Cooking, Gardening, and Travel Books and PBS

Categories Home & Gardening ,

I have a confession to make: I used to be a HGTV (Home & Garden Television) junkie.  I could watch the network programs for hours, including the reruns! 

My husband and I don’t have cable, so we watch the great cooking, gardening, and travel shows on PBS’s Create TV instead.  Here are some of my favorite shows, and some companion books for you to enjoy!

P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home

P. Allen Smith’s Bringing the Garden Indoors (2009)
P. Allen Smith’s Living in the Garden Home (2007)

Rick Steves' Europe

Rick Steves will be visiting the Main Library on March 27th!--details here

Rick Steves’ Europe Through the Back Door (2010)

Cook's Country from America's Test Kitchen 

The Best Simple Recipes (2010)

The Cook’s Country Cookbook (2008)

I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas (At the White House)

Categories Home & Gardening ,

If you think your holiday season is stressful, imagine what life is like for staff at the White House: 28 parties and open houses to host for 50,000 guests, multiple trees to decorate, cookie dough to stockpile in the freezer (enough for 120,000 cookies by December 1st), and a massive re-creation of the White House sculpted in gingerbread and white chocolate to assemble.

But, in these tight economic times, too much extravagance isn’t an option.  This year’s theme, chosen by Michelle Obama, is “Reflect, Rejoice, Renew" and conveys her interest in environmentalism.  There are fewer decorations, fewer names on the Christmas card list, and LED lights and recycled ornaments on the Christmas trees.  White House staff distributed 800 ornaments from previous administrations to 60 local community groups across the country, which were then decorated in honor of their favorite local landmarks.

Author Anna Getty’s gorgeous new book, I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas: Gifts, Decorations, and Recipes That Use Less and Mean More, features creative ways to make your Christmas more environmentally friendly, too.  And don’t forget to check out our festive list of new books to brighten up your holidays! 

Autumn Gardening

Categories Home & Gardening

Thanks to a visit from Hurricane Ike, many of us have been doing some serious "damage control" outside in the garden.  After the debris is hauled away, you might find that some re-designing and re-planting is in order.  The Library's extensive collection of gardening books includes several titles that are specific to autumn gardens.  Fallscaping by Nancy Ondra is a beautifully illustrated volume that will inspire any gardener to look beyond the bounty of summer into the subtle textures and colors of the fall.

Other autumn gardening titles that can be found at The Library:

• Late Summer Flowers by Marina Christopher
• Autumn Gardens by Ethne Clarke
• Leaf, Bark, and Berry by Ethne Clarke
• Gardening Through the Year by Peter McHoy
• The Garden in Autumn by Allen Lacy

Weapons of Mass Beautification

Categories Home & Gardening

You know that little patch of urban blight that you pass by every day?  What if you did something subversive there - like scattering some flower seeds under the cover of night?  That is the mission of Guerrilla Gardeners - to install just a little beauty in an otherwise unbeautiful spot.  A few nocturnal Brits started the idea in London, and now there are 'troops' of planters all over the world.  Their dangerous quest: cleaning up public places - without permission.  I actually know people who have planted 'weapons of mass beautification' right here in Cincinnati - they shall remain anonymous.

Even if it is just temporary, replacing trash with plant material serves to make neighborhoods safer, healthier, and happier.  And subversively or right out in the open, urban gardening is an idea that just makes sense.  Cincinnati's Civic Garden Center is a marvelous place for learning more about plants that thrive in the city.  Should you want to commit some random acts of gardening, these resources are available at the Library:

I'll Take the Place of Any Hostage Mia Farrow Doesn't Take the Place of

Categories Home & Gardening ,

I would prefer a place without snakes, even though I imagine Mia Farrow bravely took snakes into consideration when she offered to exchange herself for "Suleiman Jamous, the humanitarian coordinator of the Sudan Liberation Movement." 

This is the first of two entries about the Darien Gap, the 30,000-acre area between Colombia and Panama.  The Gap is what makes it impossible to drive from Alaska to the bottom of Chile.  You can't go from the Atlantic to the Pacific in the Darien Gap either, because of mountains, swamps, rivers, and dense jungle.  Another problem: paramilitary guerrillas, who will kidnap you if they find you, which they will.  The native peoples aren't especially friendly either.

