Garden Memoir Book Review---From the Ground Up

Dear friends,

Memoirs are big business these days, and nobody really knows why. My personal opinion is that it's an offshoot from all the reality TV shows that are on now. I don't care for many of the books, because they just don't seem to apply to me or my life. I've never gotten a thrill out of learning the minute details of where somebody went to school, or what they had for breakfast when they were in the first grade. But that's just me! There are a handful of memoirs, though, that I've read recently that I'd like to share with you here from time to time.



The first one on my list came out in 2001. From the Ground Up: The Story of a First Garden, was written by Amy Stewart. The book gives an account of the author's experience in transforming a tiny plot of California coastal land (a 1200 square-foot patch) into her first garden. The style is charming, easily readable and humorous. Chapters such as Weeds, Neighbors, Cats, Dirt, First Harvest, Seeds, Tomatoes, Basil, etc. take you through the formation of the garden as well as Ms. Stewart's trials and tribulations in the process. Along with her stories are lots of helpful hints and information about garden challenges. If you were a fan of the author's stories in Organic Gardening, Victoria and GreenPrints magazines, you'll love this book.

Highly recommended...gobble it up in a huge chunk, or in tiny bite-sized pieces. This book is a classic!

bobbi c.

Growing Heirloom Corn

Dear garden fiends, I mean FRIENDS!

So, I had high hopes (as I always do) when I planted the little
colored heirloom corn last spring. It came up, pronto, was SO pretty
with purpley-yellow leaves.....then it tassled!

Well! I finally picked some, and the ears are tiny! The package
said it was a miniature corn, but I thought it would be larger than
3" long! LOL!!! They are gorgeous, all different colors together,
yellow, lavender, purple. That would be OK, BUT they are all bug
eaten inside.

Dagnabbit!

The package said you can either eat them or dry them. I'm going to
dry them and hang them on the door for Halloween.

What with those, and the punkins, my fall harvest is IN! LOL.

I'm not giving up, though. I'm going to try again next year.

bobbi c.

Thoreau's Legacy: American Stories about Global Warming...online book

Dear friends,

It's supposed to be 101-degrees here today, and 102 tomorrow. Husband and I were up early to water the garden. The ground is cracked and dry. The rosemary and lavender are lovin' it...everything else, not so much.

I just got this bit of news from the Union of Concerned Scientists about a new online book they've published along with Penguin. Thoreau's Legacy: American Stories about Global Warming introduces a new generation of writers and photographers with a personal connection to global warming. The 67 essays and images in this anthology are drawn from nearly 1,000 submissions about beloved places, people, plants, animals, and activities at risk from a changing climate—and the efforts that individuals are making to save what they love. A foreword by author Barbara Kingsolver serves as a powerful call to action.

Check it out!

Dig it!

bobbi c.

Old garden friends

Dear friends,

I've been sorting through the thousands of digital photos I've taken over the last four years, and happened upon this fellow:



I realized that I've had this for at least 15 years, if not longer. What makes it special, besides the sweet face, is that a long-time friend gave it to me. I met Sharon Wilcox, a printmaker and interior designer who lives in Pittsburgh, when we both joined the Dreams into Reality art co-op gallery in Austin years ago.....at least 25? We became friends, and in spite of the distance between us, have continued our friendship through the years, first through letters, cards and phone calls, then through e-mail. Sharon was the first to teach me the joys of many things...fresh basil, fresh pasta,putting hearts of palm (and other interesting things) into salads, real coffee ground from beans...many, many things. And she's taught me a lot about being an artist and gardener over the years, too. Some of my favorite pieces of art are prints she made and gave me.

This didn't start out being about my friend,but you know what? Why not! Thanks, Sharon, for it all. And for a gift of a wonderful sheep's head planter.

Dig it!

bobbi c.

Big bright faces! Volunteer sunflowers..

Dear friends,

It's hotter than You Know What here in central Texas! We've been taking advantage of the shade from our ONE beloved oak tree that hovers over our back patio. I finally got out there and took more photos.

My recent "simple pleasure" that is just tickling me pink is the crop of volunteer sunflowers that are coming up all over my back yard. For years I tried growing sunflowers in the blazing sun of our former home out in the Hill Country, to no avail. It was just too hot. Yes, dear readers....even too hot for sunflowers!

We feed a lot of birds in our back yard, and recently have added black sunflower seeds to the mix. The birds love these (especially the cardinals), and I'm pretty sure they are the culprits. I mean, little seed sowers, who are responsible for all these gorgeous flowers. They are a bit wild, uncultivated, and that's the way I like my plants.

To wit (I love saying that! LOL):





Next time you see a strange plant popping up somewhere you didn't put it, say a Thank You to the birds and leave it there. You never know what might come up.

Dig it!

bo