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Plant Partners: Science-Based Companion Planting Strategies for the Vegetable Gardener by Jessica Walliser (Storey Publishing, 2020, 206 pp., $24.95) by Susan Mulvihill Many gardeners are familiar with the concept of companion planting: some plant combinations promote better growth and production while others inhibit these desirable outcomes. Or do they? A long time ago, I read Carrots Love Tomatoes by Louise […]
Read moreGrowing Under Cover by Niki Jabbour (Storey Publishing, 216 pp., 2020, $24.95) by Susan Mulvihill I’ve known for several months that Niki Jabbour’s new book, Growing Under Cover, would be coming out in December 2020 and have been so excited to read it! I’m a huge fan of hers: she lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she gardens year-round despite […]
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Murder at Manito: A Rex Begonia Mystery by Chris Bieker Review by Susan Mulvihill I love a good mystery. First, someone stumbles across a dead body. Then you get to observe the thought processes of sharp detectives as they try to solve the murder. And if it all takes place in a familiar setting, so much the better. That’s exactly […]
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A few days ago, I shot a video of the newest addition to our landscape: it’s an elevated garden planter from Gardener’s Supply. As I explained in the video, the pandemic has made it very difficult to order garden supplies from just about any source. But it’s finally here and I had the chance to create an herb garden just […]
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I have exciting news to share with you! I have written a new book, The Vegetable Garden Pest Handbook, which will be published by Cool Springs Press in April 2021. It’s been hard keeping this a secret but now that it’s up on Amazon (*) for pre-orders, I can finally spill the beans. Do you deal with insects in your […]
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Shrubs & Hedges: Discover, Grow, and Care for the World’s Most Popular Plants by Eva Monheim (Cool Springs Press, 2020, 224 pp., $30) Sometimes it seems like perennials are the darlings of the horticultural world. We gardeners love the colors and variations of the many different flowers we’ve added to our gardens over the years. But shrubs are much easier […]
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Plant Parenting: Easy Ways to Make More Houseplants, Vegetables, and Flowers by Leslie F. Halleck (Timber Press, 256 pp., 2019, $24.95) How are your plant propagation skills? If you’re like me, you’re probably pretty decent at starting plants from seed but maybe not so great at taking cuttings to propagate plants. I first heard about Leslie Halleck’s new book, Plant […]
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I’ve been growing microgreens during the winter months for several years now. Up until recently, I have planted the seeds in a seed-starting mix (also known as a germination mix). I recently heard about using jute mats in place of the sterile potting soil. Intrigued, I ordered some from True Leaf Market and tried them out. Spoiler alert: It turns […]
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The Pollinator Victory Garden: Win the War on Pollinator Decline with Ecological Gardening by Kim Eierman (Quarto Publishing, 2020, 160 pp., $26.99) As soon as I heard about Kim Eierman’s brand-new book, The Pollinator Victory Garden, I was anxious to learn what I can be doing to help pollinators within my own garden. According to the book’s subtitle, it is […]
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Organic Gardening for Everyone by CaliKim (Cool Springs Press, 2020, 160 pp., $22.99) I love it when a gardening book comes along with a mission of getting everyone to grow their own food and to do so without the use of insecticides or synthetic fertilizers. So I was intrigued when I learned about the brand-new release of Organic Gardening for […]
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