tended Perennial Garden: Planting and Pruning Techniques (aff.), are masterpieces and deserve a spot on your bookshelf for eternity. Some, like Sean Hogan's Flora: A Gardener's Encyclopedia (aff.), are reference materials that you refer to constantly. And some are gifts from uninitiated gardeners or books you bought at a time of weakness.

Now they just take up space and collect dust.

What can you do with them? Here's a few options that you might find useful;

1. Re-sell them - if you want to get something back on the purchase price that you squandered then you might want to consider reselling them on Amazon or listing for auction on Ebay. They're both easy ways to get clean up your shelves and put some cash back in your pocket.
2. Join BookCrossing - this is such a cool idea. It works by people registering their books online at BookCrossing. Then they "set them free" by leaving them on a park bench, in a cafe or a bus port and then track the book's whereabouts via the same site.
3. Donate them to Adopt A Library - all books that are donated to Adopt A Library are forwarded onto prisons, schools and other areas where they can be used again.
4. Visit a book exchange - Most cities and towns in the western world offer a book exchange. They work by requesting you exchange the number of books that you're looking for and paying a nominal fee for purchase. These places often carry valuable books that unsuspecting exchangers swap without knowing their true worth. Good places for wasting an hour or two.
5. Online Book Exchange - if the local book exchange is a little limited in what they offer then on option might be becoming a member on MyBookExchange.com. This site offers free membership and you only pay a $1 request fee for each book that you find. You will need to keep at least 2 books listed to retain your membership and sort out postage costs but otherwise it's a very cheap option.
6. Donate them to a local library or charity - if your unwanted books are still in good condition then most libraries and charities would be happy to accept them. It doesn't result in any benefit to you as neither will part with and form of swap or exchange but you can rest knowing that you made a contribution to society.
7. Recycle as gifts - a fellow staff member (who you hardly know) is having a housewarming and you've automatically found the perfect gift. Provided it's still in good condition this might be a great option for making room on your shelves for books that you actually want.
8. Compile into an ideas file - even the worst gardening books have at least one or two redeeming photographs that could be cut out and pasted into a scrapbook of inspirational ideas. The rest of the book can then be recycled or,

Ok, I know I said "8 ways..." but I'm adding this last one in for free...

9. Turn them into compost - if you can't give them away, nobody's interested in buying them and you've removed all the inspirational ideas (or there weren't any in the first place), then the only option is to at least make them useful in the garden. Don't just throw the whole book in as is, otherwise it will take a few years to eventually break down. Instead, shred it into strips and soak in water before adding to your heap and it will compost quite readily.

   It might even give you some sordid satisfaction as you watch it decompose.

So, don't just throw them in the bin and send them off to landfill. Find ways to get them back into circulation and onto someone else's shelves. It's therapeutic for you and good for the environment.

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One of the best gardening books that I have laid my hands on recently is William Bryant Logan's The Tool Book. Thumbing through the pages, you could be forgiven for thinking that it was just a catalogue of gardening implements. But, as you start to read Logan's dialogue you get a sense that this book is more than pretty pictures and fluffy content.

The Tool Book is really a history lesson dating back to when mankind began to till the soil and make it useful. He explains each garden tool - yes, even the ones that have you completely baffled as to their use - and muses over how they came to be, how they have been refined and current expressions and ways to use them.

The one thing that struck me was that Logan doesn't just describe a 'hoe' as a 'hoe'. It's either a 'weeding hoe' or 'cultivating hoe' and its specific design has been styled for a unique purpose (not that this would surprise Carol). And, every other tool in the book gets the same treatment.

For gardeners new to their hobby, and even those who have been enjoying this pastime for a while, the Tool Book is sure to open your eyes to some great tools and their purposes. In fact, if I were a brand new gardener this book would be the first thing I read as it will propel your gardening knowledge beyond your current experiences.

Logan's The Tool Book is one of those must-have reads that will probably take pride of place in your gardening collection. Its design is simple and easy to use and you will find yourself coming back to it time and time again to find better ways of doing the same job.

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Any other's you'd like to see?

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For the person who has everything you might consider a little piece of eco-art, maybe a herb to decorate that blah! wall which once housed the outdated suede effects.

Drosera, a New York urban ecology-focused company has prepared some great herbarium sheets for customers to purchase. The sheets, which are unframed, carry a pressed original native plant (originally considered 'weeds'), their origin and a little of its history.

