The Curious Gardener's Almanac: Centuries of Practical Garden Wisdom is written by Niall Edworthy and published by Penguin Group, Inc. Beautiful parchment type paper and line ink drawings set the tone for this "Farmer's Almanac" style collection of plants and gardening tips. Delightful gardening and plant related quotes, fun facts, unexpected anecdotes and worthwhile tips for gardeners are tucked throughout this book like plants in a cottage garden. Great for coffee tables, bathrooms or purses this book will be one that can be read in small snippets of time.
Gardening Through Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter
Gardeners will appreciate the collection of seasonal quotes that have been collected for each of the four seasons. In addition, Edworthy highlights plants and vegetables available for each season.
Favorite quotes for each of the four seasons:
- "April comes like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers." ~Edna St. Vincent Millay
- "To see the Summer Sky/ Is Poetry, though never in a Book it lie/ True poems flee." ~Emily Dickinson
- "Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower." ~Albert Camus
- "Be like the sun and meadow, which are not in the least concerned about the coming winter." ~George Bernard Shaw
Gardening Tips and Wisdom
This section of The Curious Gardener's Almanac is sure to become a favorite with plant lovers and gardeners. Edworthy has gathered historic tips, folklore wisdom and old wives tales for everything from how to prevent aphid infestations organically, when to transplant shrubs and trees, how to make compost to feed your plants and the origins of those common plant watch-care emblems - the garden gnomes. Helpful tips on water conservation, lawn maintenance and how to water hanging baskets will be much appreciated by all gardeners.
Vegetable Plants - History and How to Grow Them
The vegetable chapter of The Curious Gardener's Almanac is also like an anthology in its organization making it, and the entire book, an easy read. Learn some delicious recipes for your vegetable plants like French Style Onion Soup, Green Bean Salad or Fresh Tomato Sauce. Delight and laugh at some of the hilarious quotes such as "Sex is good, but not as good as fresh sweet corn" ~ Anonymous.
Vegetable gardeners will appreciate the useful, concise information such as vegetable plant combinations that work well and how to keep mice, crows or other pests from eating your newly sown vegetable seeds. Funny facts, world records and other vegetable trivia are entertaining as well.
Garden Wildlife
As any gardener can tell you, plants are not the only living creatures in a garden landscape. A full chapter of The Curious Gardener's Almanac is devoted to flying, creeping and buzzing things. Lots of quotes, statistics, and tips for plant selections are devoted to the noble honeybee. Insect control in the form of toads and frogs are also discussed to help keep plants healthy and a garden environment friendly to beneficial wildlife. Another wildlife animal mentioned frequently in helpful snippets of this chapter is the earthworm with tips for farming them included.
Herbs, Flowers, Fruiting Plants, Trees and Shrubs
Each of these types of plants has a chapter devoted to it and The Curious Gardener's Almanac is organized similar to the chapter on vegetable plants. Funny quotes, helpful tips, plant selection ideas and how to get the most from your garden make for enjoyable reading by any gardener.
Give as a Gift
The Curious Gardener's Almanac is a beautiful book, with old-fashioned appeal and a lovely ribbon bookmark sewn into the binding. This book will make an attractive gift for yourself, or give as a present for a gardener you know and love. As the final chapter talks about children and kid-friendly plants, consider giving the book to a family with young children and helping to pass on the love of gardening to the next generation.
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