The paramilitary groups include two left-wing groups, the ELN and the FARC; and one right-wing group, the AUC.  You may ask yourself, If I have to be kidnapped by a paramilitary group in or near the Darien Gap, which should I choose?  Two books that could help you decide are Leszli Kalli's Kidnapped: A Diary of My 373 Days in Captivity and The Cloud Garden, by Tom Hart Dyke and Paul Winder.

Hot Fun in the Summertime

Categories Home & Gardening ,

Summer is here in all of its glory, and we must revel in it as much as possible.  It is quite simple really: just sit outside and feast your senses on the birdsong and the fireflies.  The best recipe for tomatoes: pick one from the vine and eat it, the drippier the better.  For those who prefer more detailed instructions, here are a few books that can tell you how to enjoy summer, and even if you already know how, their beautiful illustrations could easily occupy a long afternoon in the shade. 

Poison Ivy OR Don't be Afraid to Shake my Hand, Tch, tch, tch

Categories Home & Gardening ,

About 25 years ago, my mates and I were drinking 9-cents-a-bottle wine (probably now about 78-cents-a-bottle wine) in the Avignon train station, waiting for the 3 a.m. billet bige train to Italy.  A man with a bleeding hand approached us.  He spoke no French nor any other recognizable language; just "Tch, tch, tch," as he pointed first to our individual bottles of wine and  then to his dripping hand.  My classmates scattered, but I caught on and poured a few cups of the cheap wine on his hand.  He said, "Tch, tch, tch," and went to a different part of the station.

The paragraph above provides one piece of useful advice, which is that alcohol is a good thing to pour on a wound, or on a potential wound.  Rubbing alcohol is best, but you can't count on everyone you meet in a train station at 1 a.m. having rubbing alcohol.

It's hard to write a whole book about poison ivy, because there are basically just two rules about how to treat it in its initial stages, but Outwitting Poison Ivy, by Susan Carol Hauser, who also wrote Outwitting Ticks, makes the subject as lively as possible.

Hot Summer Gardens

Categories Home & Gardening

July and August are my least favorite months to garden.  The flowers look great, but it’s too hot outside to care.  And who wants to weed while getting eaten by mosquitoes?  Fortunately, the library has plenty of books to cure those summertime gardening blues.  Here are a few selections:

Three Seasons of Summer: Gardening with Annuals and Biennials by Ethne Clarke discusses plant recommendations and maintenance tasks for early, mid-, and late summer gardens. 

Summer Garden Glory by Adrian Bloom explains the challenges of summer gardens and emphasizes how to maintain color and interest throughout the season. 

Late Summer Flowers by Marina Christopher suggests late blooming annuals, biennials, and perennials for the garden as summer gives way to autumn.  

We’ve also put together a great list of gardening books and websites for you.  So put on those gardening gloves, grab a trowel, and dig in! 

Flower Confidential

Categories Home & Gardening ,

Every time I take a walk on my lunch hour, I pass by a florist’s shop.  I try to peek inside the open door and catch a glimpse or a whiff of the beautiful roses, lilies, tulips, and gerbera daisies for sale.  Sometimes I see a customer leave with a parcel of flowers or a bouquet in a vase and I happily imagine them sitting on my desk.  

Author Amy Stewart loves flowers too.  In her new book,

Flower Confidential: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful in the Business of Flowers, she travels around the world and behind the scenes to catch her own glimpse of the cut flower industry.  And what an interesting glimpse it is!

Stewart visits California, Miami, Holland, and Latin America to see firsthand how flowers are bred, grown, shipped, and sold.  Along the way, she tells intriguing stories, such as the quest for the elusive blue rose or the eccentric breeder of the popular 'Stargazer' lily. 

The Welcoming Garden

Categories Home & Gardening ,

As referenced in a previous post, April is National Gardening Month.  The library has something to pique the interest of every gardener, whether you're dealing with a gardening challenge (too much shade, too little space) or trying to develop a focus (a color-themed garden or container gardening).  Dig in!

