Book Review- Landscaping with Fruit by Lee Reich

I was recently searching at my local library for books on backyard fruit, cultivating fruiting plants, and small-scale fruit growing and I found a keeper- Landscaping with Fruit by Lee Reich!

For anyone looking to incorporate some (or more) fruit into their landscape, this is a great resource. Lee is thoughtful and creative about the ways to use fruit in your yard, in both an attractive and functional way.

Landscaping with Fruit also has a nice section on home landscaping plans, as well as a 'Guide to Fruiting Landscape plants' section. In the guide section, each plant that Reich lists is rated on a scale he has created- beauty, taste, and ease of care are each factored into the ratings. The factor that makes this book stand out from other books on landscaping that I've picked up is that this isn't a book of crazy, fantasy fruit gardens. There is careful thought put into what you might want to grow, how much work each plant takes to grow successfully, and considerations you'll want to think about.

Raspberries trellised along the fence in my backyard

I honestly hadn't heard of at least 5 of the plants that Reich suggestes- the new ideas were appreciated! This is definitely a practical guide to adding more fruiting plants to your landscape. If you're one of those gardeners who has always dreamed of an arbor covered in grapevines or a trellis with (hardy) kiwi fruits, pick up Landscaping with Fruit and turn those dreams into reality!

Happy Reading!

Book Review- Eating for Beginners by Melanie Rehak

I stumbled upon Eating for Beginners by Melaine Rehak at my local library, and decided to give it a read. It met my selection qualifications (which are an eye-catching book spine, and an enticing cover), and it got bonus point for the topic of eating/food!

Eating for Beginners is a non-fiction account of a period in the authors life, and her foray into conscientious eating, which coincided with her beginning a year of interviewing/shadowing/working at applewood restaurant in Brooklyn, NY. applewood is owned by a couple, a family really, and they allow Melanie to essentially intern in the kitchen with no previous experience, in order for her to immerse herself in the world of restaurants, sourcing local produce, and appreciation of food. 

During her experience year, Melanie visits several farms, a cheese maker, a Famers' meat co-operative. a produce delivery company, and a fisherman, all of whom supply food to applewood restaurant. The reader also gets to hear about Melanie's successes and trials in the kitchen, and favorite recipes are included as well.

I enjoyed the candidness of the book, as well as the opportunity to "visit" the different locales that Melanie went to- as someone who thinks carefully about each food decision I make, I really learned a lot from Melanie's trips, and I identified with her learning process and struggle to make informed eating choices.

In the end, Melanie seems to strike a healthy balance of making conscientious food decisions while knowing that everyone has to decide what's right for them. If you like to cook, if you're getting into the world of local, organic, and sustainable food, or if you're simply a thoughtful eater, I'd recommend this book to you!

Happy Reading!

Book Review- How to Live Well Without Owning a Car by Chris Balish

I recently purchased How to Live Well Without Owning a Car by Chris Balish from betterworldbooks.com. I've been riding my bike to work a lot lately, and I ordered this book to help inspire me and get me on the right track. If you've checked out my blog before, you might know that when I latch onto a new hobby or interest, I like to devour as many books on the subject as possible.

How to Live Well Without Owning a Car was written in 2006 but has a lot of still-current and valid information. I could tell it was written several years ago but all the key info still rings true, if not more true. This book is most beneficial for you if you are contemplating how to transition to a Car-Free lifestyle, or just "Car-Lite" which is what this books calls folks who might be a one car household family, people who car share, or have other alternative car arrangements.

Chris is not advocating that everyone should never use cars. His view seems to be that owning a car (or even two cars) is expensive, both financially and in other ways. The book is laid out in a way that is helpful to guide your journey to car-freeness: several sections in the beginning of the book speak to the true costs of owning a car, the environmentally costs, and one chapter entitled, "Can I Really Live Without a Car?". We also get to hear about Chris's personal car-free journey.The remaining three sections of the book are Getting to Work With out a Car, Non-Work Transportation, and Living Well Without a Car. Each of these in broken down into chapters with real world examples, quotes from now car-free people, and ideas for you to try out. It's very practical, and essentially a step-by-step guide on transitioning to less car use.

If you're hopping on the bike more, riding the bus, or walking and you're wondering if you could make the switch to alternative transportation full-time, I'd recommend that you pick up a copy of this book!


Happy Reading!

Book Review- The Widsom of the Radish by Lynda Hopkins

I recently picked up a copy of The Wisdom of the Radish from my local library. I just happened upon it- I was browsing through the gardening books and just as Mike asked haven't you read them all already?, I found it. I've been really enjoying these small farm non-fiction books since I've stumbled upon several of them.

I really appreciate that:
a) the authors are my age
b) a lot of them are coming from a similar background to myself aka no farming experience
c) the narratives are a lot of fun to read- It's nice to feel like you're experencing the story right along with the authors.

The Wisdom of the Radish was well written, well organized, and thoughtfully constructed. Lynda, who is the author, writes of the experiences she and her boyfriend  (now husband) Emmett go through starting their own farm, selling at markets, trying their hand at animal husbandry, and other farm-based activites. Lynda and Emmett go through a lot of trials and mistakes during the first year on their farm, and if you're a gardener or  have ever taken on a project that you didn't fully understand the scope of, you'll identify a lot with the author as you read this book. It has a nice blend of humor, serious and heart-wrenching stories, and farm lessons learned along the way.

If you're looking for a fairly easy farm read, pick up a copy of The Wisdom of the Radish- it'll do the trick!

Book Review- Edible Front Yard by Ivette Soler

Totally recommended!

For the holidays, I had a lot of books on my list. One of the ones that I got and really loved is, Edible Front Yard by Ivette Soler. The Edible Front Yard is the (and I quote), "Mow-less, Grow-more plan for a Beautiful, Bountiful Garden". 

The book starts out in Chapter 1 with "Inspired Curb Appeal"- basically a whole chapter devoted to your inspirations for gardening, and motivating you to think about your house features, your dream garden, etc. Really a fun chapter! Chapter 2 is probably my favorite and the most useful, in my opinion- it goes through Edible Ornamentals- basically the nicest-looking varieties of a lot of your favorite fruits and veggies. Bronze fennel, espalier apple trees, African Blue basil, lavender, borage- all things you can either eat or consume in one way or another, but they are also just damn good-looking 

plants!

I was so inspired that my roommate and I put in an order for lotsa Herb seeds to start and keep indoors! Here's our order: Globe Bail, Mrs. Burn's Lemon Basil, Thai Basil, Cilantro, Cumin, Bronze Fennel, Green Culinary Sage, and Spearmint! Hopefully these will be attractive, product plants that will be a breath of fresh air indoors and a pretty addition out in the front yard when it comes time!