Book Review: The Water-Saving Garden

With the water-shortages, due to drought, throughout the western parts of the U.S. this book is very timely.

I have a daughter who lives out west and I know the difficulty she has had in finding just the right plants to use that do not require a lot of watering, yet can help the house look beautiful.

The introduction gives different examples of attractive yard arrangements with landscaping and furniture arrangements.

The next chapters, in part two, shares ways to make the garden a water saver, including the type of soil and mulch are best.

Part three talks about choosing native plants and timing planting. Part four is about making the garden look like it has plenty and finally the last section gives a list of over 100 plants that can be used to help create this kind of garden.

This is an excellent resource book for anyone that is interested in water conservation while gardening.

I was given this book by blogging for books in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: The Bee-Friendly Garden

My husband and son began raising bees as a 4-H project, years ago. Then when we discovered that using honey from close to home, allergy symptoms could be lessened, my hubby began again. Unfortunately, even though we live in the country, our bees are in need of more sources of food. So this book, The Bee-Friendly Garden, came into my life just in time for preparing my spring and summer gardens.

In this book, the authors talk about other reasons for having a garden that bees would like to visit, how a person can have one of any size and even how to make a vegetable/fruit garden that bees will love.

In addition the authors help a person design their garden along with a list of plants that can be found in various parts of the country.

This book is a wealth of knowledge that will be useful to anyone that enjoys gardening and the honey that bees provide.

I was given this book by Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Rooted in Design

Rooted in Design,  by Tara Heibel and Tassy de Give, is the book for the person who has space in their homes that could use some WOW!

Heibel has a gardening column and has made appearances on the morning news shows. De Give has appeared on radio shows and has had several publication where she has expressed her gardening expertise.

These two have put together a wonderful book, complete with photos, that helps the consumer think outside the box when it comes to decorating with plants. They have included ideas for walls, ledges, floors, hanging from the air, tabletop, terrariums and plants to use in the kitchen. In the back is an index of the plants they suggest along with a guide to help them flourish.

I feel like this is a complete guide for anyone and I would recommend it to friends and family.

I was given this book by Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.