• If you feel like your front yard could use a little sprucing up, check out The Welcoming Garden for ideas on how to turn it into a gardener's paradise.
• Shade puts a positive spin on this gardening challenge by addressing the different types of shade and the plants that thrive there.
• Garden lovers who love to garden but who have very little space to do it in should pick up Plants for Small Spaces.

April is National Gardening Month

Categories Home & Gardening ,

April is National Gardening Month- the perfect time to plan and dream and let your inner gardener run wild.

This year’s theme is GROW: When you Garden, You Grow. And, the campaign has great resources for kids. Studies show the impact of gardening on children’s health and well-being, their attitudes towards learning and the environment, and their connections to community. Plus, it’s a great activity for the whole family.

Turning of the Days

Categories Home & Gardening ,

The Vernal Equinox comes every year in the Northern Hemisphere around March 20. Spring arrives! Day and night, for one 24-hour period, are equal. 

I find that springtime light brings a lifting of moods and a deep contentment that never fails to brighten my spirits. I have dug up a variety of books from a variety of subject areas, all about spring:

Chasing Spring: an American Journey Through a Changing Season Bruce Stutz writes about following spring from the Gulf of Mexico to the Alaskan arctic, experiencing renewal and joy at the beauty of the awakening season.

Boys of Spring: Timeless Portraits from the Grapefruit League, 1947-2005 Ozzie Sweet is a renowned photographer, and this book of baseball photographs will get you in the mood for a game.

Everything for Spring: A Complete Activity Book for Teachers of Young Children: Activities for March, April, and May Spring fever is especially rampant in classrooms. These activities will help keep our youngest students busy.

The beautiful symphonic works of Aaron Copeland's Appalachian Spring and The Tender Land cannot fail to move you; available on CD or cassette.

Dig Up a Good Mystery

Categories Home & Gardening ,

I don't profess to be the world's best gardener, but I do love flowers, so I was very excited the other day when I noticed my spring bulbs peeking through the dirt.  Soon my yard will be awash in brightly-colored crocus, hyacinths, daffodils and tulips.  If spring can't come fast enough for you, you might want to indulge yourself with a few of these garden-themed mysteries.

• Bleeding Hearts by Susan Wittig Albert--In Pecan Springs, Texas, herbalist and tea shop owner China Bayles investigates the murder of Tim Duffy, the high school football coach.
• Death in the Orchid Garden by Ann Ripley--On location in Hawaii to film an episode of her popular gardening show, Louise Eldridge probes the beating death of a well-known botanist.
• Bindweed by Janis Harrison--When her mentally handicapped assistant, Toby, is killed by a deliberately-planted nest of killer bees, River City, Missouri florist Bretta Solomon vows to find Toby's murderer.

Extreme Home Decor

Categories Home & Gardening ,

I've yet to find the perfect home-decor book (good-looking house without money or time investment) in the budget-decor department, so I decided to go the other way.  In Dictator Style, English writer Peter York has compiled  photographs of the interiors and exteriors of homes owned by notorious dictators, including Hitler, Tito, Ceaucescu, Idi Amin, and Saddam Hussein. 

While admitting that some (though not all) of Slobodan Milosevic's rooms have that certain je ne sais quoi, York condemns most of the despots on grounds of bad taste--everything is too big, and they tend to put up photos and paintings of themselves all over the place.  Idi Amin had tacky shag carpeting, and no one knows what the scary devices in the Ceaucescus' bathroom (p. 57) are.

Gardening for Others

Categories Home & Gardening ,

A hilarious epistolary novel showed up in the second-floor display area last week, Bonnie Thomas Abbott's Radical Prunings: A Novel of Officious Advice from the Contessa of Compost.  If you've ever had mean thoughts while listening to a gardening person provide predictable opinions about square tomatoes, this is the novel for you.  The letters seek advice from Mertensia Corydalis, a gardening expert with a syndicated column and strong positive opinions about labor-intensive gardening.  The advice is similar to what you'll see in Eleanor Perenyi's Green Thoughts: A Writer in the Garden. 

Reading between the lines in the answers that appear in her column, readers come to know quite a bit about Mertensia--that she's recently divorced from a fellow gardener who's now married to a floozie.  Mertensia herself seems kind of interested (if you get my drift) in the young man who helps out with the garden (or why would she insist at least twice that he remove his shirt)?

