Attracting Birds and Butterflies by Barbara Ellis

Attracting Birds and Butterflies by Barbara Ellis-266 pages

Now that I am sequestered at home, I am so glad that I read this.  It is simply written with some great tips.  The pictures are beautiful and helpful.  Now I can't wait until I can purchase some of the plants and shrubs that they recommend.  To all you gardeners out there ready to dig in and get those hands dirty, I highly recommend this book.

Don't Throw it, Grow it, by Deborah Peterson

Don't Throw it, Grow it, by Deborah Peterson, 160 pages

This was a really interesting little book- it focused on growing plants from the remnants of others.  For example, you can grow a plant from the discarded top of a carrot, or a tree from an almond.  I was more interested in the self-replenishing fruits and vegetables, of which there are quite a few.  After reading this, I have a clove of garlic growing in a pot (and hopefully producing a head of garlic!), a head of lettuce growing in a dish of water, and I haven't bought green onions in months.  Very interesting stuff, although you could find alot of this information available on the internet, too.

The Vegetable Gardener's Book of Building Projects, by Cindy A Littlefield

The Vegetable Gardener's Book of Building Projects, by Cindy A Littlefield, 151 pages

I've been doing a bit of wood-working lately, and I'm anxiously looking forward to planting my veggie garden, so this was the perfect book to read on a slow weekend.  All of the projects in this book are pretty straightforward, easy enough to do with basic tools (the most complex tool required is a jigsaw), and all are pretty practical projects.  Very easy for a non-handy-type to read (after all, I read it).  There are some neat compost containers, raised beds and cold frames that I am contemplating.