Library Book - A Review

Oh My Goodness

Handmade for the Garden: 75 Ingenious Ways to Enhance Your Outdoor Space with DIY Tools, Pots, Supports, Embellishments, and More, by Susan Guagliumi, published in 2014 by Stewart, Tabori & Chang.

The day I checked out 12 ebooks from the library, this book wasn’t immediately available so I placed it on hold. It was only a few days later I received notification it was loaned out to me! Honestly, at first glance I thought it was going to be all about “Yard Art” - I love creating yard art - but it’s so much more!

It is a fun informative book with nice photos and illustrations! I’m a visual learner, making this aspect a great feature. She shares what has worked for her, and what didn’t (and the why),  when it comes to making functional garden tools, supplies, and treatments for and in the garden.

I never thought about making my own seed tape!
I never thought about creating a “mini” hothouse!
I never thought about simply anchoring milk jugs when using them as a cloches!
I never thought about how easy a Hoop House could be to make!
I never thought about making a dibble!

And all the above (and more) is in just the first chapter!

She’s just started!

Although potted (container) plants take more watering, I loved the fabric pot concept, and the wall pockets, and will have to make some! I’m thrilled I saved all the burlap...

Seriously, who would have thought about making a plant container/pot out of a soaker hose? BRILLIANT!

Right now, I will just make a note her Chapter 3 is about Mosaics. Although beautiful, I just don’t have the time this year. This book will be my go-to if/when time permits.

Now, Chapter 4 is on Cement & Hypertufa! I’d never heard of hypertufa until this book... gardening has a whole other language I’m slowly learning! I’ve never bought any pots other than terra cotta. I know, I’ve lived a sheltered life. No, not really, just never have gotten this “deep” into gardening before!

I’m excited about working with cement and creating it and hypertufa projects! She even recommends doing a web search for “... ideas, recipes, and inspiration.” But then her explanation how to cast leaves is perfect for the upcoming Fairie Garden, not to mention her Fairy house itself!!!

So, mental note to self... this is the go-to chapter for tips, supplies, techniques!

I know with our high winds I’m going to need various supports in the garden. I like the natural look and Chapter 5, Standing Tall, has clever ways/materials for single supports, tripods, and tuteurs.

I’m excited about the same type of suggestions and instructions she gives in Chapter 6, Rustic Trellises, Fences, Arbors & Box Supports. We may not have white cedar or willow she talks about, but our neighbor has a lot of the invasive bamboo I’m certain he’ll be happy to part with!

Off-Season, Chapter 7's Project & Planning is a good reminder to keep good records of what went where.

I’m most grateful Momma kept a journal of sorts about her rose garden! The actual plant markers were lost on some, but I remembered seeing the garden diagram in one of her favorite garden book. When I went to dig up her roses in Dallas when we sold the house, to bring them here, to The Sprott Country Gardens, I was forever grateful to find that special book! I was able to identify which ones were which!  

I need to do the same.

She talks about time-saving tools. I’m already looking around (here and off property) of what I can repurpose to use in the garden. I am training my eye to see things outside the box.

Oh, but then in this final chapter, it was the clincher, the last straw that made me go over to Amazon and purchase this book: creating markers. It’s an Oh My Goodness how clever this is and that is ...

The money I will save utilizing materials I never considered using as plant markers (and I HAVE on hand) just paid for this (used) book! 

Yes. Basically all the different suggestions shown in the book are probably on Pinterest. If I even thought of them to look up, but I get much too distracted by other things and cannot keep focused! I’d rather have a reference book in hand.

I was also impressed by the thorough list of websites “Sources for Supplies” she provided at the end of the book. It too is divided into convenient sections -

cement/hypertufa and mosaic
fabric, cord, and paper goods
metal and wire
natural materials
paint, stencils, and stamps
miscellaneous tools and supplies

She also offers a nice list of Recommended Reading!

Thank You!

Yes. This is a keeper.


NOTE TO SELF: Find the roll of 1" wide heavyweight copper originally purchased for making custom cookie cutters and repurpose its purpose to engrave for plant markers! It’s somewhere around here, I know it is!

Library Book - A Review

Oh. My. Goodness. The book, Understanding Garden Design, The Complete Handbook for Aspiring Designers by Vanessa Gardner Nagel, APLD, Timber Press, Portland-London, 2010, is a KEEPER!!!

I have added it to my Amazon’s wish list. It will be added to my physical bookshelf someday soon! When I say it’s a KEEPER, she provides so much information worth utilizing long after the design and planning is over... to incorporate in all aspects of living.

When I started reading it, I quickly decided to take notes, as if I were preparing for an exam. After the first few days of note taking, I woke up the next morning and couldn’t use my right thumb for two days! I can’t do that anymore.

It is by-far a study book on deciding “Who’s on first?” how to assess and record, measuring and documenting, making the hard decisions between need/desire, the microclimates, working with Mother Nature, providing double (triple) duty, and drawing different diagrams.

The basic design elements (really of everything/anything)...

Color (hue, value, and intensity) in using the color wheel/harmonies taught me so much I’ve never considered before.

Line, Shape, Form, and Space... goodness gracious... it all makes sense how she explains things.

Have you ever thought about -

proportion and scale, mass, focal point or emphasis, repetition and rhythm, movement, sequence or transition, texture, variety, contrast, balance, unity, and time.  

She explains them all very nicely!

And then she points out even more aspects that affect garden design...

Function    *    Fragrance     *     Serendipity

I found the “Plants: A Structural Perspective” chapter particularly informative. I need to move on past - plant one type of thing and move on to another area to plant one singular other plant - mode of thinking and plant more group style, mass planting. Although she writes about the concept “thrillers, spillers, and fillers” not being a new concept, I’ve never heard of it until reading her book! Basically they are...
  