What Lies Beneath

Categories Home & Gardening ,

Now that I've finally cleared enough work from around my computer that I can blog without laying eyes on some urgent task that needs to be done immediately, I thought I could mention that I'm back from my vacation.  And what a vacation it was!  I started out with the idea of just finishing off a few projects and ended knowing that I was going to have to remove most of the tin ceiling downstairs.  In between that, there was the flood... 

If you're looking for a book on plumbing, I can heartily recommend Plumbing: basic, intermediate, and advanced projects, with the caveat that, unless you live in a house less than 20 years old, your plumbing will never be as clean, modern, or in as convenient a place as "book plumbing".  However, at this point I'm really looking for a distraction from thoughts of plumbing so I thought I'd step sideways, yet continue the general "too much water and associated disasters" theme with a quick look at Brian Keene's The Conqueror Worms.

Snip. Snip. Snip. Pruning like a Professional

Categories Home & Gardening ,

I love a book that sneaks up on you.  Leafing through the pages of Cass Turnbull's Guide to Pruning I noticed chapter 3 on water sprouts and suckers.  Maybe this expert can explain the difference between the two terms. 

She did.  The good news is that now I know the difference.  The bad news is that my pear trees will take a while to recover.  I read another chapter and another.  A reference to PlantAmnesty made me realize that it might be a good idea to read the Introduction.  And the Foreward.  And so forth.   I did skip the part about pruning escallonia.  She lives in Seattle.  I live in Cincinnati.  Escallonia is not an option for Cincinnati.

Her humor works for me, too.  Turnbull has headings like Justifiable Arboricide and quotes the Indian chief in the movie Little Big Man.  "It's a good day to die."  The line drawn illustrations are perfect.  Figure 6.4 shows three uses for retired pruning holsters:  a piercing object, Chia Pet, Lunch box.  Cute but not over the top. 

Turnbull wrote each article  for PlantAmnesty's newletter.  She digs down to get to the root of pruning problems.  She cautions that it sometimes feels counter-intuitve to prune the right way. More importantly, she explains why shearing isn't the best solution and that even pruning won't keep a shrub from growing to its ultimate size.

Let's Cook in the Garden

Categories Home & Gardening ,

When is gardening like cooking? Okay, let's admit it, they frequently resemble each other with the mixing and the measuring and the one of this and three of that.  Especially when you try the innovative techniques described in Patricia Lanza's gardening books, Lasagna Gardening and Lasagna Gardening for Small Spaces.  Ms. Lanza advocates a layering of different materials to enrich your garden's soil and allows you to cook up a beautiful garden with little effort or fuss.   Try these "recipe books" if you are interested in giving a twist to your gardening technique. 

Distant Victuals

Categories Home & Gardening ,

Enlightening nonfiction for those curious about the food they put in their bodies, Coming Home to Eat: The Pleasures and Politics of Local Foods, by Gary Paul Nabhan, fascinates and provokes.  In summary, prize-winning essayist and ecologist Nabhan returns to his homeland, is inundated with the indigenous foods of the old country by his extended family, and describes the effects triggered by this experience.  Among many other scary facts, the book elucidates that “The food we put into our mouths today travels an average of thirteen hundred miles from where it is produced, changing hands at least six times along the way.”  Gardening, anyone?  

Grey Concrete, Red Bricks, Green Thumb

Categories Home & Gardening

Whether you're trying to exercise your green thumb in an apartment where your windows face a dim alley, or you have a larger area like a fire escape or vacant lot, Garden Your City has advice for urban gardeners.  Not a drool-inducing collection of gorgeous garden photos, this book is valuable because of its simplicity: offering practical tips on spaces to garden, dealing with problems like dogs and vandals, and how to get involved with community gardening.

Does this book include all the standard gardening book features like a zone map, planting suggestions and resources list? Yes!  But there's more! It's also the first book I've seen that covers how to compost in a one-bedroom apartment and garden around street trees.  Engaging style, cute line drawings, and an understanding that not every gardener has unlimited resources make this book worth plucking from the shelf.