They aren't forthcoming with the price of each piece but one could safely assume they're targeting the organic-Chardonnay set.

For those who live in New York, Drosera's site has a wealth of information about many of its native flora.

Link via Treehugger

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As if gardeners aren't true romantics at heart!

Sure, we're not suckered into all the commercialism of another day for the sake of buying gifts. But, we do want to show our true love that our feelings for them have not changed - perhaps they've grown even stronger. Sappy, isn't it?

Regardless, the rose which is most often a young man's gift of choice (who lacks imagination) as he tries to woo his endeared, comes straight from the garden - or at least it should.

But the days of unimaginative gifts are over and it's time to replace the rose with something a little more...contemporary.

Try these ideas for Valetine's Day;

• A potted Yellow Gerbera Nothing says I love you more than a yellow gerbera. Trust me on this! It's happy, vibrant, ostentatious and deliriously attractive. Guys, if you want to win your true-loves heart then leave the rose at the florists and head down to the nursery to pick one of these ideas up.


• Flowery Lingerie If you're like me you wouldn't be seen dead in a lingerie shop. But, I have found another alternative, and I'm not talking online. Gift Vouchers. Phone the store ahead of time and tell them the details of what you're looking for and how much you want to pay and they'll organise it for you to swiftly pick it up at the counter.


• Patent a hand-reared plant specimen This Valentine's idea is going to knock her socks off. Discovering a plant is an incredible feat and one of the privileges of doing this is naming it. And, who better to name it after than your true-love? Sure it will take a little while to successfully invent but you've had all year!!! Do you really love this woman?


• Lavender Oil Scents It's no difficult task to purchase a bottle of lavender oil essence these days but if you truly want to impress your sweetheart this Valentines then try making your own. Steam is supposedly the best way to extract the oil but what if you took to crushing it with your manly brute strength. As if that's not going to impress?


• Take her for a walk down a garden path It's cheap. It's effective. And, it says 'I Love You' more than pound-gaining chocolates. What's more, it will keep her in shape. (Tip: Don't discard the FREE ideas).

There's enough Valentines ideas to get you started. If none of these seem appropriate then just stick to the cliche roses and chocolates. They've worked before, I'm sure they can work again!

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Apart from health, happiness and world peace what gift could you actually buy for a gardener that would make their day - maybe even their year!

I'm writing this post in preparation for my birthday (which is mid-year, but I wanted to get in early) just in case my family does read this as they say they do.

So what do gardeners want? Will the $2 swinging frog ornament that you bought at Bunnings really cut it or will it find it's way to the next Trash 'n' Treasure?

If you really want to impress someone with a gardening gift then you need to understand one thing - we're all individuals, just like our gardens. No one present will cut the mustard with everyone just because they claim to be a gardener.

Observing how gardeners like to work their gardens, what they do and even what sorts of things they desire are good prompts for choosing a gardening gift that will excite.

But what can you buy a gardener that they don't already have? Apart from MORE OF THE SAME here's a list of ideas to get your creative juices flowing;

Gardening Gift Options

1. Gardening Books It doesn't always have to be the latest bestseller either - although that's a good place to start. Many gardeners are always keen to find resources that may have been published decades, maybe even centuries ago. Second-hand book stores can harbour a wealth of great gardening literature.


2. Garden Tools Is there a limit to how many pairs of secateurs one gardener can have? I think not. However, secateurs are like the no-brainer gardening gift and show that you haven't really considered the person you're buying for. There are so many good gardening tools available these days that you would be hard-pressed to find one that your gardening friend wouldn't relish.


3. Bulbs and Seeds I quite often get these gardening gifts and I love them. Especially if they're hard to find seeds or expensive bulbs [Note the emphasis on expensive - cheap tacky daffodils I can buy myself]. You need to be careful buying these for a gardener because they may be something that they would rather digest after a hangover than plant in their garden. Being observant is the key.


4. Ornaments Now here's a really tricky gardening gift. Buy the wrong ornament and you may find it on the side of the kerb waiting for the next garbage collection. If there is one area where gardeners shine as individuals it is in the area of ornaments.

   Me, I'd rather you didn't buy me an ornament - unless you're going to spend a small fortune on it and I've already told you that I would bust heaven and hell to get hold of it.