   Thrillers - bold plants that are focal points
   Spillers - plants that creeps, falls, and overflows
   Fillers - less defined plants that are frothy and airy

But of course, she describes them in much more detail - with PICTURES! Good deal! Exactly what I need!

Another. Oh. My. Goodness.

Who would have thought... using plants as punctuation! See, this is a prime example why I want this book in my hands (off the bookshelf) for future reference! She talks about them all (and gives examples)!

Periods - Commas - Exclamation Points - Question Marks - Semicolons - Colons - Parentheses
It makes perfectly totally sense!

I appreciate her chapter on plant and leaf shapes. I know I need to learn what would go with and complement one another. It’s in her section on “The Planting Plan” she continues her hypothetical garden design plan and incorporates the punctuation concept. That might not have made any sense, but I’ll know exactly where to go once I have the actual book in my hands!

Then there is a lot of valuable information about lights in the garden. Maybe someday we’ll have garden lighting but I feel certain it will be by the way of solar (or wind) energy rather than electricity. Although I tried, I just couldn’t skim through this chapter covering all the different aspects to consider - the reasons, various types and styles, and the effect lighting placement will bring. Oh, and when I saw the gabion wall, that led me to doing further research how to construct such a wall! We have the rock, that’s for sure!

Because I AM the contractor - not to mention the laborer doing the actual work - I did skip most of the chapter “Working with Contractors” but it may be just what another reader needs to know. It did give me a bit of 'what comes first' organizing.

And, a great way to end this lovely book, this gold mine of information, her last chapter gives great ideas for having people out and about in the garden... either via an open garden or a garden party!

For me, it will be a grand day in the garden - when I can share it with others...

Library Book - A Review

The Backyard Homestead, Book of Building Projects, by Spike Carlsen, Storey Publishing

Chapter 1 - “Tools, Materials, and Skills”

The author gives a brief synopsis on the different tools and their uses, safety measure reminders, and lots and lots of “Take Note” which was the same thing as “tips”... great advice!

I especially appreciated the information provided in the “Lifting and Moving Heavy Stuff” section - great tips and reminders!

Chapter 2 - “For the Garden”

Several projects are detailed that are informative, however not something I’m interested in doing in the garden. I did pay attention to the “Drip Irrigation Basics” project because it’s the type of watering system I plan on using. Since I’ve never used drip irrigation before, I found the information helpful. Oh, and he even explains how to take care of the system before winter sets in with below freezing temps!

I like his ideas for “Simple Hose Guides.” I hate dragging around hoses... that’s going to change! I have ideas!

OH, and his “Garden Marker/Stepping-Stone” method is cute (and doable)! I love placing surprises in the garden. When folks say “concrete” - what do they really really mean? He specifically states “remixed MORTAR” (emphasis mine). Now I know for sure!

Maybe I’ll make his “Sitting and Kneeling Garden Stool” - he gives pretty detailed directions and measurements.

The “Five Simple Plant Supports” are great to refer back to when the time comes. I love his Veggie Cages - because the will store easily during the off season! If I can find all the pieces and parts out of PVC (not the copper as he has shown) I’ll make the “Copper Trellis” as it is also yard art!

If your interested in catching/storing/utilizing precious rain water, “The Rain Barrel Basics” project is worth the read through! He gives details!

If you’re looking for a cute cute “Potting Bench” he has one! I mentioned this because - if - I can ever have one out in the garden, I want it! Especially if there is water access... it would be lovely to wash off veggies collect from the garden and have that water go back to the garden!

Someday Bud & I both would like a greenhouse. For him, it’s to grow our own avocado trees! For me, it would be for so much more! This author provides a “Hoop Greenhouse” project, complete with material list, and detail building plan (with drawings!) that looks easy enough if we both do it together! We’ll see.

Chapter 3 “Harvesting and Food Preparation”

Most of the totes and carryalls are made from wood. Just looking at the projects, they look heavy before any harvesting of produce is added! I’m not interested.

Chapter 4 “Storage and Workspaces”

I LOVE his “Mini Tool Shed”!!! I can modify it to go up against the our insisting Garden House for easy access for gardening tools! It would be very handy to the garden, but not inside the garden!

What a clever idea... an “Emergency Cart” to have handy near the garden. I’ll come up with something to “hide” it in the garden... maybe near the potting bench. It would be nice to have a few medical supplies near rather than having to dash back to the house.

Chapter 5 “Animal Shelters and Feeders”

Chicken nesting boxes - done. Rabbit hutch, not interested at this time (never say never)! Bat house - already have one, we just don’t have it out (yet) because I haven’t figured out how to get it 12' to 20' (recommended) height off the ground! Pig pen, nope. Moveable chicken coop/run, in the works - much less elaborate than his project.

He does write about Outdoor Outlets, Switches, and Lights... maybe someday. For now, I’m more interested in developing a solar system.

No beekeeping for us.

Chapter 6 “For the House and Yard”

One of the projects caught my eye... the “Lawn Bag Stand” mainly because I thought, I can make it as tall as I want and it will be perfect to hold the bag perfectly at the edge of the chicken coop’s door! I’ve told myself several times while scrapping out the poop, “I need something different because this just isn’t working!!!” I just haven’t thought of this, but now it was like a “duh” moment!

“The Punch Tin Jelly Cabinet” looks so cute, but I just don’t have the room for it!

Because I already wanted to create some personalize planters, the “Concrete Planter” project has a lot useful tips.

Well, bummer. I just finished the book and, unless I totally missed it, there wasn’t a picnic table! Who would have thought! That was one of the main reasons I checked it out!

But, did get a lot of other good information!

Turning this book back into the library...