Kiss My Aster

Kiss My Aster: A Graphic Guide to Creating a Fantastic Yard Totally Tailored to You
by Amanda Thomsen

160 pages
Storey Publishing, 2012
List price: $16.95

Your life isn’t complete until you’ve met Amanda Thomsen. She’s one of a kind and I triple dog dare you to figure her out or keep up with her. This is actually part of her charm and besides wanting to take her home with you, she’s a gardener’s best friend, to boot.

She’s pretty busy as a landscape designer, blogger, author, as well as being a wife and mother to a darling daughter who shows all signs of being a chip off her mommy’s block (watch out, world!), but she recently made time to write one of the best books I’ve seen on what to do with your yard. And then some.

Thomsen has long been the author of the popular blog, Kiss My Aster, an irreverent (and I mean this in a good way) look at the world of horticulture. Her book goes by the same name: Kiss My Aster: A Graphic Guide to Creating a Fantastic Yard Totally Tailored to You.

This is not your ordinary gardening book, no sirree. You can see this just by thumbing through it. The graphics are beyond amazing and invite you to crawl right in and start mining for magic that you can perform in your own yard, your way. Don't worry if you have no prior experience with gardening; Amanda's got you covered, and She. Knows. Her. Stuff.

It can be a bit overwhelming, but only if you try to take it in all at once. Thomsen wrote it in the manner of the “Choose Your Own Adventure” books she enjoyed as a child. That’s brilliant, really. It makes the book an invaluable and timeless resource for creating the yard of your dreams, and you’ll have a whole lot of fun doing it. I mean, who else calls shrubs “the khaki pants of the landscape,” or when discussing lighting warns you not to jar up lightning bugs?

I don’t know when I’ve had this much fun reading a gardening book. It’s opinionated, but I would expect nothing less from Amanda, and 99% of the time, I think she’s spot on. I’ve always said I’m not a garden designer, but Amanda Thomsen makes me believe I can be one. With her coaching me via this gem of a book, my yard will never be the same. Get it and yours won’t be either.

Amanda Thomsen, a Master Gardener and landscape designer, has been in the field for more than ten years.  She is the coauthor of Grocery Gardening and writes the blog Kiss My Aster.  She lives in the Chicago area.







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The publication being reviewed was the sole compensation for reviewing it. All opinions expressed here are mine. If I like something, I'll say so. If I don't, I'll say that,too.

Why Grow That When You Can Grow This?

Why Grow That When You Can Grow This?
255 Extraordinary Alternatives to Everyday Problem Plants
by Andrew Keys

340 pages
Timber Press, 2012
List price:  $24.95

If there’s one thing that nearly all gardeners have in common, it’s that we try to grow things that we know darn well aren’t suited for our gardens. There are various reasons why we do this, but mostly it’s because we see a plant that we love and we want it. It’s sort of like falling in love with someone that we know isn’t good for us, but we can’t help ourselves, even when we know that down the road we’re likely to part ways. We think with our heart and not our heads. Don’t we all have “favorite mistakes?”

Andrew Keys has help for us. Not for the human kind – you’re on your own there – but he’s written a book that suggests other choices when it comes to choosing plants for our gardens. Why Grow That When You Can Grow This? takes a look at those plants that we’ve had, we have, or we want, for which there are alternatives that may work better.

Be prepared to change your way of thinking though, because sometimes he suggests plants that do not give the same appearance as the one it’s supposed to replace. Still, if there’s something you can’t grow, it’s good to have choices that have been deemed suitable alternatives.

There are some plants which he declares to be problems, that for me (and possibly for you), simply aren’t, by virtue of my location and particular growing conditions. But there are still some great possibilities that I never would have considered had he not brought them to my attention. It’s nice to have this as a source book for choosing plants for my garden when I’m tired of pandering to something I already have or I’m simply ready for a change. Andrew’s book can be a help towards gardening smarter, not harder!

Andrew Keys is a writer, designer, consultant, and lifelong gardener. The host and producer of Fine Gardening‘s Garden Confidential podcast, his writing has appeared in Fine Gardening and other magazines, as well as on his blog, Garden Smackdown.







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The publication being reviewed was the sole compensation for reviewing it. All opinions expressed here are mine. If I like something, I'll say so. If I don't, I'll say that,too.