   The sad thing is that most gardening stores push these as a great garden gift but in reality most gardeners could do without them.



5. Gardening Software These days many gardeners are opting to play around with some software that aids in designing and planning their garden. The only consideration when buying your gardening friend this gift is whether they are computer literate and would enjoy using it.


6. Pots and Planters These can also make great gifts but don't assume that the ones Bunnings or Home Depot are pushing are going to be great in your friend's garden. Don't make the mistake of buying the gardener in your life a glazed Malay pot if everything else in their garden is terracotta. Complementary is the key here.

Well...that should get you started. Just remember some basic rules; observe your gardening friend and see what their likes and dislikes are. Just because it's on special doesn't mean it's good. And, when in doubt try some leading questions with your friend to see if they might shed some more light on your gift selection - before you buy it.

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If you're stuck for buying someone a present this Christmas why not buy them a complete Organic Vegetable Garden for $25.

Intrigued? Read more...

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Here's a great gift idea to share the love and be garden friendly.

Grow-A-Note cards are produced by 3r Living and actually have flowering seeds embedded into the paper stock. Once you've finished with the card it can be buried in a garden bed or container and watered. The seeds germinate and shortly afterwards the reciever is rewarded with a some beautiful flowers.

It's the perfect gift that keeps on giving. And it's environmentally friendly.

Each set of 8 costs US$17.50 (which is comparable to buying cards by themselves) and are available in Lavender or Speckled Yellow.

If flowers aren't your thing then maybe you could send your friends a "Plant a Tree" card.

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Not long now ladies. If you have young children still living at home they're probably counting down the sleeps until it's Mother's Day. Our 4 are already planning the special "breakfast-in-bed" and what it may take to create an extraordinary moment for mum and the excitement of children wanting to celebrate is always a motivating and inspiring sentiment.

I've been on the lookout for a mixer and have never really found one that's lived up to my ex-catering background expectations until I stumbled across the VSM500. Viking make incredible mixers and their parts are robust enough to handle (almost) commercial applications - and how good do they look. I'm not expecting that the kids will have saved enough pocket money to buy one of these for Mother's Day but I could encourage them to save enough for Fathers Day!

Continue reading "Viking VSM500: Great Mother's Day gift!" »

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I remember the first time I was away from home on Mother's Day. I was 17 years old and in my 3rd year of a cooking apprenticeship working more than 3500 kms away from home. I'd been transferred away in January so this was the first big family celebration that I would miss (even though I would usually work Christmas Day I would still spend some time with my family).

I can't remember whether I had bought mum a present on Mother's Day before, or not (it certainly wouldn't have been out of my selfish teenage pocket, anyway!) but I felt I really wanted to impress her that year. So I decided I could separate myself from $20 (which was a vast chunk of my meagre salary back then) and I arranged to have some flowers delivered to arrive on the Sunday. I felt so proud of myself until I was brought back to earth with a thud, realising my $20 was not going to pay for the delivery let alone a single flower.

I did contemplate pocketing the $20 and sending a card but as any boy knows Mothers are the most important people in their worlds and she was worth more than a card. I can't remember the actual amount I paid to have a beautiful flower arrangement delivered to her that Mother's Day, but I know that whatever it was it was worth every penny.

I love you Mum.

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A sucker for romance - perhaps! Valentine's has a special place for me and Deb. It was the day I used to 'pop the question' and as my wife will attest my planning went a little awry.

At the time I was working as a chef in an inner-city Perth cafe. I hadn't bothered to make any reservations for dinner anywhere until the day before - big mistake. Our cafe didn't open for dinner so I had forgotten how busy most restaurants became on the most romantic night of the year but after a few hundred phone calls I was gently reminded that perhaps I could have started this process a tad earlier.

Fortunately, as I was running out of names in the Yellow Pages, I struck paydirt. One restaurant in the heart of Subiaco, perhaps Perth's version of England's Soho, had places available. Maybe I should have questioned this peculiarity then but I was just excited to have somewhere to take my future wife-to-be. A tip for beginners: Never book into a restaurant that has seats available a day away from Valentine's - it can never be good. And it wasn't.

I'll leave it there but needless to say preparation was a rapid learning curve for me.

So this year I plan to be on the ball. I'm tossing up between the eternal dozen red roses, maybe a red rose bush for the garden, a love swing or even lingerie and chocolates. No. Those two never go together do they?

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