The Unexpected Houseplant

The Unexpected Houseplant 
220 Extraordinary Choices for Every Spot in Your Home
by Tovah Martin

326 pages
Timber Press, 2012
List price: $22.95

Just as the title suggests, you’ll find Martin’s unlikely houseplant suggestions to be a refreshing departure from the usual. Organized according to season, she presents a different palette for each, depending on the performance of the plant choices. Tropical plants are likely candidates for growing indoors, and we’ve been doing that for years. But how about your outdoor perennials? Many of those can be grown indoors, too.

Martin writes in a conversational style, guiding us through the seasons, explaining care and suggesting displays. She clearly knows her subject well and speaks of it with endearment, encouraging us to be daring and different as we take the garden indoors. You might be tempted at first glance to think that the plant profiles are formulaic, giving standard facts, but you really should read them in detail because in just about every one, you’ll learn something about gardening in general.

This isn’t just another book on houseplants. It’s an invitation to adventure.

Tovah Martin is a freelance writer, lecturer, horticulturist, and TV media personality whose work appears regularly in many national publications. She is the author of over a dozen gardening books, including bestsellers The New Terrarium and Tasha Tudor's Garden.




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The publication being reviewed was the sole compensation for reviewing it. All opinions expressed here are mine. If I like something, I'll say so. If I don't, I'll say that,too.

American Grown

American Grown
The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America
by Michelle Obama 

272 pages, hardcover
Crown Publishers, 2012
List price: $30.00

Our nation’s First Lady inspired many to give gardening a try when she led the way at the White House in 2009. Along with her kitchen garden, gardens sprang up everywhere and those who’d been doing it for decades cheered.

American Grown is part history book and part motivational manual. Telling how we got to be a nation of overweight people due to both our food choices as well as lifestyle changes, Mrs. Obama urges us all to rethink them. Perhaps we don’t have the resources that she does, but there are ways to improve our diet by either growing some of our own fresh food or sharing in the bounty of those that do by taking advantage of farmer’s markets. A cross-section of community and school gardens from across the nation are featured, with special emphasis on kids and how we can get them involved.

There have been volumes written on why it’s better for us to eat fresh and how we can do it ourselves. American Grown excels, because it not only presents a convincing case for changing our thinking in logical, inspiring ways, it’s visually beautiful with an abundance of color photographs and renderings of the White House Kitchen Garden. Also included are recipes for cooking up the bounty and a brief compilation of resources. I truly love this book.

Michelle Obama is the First Lady of the United States and the mother of two daughters. In February 2010, she launched Let’s Move!, a nationwide initiative to address the epidemic of childhood obesity by bringing healthier food into schools and communities, and encouraging kids to be more active. American Grown is her first book.

Author proceeds will go to the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America's National Parks. Funds will be used for programs that promote gardening and healthy eating and give young people the opportunity to experience the outdoors and lead more active lives, as well as for the continued care of the White House Kitchen Garden.

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The publication being reviewed was the sole compensation for reviewing it. All opinions expressed here are mine. If I like something, I'll say so. If I don't, I'll say that,too.

Waterwise Plants for Sustainable Gardens

Waterwise Plants for Sustainable Gardens
200 Drought-Tolerant Choices for All Climates 
by Lauren Springer Ogden and Scott Ogden

248 pages
Timber Press, 2011
List price: $24.95

The Ogdens could not have known that the US would suffer one of the worst drought seasons in its history when they wrote Waterwise Plants for Sustainable Gardens in 2011. Focusing on growing drought-tolerant plants isn’t new, but their book couldn’t be more timely or relevant to gardeners than it is right now.

No longer is water usage just a concern of those who live in arid climates. Water shortages are everywhere and in this book you’ll find plenty of suitable plants for varying conditions in zones 4 to 10. Growing details are highlighted for over 200 plants, with 400 more related companion plants listed, giving gardeners a plentiful palette from which to choose. Each of the 11 categories of plants has plant profiles that also suggest design ideas, helping you to incorporate them into your garden in an attractive way.

This is a practical book that is a culmination of over 30 years of horticultural and design experience. The Ogdens give straightforward advice with their multi-seasonal plant choices, making drought-tolerant gardening easier. I, for one, appreciate having this book to reference, after yet another summer of dragging garden hoses around the yard far too much.

Lauren Springer Ogden and Scott Ogden are garden designers and horticulturists who have experience with a wide range of climates, plants, and planting styles in both the United States and Europe. They have spoken at most major botanic gardens, public gardens, and arboreta in the United States.





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The publication being reviewed was the sole compensation for reviewing it. All opinions expressed here are mine. If I like something, I'll say so. If I don't, I'll say that,too.